Lakeville board hears academic report on MTSS, assessments, curriculum review and teacher supports

Lakeville Public School District teaching-and-learning staff presented a multi-part academic update to the School Board on Jan. 21, laying out the district’s continuous improvement framework, assessment program, standards-review process, and supports for teachers and students.

Emily McDonald, the district’s academic leader, opened the presentation by saying the goal was to give the board a “30,000-foot view” of processes that guide instruction. She said the materials provided to the board included a slide packet and a glossary to clarify acronyms and terms used in the presentation.

The district’s continuous-improvement framework centers on Minnesota Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MNMTSS), which staff described as an organizational continuous-improvement model. Nicole Adams, director of integrated continuous improvement, said: "This is the 3rd year that Lakeville has worked through MNMTSS as an organizational continuous improvement plan." District leaders said MNMTSS helps align initiatives across five components: infrastructure and continuous improvement; purposeful student, family and community engagement; intentional instructional practices and supports; multiple ways to demonstrate learning; and data-informed decisions.

Assessment system Sandy Giorgi, director of elementary teaching and learning, described a "balanced and comprehensive assessment system" that combines statewide tests, district-level screeners and classroom formative assessments. She said the district uses FastBridge three times per year as a universal screener and that…