Board approves district’s Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness plan

The Jordan Public School District Board of Education approved the district’s Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (CACR) plan at the meeting. Dr. Erin Yamalen presented the plan and explained it is the state’s renamed framework for long-range academic goals and accountability.

Dr. Yamalen told the board the CACR “mirrors what world’s best workforce was” but that Minnesota statute renamed the framework and moved third-grade literacy to its own plan. The district’s CACR goals include: reaching 90 percent of resident 4- and 5-year-olds for early childhood screening by fall 2026; reducing the racial and economic achievement gap (the district’s stated focus is a 5 percent reduction between multilingual learners and non-ML students on the spring 2026 MCA reading test); ensuring 90 percent of students have a personalized learning plan by the end of 10th grade; holding a 4-year graduation rate above 92 percent; and ensuring 80 percent of seniors enroll in at least one Summit Academy or career and technical education course by the end of grade 12.

Dr. Yamalen described how building-level committees and stakeholders drafted goals, and she summarized instructional review, professional development and teacher evaluation processes the CACR requires. She reported staffing metrics: approximately 1 percent of district teachers are inexperienced (under three years), 3 percent are teaching out of field, and 95 percent hold advanced degrees; no staff members were on a performance improvement plan and the district reported no gaps in equitable access to effective teachers.

The board discussed how the graduation-rate calculation is reported through the Minnesota Department of Education’s cohort formula; a board member asked for clarification and staff said reported rates can vary because of the cohort math and student mobility. The board approved the CACR report on a voice vote.

Budget breakout figures were provided: district administration and support $2,055,000; student instructional services $18,439,000; student support services $2,096,000; and facilities and operations $3,145,000, as presented by district staff. The superintendent said the district’s resources are “primarily aligned to learning and student support,” and staff noted the CACR budget is aligned to those priorities.

Board staff will post the approved CACR plan and continue with scheduled monitoring and reporting under state guidance.