Indian River leaders cite districtwide test gains as they present five‑year strategic plan

The School District of Indian River County on Wednesday reported year‑over‑year gains on spring ELA and math assessments and presented a draft five‑year strategic plan the superintendent said will be converted into specific annual targets and legislative asks.

Superintendent Dr. Moore opened the strategic‑plan portion of the workshop by saying the district is “outperforming and outpacing the state,” and outlined both current assessment results and the plan’s core framing: “connected by community, fueled by innovation, and driven by leadership.”

The new strategic plan frames five focus areas carried over from the 2025 plan and sets “transformational impacts” for each, district staff said. Chief of staff Dr. Jacobs said the plan’s purpose is “to maximize the full potential of all students” and described the plan as a theory of action that links the district’s beliefs, guiding principles and day‑to‑day behaviors to measurable targets.

District officials reported the following assessment snapshot that they said remains subject to small adjustments as remaining testing is completed: - Third‑grade ELA: 63% last year to 69% this year (district figure). - Elementary ELA: 62% to 65%. - Middle‑school ELA: 52% to 62% (10 percentage‑point increase, per staff). - Districtwide ELA (grades 3–10 aggregate): 56% to 61%. - Elementary math: 71% (district figure reported). - Middle‑school math: 50% to 58% (an 8 percentage‑point increase). - End‑of‑course/high‑school‑level exams: roughly a 1 percentage‑point increase, district officials said.

Dr. Jacobs and other staff said the gains reflect multi‑year investments in early grades and in targeted middle‑school supports; the district’s work groups have synthesized family and staff feedback into evidence‑based strategies that will be translated into annual and five‑year targets. Dr. Jacobs said the team has used “listen and learn” sessions, focus groups and design teams (including a secondary teacher design team) to identify gaps and prioritize high‑leverage strategies.

Board members responded with praise and refinements. Board member Mr. Dyer said the emphasis on innovation should remain central; board member Dr. Posca urged language that emphasizes preparing students for success in the United States while remaining globally aware. Members also urged clear links between the plan and the district’s legislative priorities so state policy changes can be targeted to remove barriers to local innovation.

Staff outlined several specific programmatic ideas that will be embedded under the plan’s innovation thread: launching a K–12 classical education choice school, adding magnet and classical options where family demand exists, surveying incoming sixth‑grade families at K–8 schools to shape elective offerings, and piloting content‑rich curriculum options rooted in classical principles where appropriate. Staff said Fellsmere had the highest family response rate requesting band on the elective wheel, while Rosewood and Osceola showed mixed responses, and that programming will be tailored school‑by‑school.

The district also described informal alignment with the Indian River Education Fund, which staff said has chosen innovation and leadership as its giving priorities; staff said that alignment is unusual among Florida districts and could strengthen implementation of selected initiatives.

Next steps: staff said they will finish collecting remaining assessment data this week, convert strategies into specific annual targets and return a full draft of the strategic plan to the board for further feedback and eventual approval. Staff also committed to clarifying where the plan’s stated priorities intersect with legislative policy barriers the district may seek to change.