Board accepts R3 monitoring report; administration cites attendance gains, flags gaps in AP and co‑curricular participation

The Eau Claire Area School District Board of Education on Oct. 7 accepted the district’s monitoring report for R3, “lifelong personal development,” after a presentation from district staff and a discussion with board members and building principals.

The report, presented by Mandy (administrator), identified points of pride — including improved growth scores on state accountability measures for English language arts and math and higher attendance rates overall — and areas for further work, notably student climate survey results and participation gaps in advanced placement and co‑curricular programs for some student groups.

Mandy said the report includes several changes made since last year: added 4K data tied to the DECA assessment, a different set of student climate surveys for K–5 versus grades 6–12, and a consistent set of data rules for judging “reasonable progress.” She told the board the district is beginning to use a universal SEL screener (referred to in the report as “SABERS”) this year and is developing an “ECISD learner profile” to produce baseline competency data by fall 2027. “When students come to us, we take them wherever they're at, and our goal is to prepare them for kindergarten,” Mandy said of how 4K progress will be measured from fall to spring.

District administrators pointed to attendance as a concrete gain: buildings reported rising attendance rates across most demographic groups, and principals attributed part of that improvement to additional building‑level resources and grant funding targeted to students experiencing homelessness. Superintendent Johnson noted the district’s homeless attendance rate increased “from 74 percent to 83 percent.” Board members and principals credited building practices such as expanded club offerings, team‑building at the start of the year and classroom routines ("bell ringers") for strengthening student–adult connections.

Board members asked for deeper analysis on several items. Commissioner Johnson asked whether the district has investigated why AP participation rose for many groups but declined for students who identify as American Indian and Black/African American; the board asked whether the district has examined whether cost, awareness, or other barriers affect AP and dual‑enrollment access. Mandy and Memorial High School principal Dave said Memorial has increased emphasis on postsecondary opportunities and reported a record number of AP exam requests this year ("just over 1,000 requests for exams, the highest since 2015").

Several trustees also urged more middle‑level data. The board and staff said the YRBS (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) middle‑school dataset has been delayed by state reporting issues and that the new SEL screener and learner profile should supply additional middle‑grade measures in coming years.

The board voted to accept the monitoring report (motion by Commissioner Zuhr; second by Commissioner Dement). The motion carried by roll call.

Next steps outlined by staff include adding multiple data sources to better triangulate student climate outcomes, implementing the SEL screener districtwide this year to form a baseline for future monitoring, completing the ECISD learner profile development through 2026–27, and returning to the board with follow‑up analyses on AP participation, co‑curricular access, and the student climate measures.

The R3 monitoring presentation and related data charts were provided as part of the board packet; staff said they will bring additional disaggregated and longitudinal measures to future reports.