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ISD 191 reports mixed literacy proficiency, expands screening and intervention next year
Summary
District staff told the ISD 191 school board that elementary reading growth shows gains in several grades and student groups, while middle-grade proficiency remains uneven; the district will expand screening and new diagnostics and budget for curriculum and intervention implementation in 2026–27.
Amina Aftedal, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, and Dr. Brandon Lowe, the district assessment, data and research coordinator, presented a combined update on student reading performance and the district’s comprehensive assessment plan at the ISD 191 Board of Education meeting on Aug. 14.
Aftedal said district literacy screening shows “declines in kindergarten from last year” but stable first-grade results and “strong improvements” in grades 3 and 5 on comprehension measures. She told the board that cohort charts show gains for students who have had consistent foundational literacy instruction since kindergarten and that certain demographic groups — notably Hispanic students in intermediate grades and Native/Indigenous students in middle grades — showed measurable growth in 2024–25.
The presentation separated proficiency (percent meeting grade-level benchmarks) from growth, which Aftedal described using district categories such as “aggressive,” “typical,” “modest” and “flat.” She said growth results were mixed: kindergarten growth was largely flat compared with the prior year, while first grade and several intermediate grades moved more students into at least a year’s worth of growth. Aftedal highlighted a rise in adequate growth for grade 3 from about 38% to 46% and a growth increase among Native/Indigenous middle-grade students from roughly 33% to 47% (the native/indigenous subgroup represents about 12–15 students in the district).
Dr. Lowe outlined changes to the district’s comprehensive assessment plan for 2025–26 driven by state guidance and the READ Act. He said the district will add an approved diagnostic screening (Capti/READ basics diagnostic as required by state guidance) for students in grades 4 and above who screen below benchmark on the district’s universal screener (FastBridge A Reading), and additional subtest screening (nonsense words) for some students in grades 2 and 3. Lowe also said the district is expanding universal FastBridge screening upward to include 10th grade (having started ninth grade the prior year).
Lowe noted test security and audit results as part of the annual report. “We had 0 reports of irregularities from MDE,” he told the board, and he said multiple site audits produced no recommendations for improvement.
On next steps, Aftedal described curricular and intervention plans for 2025–26: pilots of Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)-approved comprehensive language-arts curricula in intermediate grades, continuing implementation of a fourth- and fifth-grade vocabulary/morphology curriculum in year two, expanded REDAC (READ Act) training application and principal observation training to strengthen instructional fidelity, and a “school within a school” model in some middle schools to integrate interventions and create funding to hire additional interventionists. She also summarized estimated implementation costs discussed for future budgeting: a full curriculum implementation estimate of about $500,000 in 2027–28 and an ongoing foundational literacy implementation cost of about $99,000 per year. Lowe estimated the READ Act–driven diagnostic screening would increase screening costs by roughly $102,000 for the coming year.
Board members asked about causes of middle‑school volatility, how to sustain gains, and whether the district has the capacity to deliver interventions. Aftedal said middle‑grade inconsistencies relate in part to cohort effects and to curricular and instructional shifts at secondary grades; the district plans to extend vocabulary/morphology work into grade 6 and to better structure flex time and tiered interventions for grades 6–7. Board members also praised REDAC completion rates and the district’s professional development: Aftedal reported more than 328 teachers and administrators enrolled in READ Act training with a 90% completion rate as of July 30 and roughly 300 full completions within the year.
Why it matters: the district is tying screening changes to statutory expectations under the Minnesota READ Act and to district plans for curriculum selection and staffing. The board heard specific cost estimates and a multi-year timetable for curriculum review (full review in 2026–27, implementation recommendation for 2027–28).
The district did not take formal action on curriculum adoption at the meeting; board members asked staff to return with materials and to continue reporting on screening implementation.
Ending: Staff said they will pilot curriculum options in intermediate grades during 2025–26, continue REDAC training, expand diagnostic screening under state guidance, and bring further budget and curriculum recommendations to the board in subsequent meetings.
