New Berlin elementary schools report reading and math gains; district to adopt AIMSwebPlus for K-3

Eisenhower DECA member Tanya Iider was recognized by the Board of Education of the School District of New Berlin for placing first in the food marketing event at the state DECA competition and for qualifying to compete at the international conference in Orlando later this month.

District administrators used school reports to highlight measurable gains in literacy and math at elementary schools and to describe changes in screening tools. Poplar Creek Principal Kevin Gemignani said the school’s motto — “lead, believe and achieve” — is reflected in classrooms and credited new practices and coaching with recent test-score improvements. “In kindergarten through first grade, in the winter, we had 10 out of 15 students at or above benchmark,” Associate Principal Jennifer Tarosian said of AIMSwebPlus fluency testing used this winter.

The presentations detailed classroom- and school-level strategies that administrators say contributed to growth. Poplar Creek described two monthly professional learning sessions, weekly grade-level case-manager planning, data-driven Student Support Team meetings, increased use of small-group literacy instruction, distribution of decodable books for home reading, and the creation of individualized ALEKS math packs. Poplar Creek reported that 58 percent of students assigned ALEKS packs who were below benchmark in the fall had reached benchmark by winter, and that 52 percent of those showed gains of 15 or more percentile points.

Ronald Reagan Principal Angela Patterson and Associate Principal Matt Sticke reported similar gains districtwide and emphasized subgroup progress. Patterson said winter FastBridge results showed an increase from 42 percent to 52 percent of students with IEPs at or above benchmark on the district aReading measure for grades 2–6, and that 36 students had exited formal intervention after scoring below the 20th percentile in the fall and moving toward the 40th percentile or higher by winter.

Schools described specific instructional programs in use: CKLA for early literacy; Rocket Math for daily fact-fluency practice; ALEKS and Redbird for individualized math practice; CodeHS for introductory computer science; and Seesaw and FigJam for classroom technology and student collaboration. Teachers at both elementary schools described flexible grouping and targeted interventions: Nancy Baumann of Poplar Creek described classroom use of CKLA and a planned vocabulary strategy group, and Paula Neprath described four math groups and daily fact-fluency practice that include peer leaders.

District officials said the district tested AIMSwebPlus in winter and will run a spring round before transitioning next year. “AIMSwebPlus is the one that the state says we have to do for kindergarten through third grade,” said a district administrator during the presentation, adding the district will continue to run FastBridge for this year to preserve longitudinal data before transition.

The schools also reported nonacademic supports and enrichment funded by Education Foundation grants: Poplar Creek will add bucket drumming and a sensory path; Ronald Reagan and Poplar Creek described family engagement events and student clubs. Jackie Zigler, the district math coach referenced in presentations, was credited with developing ALEKS packs and supporting teacher planning across buildings.

Administrators emphasized continued focus areas, including subgroup gaps in both ELA and math and the need to balance literacy interventions with math supports because students cannot be placed in two formal interventions simultaneously. “Our students are in reading intervention, which doesn’t allow for a formal math intervention for many of them because they can’t be in two interventions at once,” a district presenter said while describing how the district is reallocating time and coaching to support math growth.

The board heard the school presentations during the regular agenda after returning from a closed session and did not take action on curriculum adoptions or on screening transitions at the meeting; the AIMSwebPlus transition and a policy revision (policy 5200.01) were presented as items for future action.