District outlines five-state goal areas, proposes measurable targets for Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness

Caitlin (district teaching and learning) updated the board on the Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness plan the district will submit to the Minnesota Department of Education.

The plan follows five state-set goal areas: early learning readiness, closing racial and economic achievement gaps, college and career readiness, graduation, and preparing students for lifelong learning. Caitlin said the district's proposed targets will be submitted to MDE by the statutory deadline and can be revised by the board at its June 17 meeting if directors request changes.

For school readiness, the district proposed measuring incoming kindergarteners who meet fall literacy and numeracy benchmarks on the FastBridge screener; presenters noted math entry rates were higher than reading in the most recent data. For closing gaps, the district proposed reducing the reading and math achievement gap between nonwhite and white students and between free-and-reduced-price-lunch and non-free cohorts by roughly 5% per year for five years, using FastBridge winter-to-winter screening data.

On college and career readiness, staff proposed tracking student credits earned in advanced coursework, concurrent enrollment, work-based learning and internships, with a proposed 3% annual increase over five years; presenters said definitions (for example, what counts as advanced coursework) will be refined before final submission. For graduation, the board heard that the district will maintain a 4-year graduation rate target for Stillwater Area High School (about 95%) and set separate 5- and 7-year targets for students in the Alternative Learning Center (ALC), where completion timelines are typically longer.

Presenters said the Comprehensive Achievement plan and the district's Achievement and Integration Plan will be more closely aligned next year. Caitlin said district staff and the District Curriculum Advisory Committee (a merged committee that replaced the older World's Best Workforce/ curriculum advisory groups) contributed to goal-setting and action steps. She said MDE typically acknowledges receipt of initial goal submissions and offers feedback if components are out of compliance.

Directors asked how career-focused pathways, apprenticeships and internships would be measured; staff suggested using course credit/grades, industry certificates (for example, welding or forklift certificates) or assessments such as ACT WorkKeys as potential markers. The presenters said the final goals will be submitted on the statutory schedule and that the board can approve any changes at the June 17 meeting.