District and South Middle School report upward trend in math; gaps persist for students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged

Eau Claire Area School District officials told the school board that middle school math performance has trended upward in recent years, with the district and South Middle School now performing above state averages on the Forward Exam — but large gaps remain for certain student groups.

At a Focus on Results presentation, Mandy VanVleet, the district’s executive director for teaching and learning, and Michelle Raacki, director of secondary programming and post‑secondary readiness, outlined the district’s instructional framework and steps to improve outcomes: a guaranteed and viable curriculum, coordinated instructional delivery, and targeted professional learning. South Middle School principal Caleb Hunt and assistant principal Christy Brower described classroom practices and coaching strategies they say are driving improvement at that building.

The administrators told the board the state recalibrated Forward Exam benchmarks in 2024, so comparisons to earlier years use gap analysis rather than direct score‑to‑score comparisons. Raacki said the recalibration prevents simple year‑to‑year benchmark comparisons but that the district now shows a favorable gap versus the state. She said the district’s plan focuses…