PARIS — Superintendent Heather Manchester updated directors Sept. 3 on Maine School Administrative District 17’s strategic plan launched a year ago that focuses on students, staff, facilities and learning.

The four areas are: 1. Developing healthy and resilient students; 2. Maximizing facilities to promote learning; 3. Recruiting, retaining and growing talent; and 4. Developing rigorous, relevant and responsive learning.

Regarding students, the priorities are to decrease the number who are chronically absent and increase the number reporting they have at least one teacher or other adult in school they can count on for help, no matter what.

At the start of the 2023-24 school year, the districtwide chronic absence rate was at 42.3%; the goal was to reduce it to 32% by the 2025-26 school year. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student who misses 10% or more of the school year for any reason.

Manchester reported that after one year the rate decreased to 33%, 1% shy of its target. SAD 17 is executing a multifaceted strategy to improve attendance.

“A lot of work goes into this,” Manchester said. “We work with Count ME In (a statewide partner organization) to establish attendance teams in each school. Deans of students call on families and make home visits to check on students. Our Positive Behavior Intervention Supports system focuses on creating a positive school culture where kids want to come to school. We really work with the families on getting the kids back.”

Goals for increasing student trust in adult support in schools are to increase the rate for students in grades three though five from 91% to 94% and for grades six through 12 from 75% to 82%.

Manchester said answers for elementary students revealed a 2% decline from last year but for grades six and up they have seen a 16% increase. She said goals by school are being set for younger students and attributed the success for older kids to daily meeting opportunities between students and their advisors.

Goals for the second area involve improving school safety and security systems and enhancing efficiency and quality of district facilities and equipment.

To support safety, the district convened a safety committee that includes stakeholders from public agencies. Committee recommendations include upgrading technology and monitoring in school buildings and vehicles; expanding ALICE (alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate) training and drills; replacing all exterior doors with updated security; address traffic hazards at schools and consider a dedicated safety director.

Priorities for the third area are to increase staff retention in all positions, especially employees’ first few years. That will see the percentage of teachers working in the district for three or more years rising 69% to 75%, and for support staff from 61% to 70%.

Manchester said as of the start of this school year, the teacher retention rate for three years or more came in at 73%. For other staff turnover, rates stayed flat.

“Our most volatile group has been in transportation,” Manchester told the board. “Which I think may have skewed the numbers. We’ve hired so many bus drivers, 10-12, that it kept the overall rate flat.”

She also said there were some very recent changes among educational technicians — some retiring and others indicating personal changes — that she is analyzing.

The fourth area focused on student success is showing improvement. In literacy, the goal is to move STAR assessment data from 43% to 50% over three years; since last year, performance has increased by 6%.

“We chose the STAR assessment for measurement because it has not changed over the last 10 years,” Manchester said. “The state assessment has changed every year for the last four. So we use the STAR assessment because we are able to measure it apples to apples year over year.”

For math assessments, the three-year goal is to improve scores from 48% to 55%. Since last year math scores improved by 1%.

“I’m taking this as a celebration,” Manchester said. “We introduced a new math program last year. Typically any change in programming comes with what they call an implementation dip, followed by a rebound.

“The fact that we went up a point speaks volumes to the work our teachers, curriculum director and consultants have done,” she said. “Our math is looking really good, and that was evidenced even during the first week of school.”

For middle school, freshmen and sophomores, goals call for an increase of passing classes from 60% to 70%. Manchester noted that last year the rate for seventh grade improved by two percentage points and for eighth graders it went up by six percentage points. In ninth grade the rate improved by one percentage point. The measuring rate for 10th grade just started, making its current rate 89% and the benchmark for future years.