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Teaching staff outline MTSS rollout, EduCLIMBER adoption and upcoming academic-standard changes
Summary
District staff told the board the Westonka Public School District is implementing a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) playbook, adopting EduCLIMBER for integrated progress monitoring, expanding progress monitoring across grades and preparing for stateMCA4 standard rollouts and career/technical education licensure requirements.
District staff briefed the board on upcoming instructional changes that staff said will shape classroom practice and student supports over the next several years, including implementing an MTSS playbook and adopting EduCLIMBER as a centralized data tool for progress monitoring, behavior and attendance.
Staff said progress monitoring will expand across grade levels, with more frequent checks for students receiving targeted interventions; EduCLIMBER will bring academic, attendance and behavior data into a single tool to help staff identify patterns and choose tiered supports more quickly. The district plans to phase in full EduCLIMBER implementation next year and to continue using FastBridge assessments for academic screening.
Staff also described state-level changes to academic standards and assessments. The district reported the state has rolled out new standards and will introduce the MCA4 science test in spring (already underway), an MCA4 reading test in spring 2026 tied to English-language-arts standards implemented in 202526ndash;26, and an MCA4 math test to be embedded through school-year 202726ndash;28 (transcript references a future math assessment timeline). Staff cautioned that results from new MCA4 tests will not be directly comparable to previous tests because the standards and assessments have changed.
The board heard that the district is developing new career and technical education programming at the high school and is working with licensure and authorizing bodies: staff said teachers for certain CTE programs will need career-technical licenses in addition to their K0912——-12 licenses, and that district staff will meet with the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Board and state Department of Education representatives as part of program approvals for EMR/EMT and related medical programs.
Speakers emphasized the MTSS and EduCLIMBER work is intended to reduce the time it takes to identify studentssupport needs by consolidating data into one report and enabling more frequent progress checks. Staff said EduCLIMBER and FastBridge are compatible and will be used together.
Staff also noted curriculum shifts in English language arts, including a requirement that four types of writing be taught each year and a required Native American literature component; science instruction is shifting toward phenomenon-based and inquiry-oriented approaches. Staff framed these as higher-expectation, inquiry-driven standards intended to increase student analytical tasks in all core subjects.
Board discussion included questions about data access, privacy and which staff will see student-level data; staff replied that EduCLIMBER is an internal tool and day-to-day student data will remain available only to staff working with the student. Staff noted implementation will be phased and will build on prior MTSS work before integrating EduCLIMBER fully.
No board action was required at the meeting; staff flagged ongoing training, staffing and follow-up meetings with state agencies as next steps.
