EASTON, Pa. — Superintendent Tracy Piazza was given a slew of goals aimed at improving the Easton Area School District over the course of the current school year during the school board’s Tuesday meeting.
But based on previous evaluations by the board, and Piazza’s own tenacity, reaching those objectives for items such as math and reading proficiency and fiscal responsibility are well within reach.
Easton Area School District Board President Meg Sayago explained that the practice of setting such objectives comes from the state, which requires the school district to adopt goals for the superintendent on an annual basis.
The goals are evaluated at the end of the school year and exhibited to the public so they can stay informed on the progress of Piazza and other superintendents.
The evaluation system is composed of five standards, including shared vision and governance; culture and learning; organizational leadership and management; family and community engagement; and personal and professional growth.
Shared vision and governance prioritizes promoting personalized student success via strategic planning to create and maintain an organizational vision of learning which is shared by the school community, and aligns with the responsibilities of the board of directors.
Culture of learning focuses on “advocating, nurturing, and sustaining” a culture and instructional program conducive to learning.
Organizational leadership and management looks at ensuring resource management for “a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.”
Family and community engagement comprises “collaborating, communicating, engaging and empowering” those within and outside the organization to “pursue excellence in learning.”
Lastly, personal and professional growth supports efforts to improve oneself and others via practice and inquiry.
“I've aligned my goals to that so that we have a commensurate amount of growth that is happening over a three-year term,”Tracy Piazza
Each standard is graded on a scale of one to five, with five representing a high rating.
Piazza said she has a list of particular items she would like to concentrate on during the 2024-25 school year, including focusing on the district’s comprehensive plan, and tapping the public to help to help with math and reading goals for students.
“I've aligned my goals to that so that we have a commensurate amount of growth that is happening over a three-year term,” Piazza said.
Those math and reading goals fall under the culture of learning heading, with objective performance standards to help evaluate progress.
Data-driven presentations are set to be presented to the school board and public three times per year to review growth, and to address and deficiencies.
“By the end of the 2026-2027 academic year, EASD will achieve a proficiency rate of 80% or higher in both ELA and Math for students in grades K-8 as measured by local assessments such as [Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills] and [subscription-based learning site] IXL,” the superintendent evaluation document reads.
“The annual targets are as follows: 2024-2025 — 65% of students will achieve proficiency or higher, 2025-2026 — 75% of students will achieve proficiency or higher, 2026-2027 — 80% of students will achieve proficiency or higher.”
Other priorities include “building capacity for our leadership” via leadership meetings, academies, focus groups, and community input, Piazza said.
Furthermore, the superintendent would like to increase community input on how the district is being run — for instance, the starting time for high school students, Piazza said.
Discussions concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion are also an “important part” of the discussion between the district and community, Piazza said, which “will continue to happen.”
One of the biggest focal points of her goals for this school year is fiscal responsibility, Piazza said, “making sure we can be working toward getting a [Chief Financial Officer] and being able to present from an informed lens.”
One of the biggest focal points of her goals for this school year is fiscal responsibility, Piazza said, “making sure we can be working toward getting a [Chief Financial Officer] and being able to present from an informed lens.”
Keeping on top of the district’s budget to remain transparent with the community is paramount, as plans for high school renovations — or a completely new school building — are still in the works.
Until a CFO can be locked down, Piazza said, she and her colleagues will focus on “being stewards of fiscal responsibility, kind of cleaning up our numbers so that they are presented in a one-time manner that's easily understood by our board and community, and then starting to rebuild that fund balance, of trying to come in as balanced as possible, so that we start to incorporate our regular budget, along with our borrowing and lending, to realize a high school addition or renovation.”
Despite a hefty amount of work to tackle over the school year, Sayago said and the board remain confident in Piazza’s ability to meet, if not exceed, those goals.
“Well, we voted at the June meeting that she had met all of her goals from the previous year,” Sayago said.
