District reports K–3 literacy gains under AGR program; math growth lags amid implementation issues

District staff on June 23 told the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board that K–3 literacy growth improved this year after targeted Achievement Gap Reduction (AGR) interventions, while elementary math growth dipped and will be a focus for next-year coaching and curriculum implementation work.

Lisa (staff presenter), joined by Keith Ruffalo and Cory Sec, led the leadership and learning workshop. They told the board AGR funds support three allowed strategies — instructional coaching, maintaining lower classroom ratios and one‑to‑one tutoring — and that the district uses AGR allocations differently by school depending on socioeconomic enrollment. Cory summarized the year’s progress: “This year ... in literacy, 70 percent of our students made at least one year’s growth or better,” and said math declined from about 70% to 65% meeting that same growth benchmark.

Why it matters: AGR is a five‑year state grant that requires participating schools to target a reduction in achievement gaps between low‑income students and their statewide peers. Progress in K–3 literacy suggests early grades interventions and literacy professional learning are having measurable impact; math results and reported implementation problems with the district’s adopted HMH Into Math curriculum point to a concentrated improvement plan for the coming year.

What staff reported

- AGR structure: staff described AGR as a state grant (successor to the former SAGE program) that requires annual performance objectives. District AGR funds were used for coaching, targeted small‑group ratios and 1:1 tutoring in K–3 at participating schools.

- Assessment results: administrators said overall FastBridge progress monitoring showed an increase in literacy growth compared with the prior year and a dip in math. District presenters used FastBridge fall–spring windows and restricted AGR reporting to K–3, per grant rules.

- Implementation issues in math: staff reported the district’s year‑two implementation of HMH Into Math did not align with the publisher’s intended model and that an external coach’s guidance during the first implementation year had not reflected the curriculum’s intended practices. The district said it replaced that coach, worked with HMH to course‑correct, and will deepen training and coaching in year three.

District response and next steps

Staff outlined a multi‑part plan to address the math shortfall and continue literacy gains:

- Literacy: continued rollout of LETRS (science of reading professional development), development of personal reading plans for qualifying students, and instructional coaching across elementary schools.

- Math: coaches and instructional coordinators will receive additional professional development; the district plans earlier and more frequent implementation checks, three in‑year classroom visits in the first 90 days for math adoption sites, and partnership supports (including HMH’s virtual coaching program) to accelerate correct implementation.

- System changes: the district said it is refining guaranteed and viable curriculum (GVC) work to identify priority standards, align assessments and provide clearer units of study; leadership learning and collaborative-team structures will be emphasized so principals and coaches can share effective classroom practices.

Board questions and notes

Board members asked how district assessment data and priority standards will be communicated to teachers and how classroom teams will use the data to catch curriculum gaps. Teachers and some board members emphasized the workload involved in data work and the need to limit added burdens while improving data literacy and curriculum clarity. Presenters described educator advisory groups and planned summer and August professional learning for teachers and leaders.

Presenters also agreed to provide the board with a July update on state Forward Exam results; they said initial comparisons show the district’s state exam results are broadly similar to last year but that staff will provide a detailed report later in the summer.

What the district will monitor

Administrators listed priorities for next year: continuing LETRS literacy training; implementing a clarified math instructional framework; deepening coaching and virtual coach supports for HMH Into Math; refining EMLSS (intervention) systems and schedules; and expanding professional learning opportunities across the district. The presenters said the work is intended to make instruction look, sound and feel more consistent across elementary classrooms by next year’s reporting.

Presenters

The workshop was led by district instructional and assessment staff including Lisa (presenter), Keith Ruffalo and Cory Sec; other staff speakers included instructional coordinators and building leaders who described building‑level AGR implementation.

The board had no further substantive items in the workshop before moving to the meeting’s final business.