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St Clair County Schools presents 'World's Best Workforce' goals; board approves report submission
Summary
District administrators presented the required World's Best Workforce plan, reporting on six state-required goals including kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading, career/college readiness and graduation; the board approved the submission.
St Clair County Schools presented its World's Best Workforce report to the board, outlining six state-required goal areas and associated local targets and data; the board approved the submission for state review.
The report addresses the Minnesota-required goals: kindergarten readiness, reading proficiency by third grade, career and college readiness, high school graduation, closing the MCA achievement gap and senior preparedness for life after graduation. Presenters said the district added two local strategic items: maintaining current curriculum maps and increasing extracurricular participation among grades 9–12 (encouraging students to take part in two or more activities).
Key measures reported to the board: - Kindergarten readiness: 35 percent of known 3-year-olds in the district were screened this year; pre-COVID screening rates were closer to 50 percent. - Third-grade MCA reading proficiency: 64.3 percent of third graders met or exceeded expectations this past spring (2019 was 78.9 percent). Presenters noted COVID-related disruption contributed to the decline and emphasized work to rebuild student stamina and targeted interventions. - Career and college readiness: the district reported career components in grades 9–12, use of an MCIS career inventory, plans to shift personal finance instruction into 10th grade and expanded graduate planning by the new counselor to create clearer postsecondary paths for students. - Graduation: administrators reported two students who transferred into the district and later stopped attending, which affected the reported graduation count for 2025; both transferred students had entered the district already behind on graduation credits. - Achievement gap by socioeconomic status: among students not classified as lower socioeconomic, 66.1 percent met proficiency; among lower socioeconomic students, 57.1 percent met proficiency. Presenters cautioned that small cohort sizes can cause large percentage swings year-to-year. - Senior preparedness survey: of 55 seniors, 38 responded and 97.4 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they felt prepared for life after graduation.
Presenters described steps the district is taking: targeted family outreach for early childhood screening (including mailed and electronic communications), LETRS professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals to strengthen phonics and comprehension instruction, and maintaining up-to-date curriculum maps so instruction and assessments align to standards. The board moved and approved the report for submission.
The board asked clarifying questions about screening for students who open-enroll, the information families receive after screening and how small cohort sizes affect percentage-based reporting. Administrators explained they generally encourage families to screen at their home district to streamline special education follow-up; screening families receive general strategies and specific referrals when a developmental area of need is identified.
The board vote to submit the World's Best Workforce report carried by voice vote.
