Middle schools report literacy gains, plan schedule changes and responsive classroom training

Middleton-Cross Plains middle school leaders updated the board on literacy implementation, schedule changes for 2025–26, professional development and Academic and Career Planning (ACP) improvements.

Principals and district coaches reported that the district's new literacy curriculum has produced measurable gains from fall to winter and that some traditionally underserved subgroups showed notable improvement. Ken Metz and Dom Ricks (middle school principals) credited co-planning teams and instructional coaches (Joanna Cree, Holly Reardon and Amanda Montoya) for supporting teachers during implementation. "We typically look at our data from winter to winter," one principal said, and shared that early indicators showed growth for many groups.

Leaders said the curriculum's breadth — about 210 days of content — required teams to prioritize units and the district plans to give teachers clearer choices and supports next year. To give the literacy and math curricula sufficient classroom time, schedule changes will add roughly 10 minutes to core classes, producing 55-minute periods for math and literacy in some grades. Administrators also aim to reduce the number of transitions for students.

To strengthen teacher collaboration, the district described its C3 model (co-plan, co-serve, co-learn), in which specialists and classroom teachers plan together weekly. School leaders emphasized teacher ownership of the process and a plan to survey teams to tailor supports.

The middle schools will also roll out districtwide responsive classroom training this summer and into September so every teacher learns consistent social‑emotional and community-building practices. Leaders said extracurricular participation is high and cited nearly 2,000 positive behavior recognitions between the two middle schools.

Academic and Career Planning (ACP) work is being revised to align with the Cardinal's Journey portrait of a graduate. Administrators mapped current ACP lessons and drafted a cross-grade plan to begin earlier than eighth grade, including middle-school encore rotations that will surface career and academic connections for students.

Board members asked about writing expectations and supports for students who struggle with fine motor writing tasks; leaders said writing in the new curriculum is often short, targeted pieces that build over time and that occupational therapy and scaffolds are available.

Administrators said PD this year combined morning professional practice strands with self‑selected content strands so teachers could pursue content‑specific work. The leaders described the approach as staff-centered and noted they will continue to support literacy and content teams next year.