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Lakeville schools cite flat test scores, rising chronic absenteeism and behavior spikes in data review
Summary
District staff told the board the district outperforms state averages in some grades but faces widening gaps, rising chronic absenteeism (1,077 students as of Jan. 23), behavior incidents and limited middle-school interventions.
Lakeville — District staff presented a wide data review to the Lakeville School Board on Feb. 18, saying statewide and national assessments show an uneven recovery in student achievement, chronic absenteeism and behavioral challenges that are constraining classroom instruction.
Nicole Adams, director of Integrated Continuous Improvement, told the board the nation’s Report Card (NAEP) and Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) show modest rebounds at some grades since 2022 but widening gaps between higher‑performing students and those in the lower 20th percentile. “The majority of the growth that you're seeing is actually coming from students in the top 75th and 90th percentiles,” Adams said.
The presentation summarized national and local metrics and district priorities. Key points staff delivered:
- National and state trends: NAEP scores remain below their 2013 peak in many subjects; Minnesota historically outperforms the national average but saw declines that mirror national trends. Adams said no state made gains in fourth‑grade reading from 2022 to 2024. The district’s fourth‑grade MCAs were above the state average and rose 3.6 points in 2024.
- Chronic absenteeism: Using first‑semester data through Jan. 23, district staff reported 1,077 students (K–12) missing 10 or more days: 462 elementary students (8.84% of elementary enrollment), about 15.09% at the middle school level and 575 high‑school students. Staff said elementary rates are lowest and middle‑school rates are the highest by percentage.
- Behavior and discipline: The district logged 340 major behavior incidents K–12 so far this school year; 98 students accounted for multiple major incidents. Staff emphasized a shift to more non‑exclusionary responses after a 2023 statute and listed the top classroom (minor) and major behaviors the district is tracking.
- Intervention capacity: Staff said the district has a stronger intervention infrastructure at the elementary level; K–1 shows the highest intervention use. At the middle school level, staff said the district lacks sufficient scheduled time, personnel and formal intervention capacity to provide timely Tier 2/Tier 3 supports.
- Counselors and staff ratios: District staff said counselor staffing is limited at secondary schools and falls short of national recommendations; one presenter noted the counseling ratio is substantially higher than the ASCA-recommended 250:1 standard.
- Courses and outcomes: High school data showed 1,735 students enrolled in one or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses out of 3,906 high‑school students (about 44%). Staff also reported a rise in the number of semester failures in core high‑school classes, most commonly in math, which affects progress toward graduation.
Board members and staff discussed curriculum review timelines, pacing and the district’s Read Act work for early literacy. Directors and staff described curriculum selection and implementation as a multiyear process that includes understanding new standards, selecting aligned resources, and providing teacher training and coaching. Sandy Georgi and other directors described recent elementary literacy investments such as updated phonemic-awareness resources (Heggerty) and a phased math curriculum roll-out (Bridges/Bridal) for K–5.
Why it matters: Staff framed the data as an operational priority: strengthening Tier 1 instruction so interventions remain manageable, widening access to non‑exclusionary behavioral supports, and expanding intervention capacity at secondary schools. Board members asked for follow‑up dashboards and pledged additional discussion on scheduling, staffing and targeted investments.
Ending: Staff provided board logins to the district data dashboard for deeper review and said the administration will return with enrollment detail and follow‑up analyses. Several directors asked the board to consider scheduling and staffing changes, and to prioritize recruitment and retention of teachers and counselors to address classroom capacity.
