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District leaders outline academic goals, literacy framework and assessment‑literacy plans
Summary
Principals and district instructional leaders presented measurable NWEA and state assessment targets, PLC and coaching supports, and plans to develop a district literacy framework and increase assessment literacy as the district implements a new K–12 ELA curriculum.
Administrators and building principals described district and school‑level goals intended to accelerate student learning, strengthen professional learning communities and improve assessment literacy across the district.
Presenters described school‑level targets tied to NWEA percentile goals and South Dakota summative proficiency rates. Example targets cited: at Frontier, kindergarten fall/winter math goal benchmarks and overall NWEA/grade proficiency checks (district presenters gave grade‑by‑grade percent targets for reading and math); Legacy’s plan set K–2 NWEA percentile targets and summative proficiency goals for third through fifth grades; Venture and the middle school presented similar grade‑level targets and short‑cycle measures (quick checks and topic assessments) intended to produce consistent progress. Middle‑school presenters emphasized student goal setting after NWEA administrations and use of interim assessment blocks to familiarize students with state test formats.
District instructional leaders said they will continue to staff and rely on CSI coaches who attend PLCs and help teachers analyze dashboards and common assessment data. Building plans incorporate short‑cycle monitoring: teachers will use quick checks (target 4 out of 5) and topic assessments (target 80%+ accuracy) as leading indicators toward winter and spring summative goals. Several principals described using ESGI in early grades and UFLI in K–1 implementation; the high school described transition planning for the new ACT format and a national ACT training the district will host in October.
District leadership said it is developing a Tea Area literacy framework to support fidelity of the K–12 ELA curriculum the board recently approved for a seven‑year implementation window. Presenters emphasized that assessment literacy — ensuring teachers and students understand the purpose of assessments and how to use results to set actionable goals — will be a district priority, measured through observation and PLC artifacts.
Special education leadership described tiered supports and a "side‑by‑side" curriculum approach for students who are close to grade level to accelerate access to general curriculum; staff reported improved parent survey response rates for special education (increase from about 20% to about 39%) and a satisfaction rate near 95% on the survey results presented.
Administrators asked the board to note that goal setting, PDSA cycles and data dashboards are central to the district’s continuous improvement work and to upcoming professional development events.
