Rochester Community Schools outlines literacy and technology milestones in strategic plan update

Rochester Community School District staff presented progress updates and implementation timelines for several strategic-plan items tied to teaching, literacy and classroom technology during the board meeting.

The district’s strategic-plan presenters said the work focuses on classroom instruction and technology that supports “real world connected learning.” Dr. DeLuca, a district staff presenter, told the board, "The deliverables... the strategic plan 9 and 10 are directly tied to teaching and learning, as well as the technology department." He outlined a technology impact audit and a five-year hardware refresh process with set milestones through May–July 2025.

Why it matters: the presentations set measurable deadlines for audits, inventories and training that the district says will inform hardware replacement and literacy program adoption decisions affecting classrooms across Rochester Community Schools.

District staff described three linked projects: - Technology impact audit (Strategic Plan 9): a team of staff and students will assess current software and websites, run staff surveys and deliver recommendations by April 23, 2025, about which current software to continue using. - Five-year technology refresh (Strategic Plan 10): stakeholders will compile an inventory of equipment reaching end of life (with an initial deliverable dated Sept. 30, 2024), produce a staggered deployment calendar by May 20, 2025, and identify budget/resources by July 1, 2025. The presentation singled out interactive flat panels (smart boards) as a major replacement candidate. - Literacy implementation (Strategic Plan 1): Mrs. Hampton, a district staff member presenting the literacy work, said the district is implementing structured literacy strategies (including Orton-Gillingham training) and set targets such as: by March 15, 2025, 80% of participants in the Orton-Gillingham implementation will have a positive perception of the strategies; by April 30, 2025, 100% of pilot participants will be trained; and by June 1, 2025, 70% of students in participating classrooms will improve at least one placement level in reading compared with spring 2024, as measured by i-Ready.

Staff said 165 staff members have engaged in the training so far and that the district used ESSER/Title and other grant funds and local funds to support professional learning. The literacy presentation also noted two core programs under review (American Reading Company and Wit & Wisdom) and said the K–3 literacy team is using evidence rubrics aligned with the Institute of Education Sciences and What Works Clearinghouse to evaluate materials and teacher feedback.

Board discussion focused on timelines, the scope of audits and whether student needs assessments had been completed. Trustee Jessica Gupta asked whether student needs assessments had been done for the technology work; Dr. DeLuca said a staff needs assessment is complete but he would check on a student survey referenced in the original plan. On smart boards, Dr. DeLuca said the newly convened group will do vendor comparisons and “see success criteria put in place to say is this what we want to go with moving forward or not?”

The district’s finance presentation later tied technology planning to available sinking-fund dollars and signaled that replacements could be staggered by school level depending on priorities and budget.

Looking ahead: staff said the audit and stakeholder work will deliver specific recommendations to the board in spring and early summer 2025 that would inform budgeting and implementation schedules.