Summer problems in Maine include mosquitoes, traffic jams and tracking regression.

The Great Salt Bay Community School in Damariscotta might have the solution to one of those problems.

The K-8 school has been using benchmark tests before and after the summer break to assess where each individual student stands in terms of their reading and mathematical levels.

Principal Kim Schaff spoke Wednesday, Oct. 8 during the monthly Great Salt Bay school board meeting about the system that is in place to help educators get a better grasp on where their students stand after summer.

“Unfortunately, we do see some summer regression, but now we do do a number of assessments from second to eighth grade,” she said. “That benchmark gives us a pretty good idea of the different instruction levels of our readers.”

Schaff said that when the program was first rolled out, the benchmarks might not have been as high as they could have, because students were still learning how the programming, which is down on a desktop computer, worked. Once students learned how the program work, they took to it.

“(Before) the results we would receive when the students were back just weren't as reliable,” she said. “The teachers had to teach the students how to drag and click. Now, the scores are reliable.”

What that means, Schaff added, is that once students return from the long summer break, educators have a better idea of where they fit within their own classroom, and at what levels each individual learns.

“We're seeing the entire spectrum of needs being met,” she said. “It's pretty fantastic. We fully expect to see improved results come from all that.”

Great Salt Bay Assistant Principal Ira Michaud said one of the new developments this year has been the implementation of new school rules. The big difference? These rules come from the students themselves.

“If the kids know what's expected of them, they will aim for those goals,” he said. “We want to create a safe environment where everyone behaves consistently. We'll have the rules posted in different locations and eventually we'll start rewarding students for being citizens.”

Those rules include guidelines about being safe, respectful and responsible, Michaud said.