River Falls elementary leaders and district instructional staff reported to the River Falls Board of Education that fall screening with AIMSwebPlus showed high percentile results in most grades after a national renorming of norms, but cautioned that the numbers are not directly comparable with prior-year data and do not mean the district will reduce supports.

Presenters told the board the district moved to AIMSwebPlus as its universal K–5 screener this year and completed fall testing late in the state window so many students received a week of additional instruction before screening. District staff said the AIMSweb renorming changed the cut scores used to identify students below the Act 20 threshold (the 25th percentile under the vendor’s new norms), which complicates comparisons with last year’s results. Because of those shifts, staff recommended treating the current scores as a new baseline rather than a straight year‑to‑year comparison.

Why it matters: Under Wisconsin’s Act 20 rules the district must create a reading plan for any student who scores below the specified percentile on the approved screener. District leaders emphasized that meeting the vendor’s percentile threshold does not automatically end supports: interventions will continue until educators judge a student has truly exited need.

Key district steps and changes described to the board

- Screening tool: The district replaced prior tools for grades K–5 with AIMSwebPlus this year and is using its composite scores (not only oral reading fluency) to trigger reading plans. Presenters said the first‑grade measure was adjusted for a composite score this year rather than relying solely on fluency.

- Timing and testing window: The fall screening was completed toward the end of the state’s 45‑day testing window so students who were already receiving interventions in late spring received additional instruction before the fall screen. Presenters said that likely raised some scores and is one reason the district treats the results cautiously.

- Progress monitoring: Any student who did not meet the threshold is being progress‑monitored weekly (for example, kindergarten letter‑name probes) and will receive tiered supports. Staff said they are tracking some students to higher percentiles (up to the 40th percentile in some grades) to ensure interventions produce durable gains.

- Professional development and curriculum: District leaders said year‑two implementation work continues on the science‑of‑reading professional development (Top 10 tools), the collaborative literacy resource, and Transparent Classroom practices. They described a district walkthrough system (Google Forms) and collaborative grade‑level commitments intended to improve fidelity and track classroom practices.

- Multiple measures: Leaders noted AIMSwebPlus is one data point among several, including common classroom assessments and the state Forward exam; examples were given where students on reading plans later earned passing Forward scores. Staff said the district uses multiple measures to identify students who need reading comprehension supports versus those with fluency issues alone.

Board perspective and next steps

Board members who spoke praised the district’s data focus and urged continued emphasis on implementation and time for teachers to shift practices. The district said it will continue weekly progress monitoring for at‑risk students, refine AIMSwebPlus reporting in the NextPath data warehouse, and expand parent communication for personal reading plans through the district portal.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (minutes, bills, employment recommendations, policy second readings and first readings): approved by voice vote.
- First readings of policies (student supervision 1213; employment of the superintendent 1220; evaluation of the superintendent 1240; superintendent job description 1400.01; nondiscrimination and equal employment opportunity 1422): approved by motion and voice vote.
- Approval of four new high‑school course developments (AP World History Modern; Humanities; Walking for Wellness; Living Your Best Life elective): approved by motion and voice vote.
- 2025–26 original budget: adopted by motion and voice vote.
- 2025–26 tax levy ($27,232,242): adopted by motion and voice vote.
- Appointment of Amanda Taylor as deputy election clerk: approved by voice vote.
- Motion to adjourn into closed session under Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(c) (personnel matters): approved by roll call.

What the board will watch: district staff said they will return progress monitoring reports and updated forward‑exam outcomes as the year progresses, and will continue to refine reports in AIMSwebPlus and the NextPath data warehouse to give teachers and board members clearer, comparable trend data.