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Central Region highlights reading gains, attendance rises and Seaford Elementary student success
Summary
Regional superintendent and Seaford Elementary presented attendance and literacy improvements in the Central Region, highlighted a drop in suspensions and student growth in reading and math; a fifth‑grade student described classroom experiences and recent gains.
The Central Region of Milwaukee Public Schools presented progress on attendance, literacy and school climate and showcased Seaford Elementary School and a fifth‑grade student’s experience during the Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation meeting.
Dr. Carlotta Noland, Central Region superintendent, said the region serves 28 schools and reported enrollment of 7,641 students: 6.5% English language learners, 23.3% students with disabilities and 88.1% economically disadvantaged. She said attendance rose from 82.2% to 85.7% over a three‑year span and reported a decline in suspension rates, from about 23.2% to 6.7%.
Noland credited targeted check‑in/check‑out systems, social‑emotional learning, mentoring, PBIS and strengthened literacy instruction for gains. She described an instructional approach grounded in the science of reading, universal literacy rubrics, and a cycle‑based coaching model that emphasizes explicit teaching points, student practice, use of decodable texts and weekly progress monitoring.
Seaford Elementary principal Deirdre Lafford presented school‑level data: enrollment of 201 students; 18.4% of students with disabilities; 85.1% economically disadvantaged. She noted winter‑to‑winter reading gains at Seaford (students performing significantly below reading decreased from 52.2% to 41.1%) and math improvements, with a 7.4% decrease in students performing significantly below and a 2.1% increase in students rated proficient.
Fifth‑grader Navari Coleman described his experience at Seaford, said his reading and math improved since transferring from his previous school, and recounted classroom activities—making ice cream, learning about the Wild West, vocabulary tests and community visitors. "I went from C’s to straight A’s," Coleman said when describing his academic progress.
Board members praised the presentation and several said site visits corroborated the reported progress. Director Ferguson, who visited Seaford, described seeing engaged classrooms, visible leadership and student participation. Committee members asked for additional reading‑plan statistics tied to Act 20 implementation; administration said the district is collecting that data and warned it would provide figures at a later meeting.
Why it matters
The showcase put district literacy strategy and school‑level implementation on display and gave board members an on‑the‑record account of student experience and measures of progress. Committee members requested follow‑up data to track reading‑plan coverage and outcomes as the district implements personalized reading plans.
Next steps
Administration said it will collect and provide more detailed data on reading plans and progress monitoring across the Central Region and will continue cycle‑based literacy work and transition supports in schools.
