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 showed - Overall trend: District and South Middle School performance on Forward math is improving and the district reported a widening gap in its favor versus the state in the most recent year. - By grade: Grades 6–8 show increasing performance relative to state averages, with grade 7 and 8 showing notable gains at South Middle School. - By subgroup: English learners showed steady improvement and have outperformed state percentages in recent years; students who are Black and students who are Hispanic also showed positive trends. Students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students lagged behind peers: presenters reported a 30.2 percentage‑point gap in 2023–24 between economically disadvantaged students and their non‑economically disadvantaged peers in grades 6–8.

District strategy and classroom implementation District staff outlined three systems in an instructional framework designed to work together: a guaranteed and viable curriculum, aligned instructional delivery, and focused professional learning. Specific actions noted: - Curriculum: Grade‑level essential standards for grades 6–12 have been selected; district and building teams are developing proficiency skills, unit plans, learning targets and aligned assessments for implementation. - Professional learning: The district has invested in CPM (College Preparatory Mathematics) training for new math teachers and coaches, ongoing PLIP days on mathematical discourse and coach‑led teacher collaboration cycles. - Instructional delivery: The district adopted the Art and Science of Teaching model and added math instructional coaches and interventionists at each middle school; the special‑education department is prioritizing access to universal instruction and improved IEP planning to support tier 3 needs.

South Middle School example Caleb Hunt, South Middle School principal, and Christy Brower, assistant principal, described a building plan organized around five pillars — shared leadership, Art and Science of Teaching, AVID and PBIS, Building Thinking Classrooms (math focus), and peer observation triads — to increase student engagement and deepen classroom questioning. Math coach Beth Duhman works quarterly with teachers, collects observation and student‑level data and supports classroom practice change. Hunt said the work is “all of these systems coming together” and urged continued investment so “the system is not going to be as strong” if any element is removed.

Board discussion and next steps Board members praised the depth of data and the district’s focus on equity while asking for more specificity about root causes and community partnerships to lift outcomes for disadvantaged groups. Dr. Bica thanked presenters for disaggregating data and Commissioner Farrar and others emphasized neighborhood continuity, coaching and collaboration as scaling mechanisms. The special education director (name not specified in the record) said work groups targeting instructional practice and IEP quality are producing action plans at both district and building levels.

No formal action was required at this meeting. District leaders said continuing the current multi‑year implementation (curriculum rollout, coach support, expanded tier 2/3 staffing) is the path for improving outcomes and closing subgroup gaps.

Excerpted direct quotes (from meeting): - Mandy VanVleet, Executive Director: “Our framework is a layered approach to meeting the needs of each student.” - Dr. Mark Ellworthy (administration, on petition matters referenced during the meeting): “Petitions are due prior to February 1, requiring board action no later than March 1.” (context: boundary petition process referenced earlier in the meeting) - Mr. Pergett (petitioner, describing swap): “We found a property owner that's willing to do an equal switch.”

What to watch The district will continue implementation of the guaranteed‑viable curriculum, expand coaching and intervention staffing, and target tier 3 system development for students with the greatest needs. The board and administration flagged continuing community partnerships and scaled teacher collaboration as priorities to sustain momentum across the three middle schools.