Board hears middle‑school math report; district outlines curriculum, coaching and tiered support plans

Eau Claire Area School District leaders presented a detailed “focus on results” report on middle‑school math at the Feb. 18 board meeting, showing improvement relative to the state on Forward Exam benchmarks for several subgroups while flagging persistent gaps for students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students.

The district framed its response around an “equitable multi‑level system of support” (EMLSS) that aims to meet most students’ needs in universal instruction and layer tier 2 and tier 3 services for students who need additional support. Executive Director Mandy VanVleet told the board, “our framework is a layered approach to meeting the needs of each student,” and staff leaders described concrete steps to strengthen curriculum alignment, teacher coaching and targeted interventions.

Nut graf: Why the district is acting The district said Forward Exam score recalibration by the state made direct year‑to‑year comparisons difficult, so presenters compared the district and South Middle School to state results and focused on gaps. District leaders reported an overall upward trajectory and said the gap with the state has narrowed favorably for the district in recent years; they also identified subgroup patterns that will shape next steps, notably lower proficiency for students with disabilities and students who are economically disadvantaged.

What the data…