Oshkosh — The Oshkosh Area School District reported Nov. 5 that student proficiency on the Wisconsin Forward test fell from the previous year in both math and English language arts, and district leaders told the school board they expect it will take multiple years for new curricular materials and coaching to translate into consistent gains.

District presenters said the declines were most pronounced in math and that one grade (fifth grade) showed an increase. Director Jackie Cole and Dr. Coleman, who jointly led the presentation, said the results are “lagging indicators” reflecting work begun in prior years and that the district has adopted a four-part improvement strategy of high-quality instructional materials, targeted coaching and professional development, common formative assessments and a system of monitoring and feedback.

The data sparked extended questions from board members about how to accelerate improvement. Director Cole said the district is expanding use of a data platform (Forefront/NextPath) to give teachers and principals near-real-time access to common-formative and unit-assessment results, pacing information and item analyses tied to Forward standards. “We are on a journey,” Dr. Coleman told the board, adding that the district is in early phases of full implementation and that research suggests a 3–5 year period for teachers to reach full facility with a major curriculum change.

Presenters identified persistent achievement gaps for economically disadvantaged students, English learners and students with disabilities and stressed actions intended to address them: more calibrated coaching for principals and teachers, common formative assessments embedded in the curriculum so they are not separate events, and unit pacing aligned to the standards tested on Forward. Staff also described learning-walk rubrics (called “rigor and engagement” observations) and a plan to share frequent, three-times-per-year progress updates with the board and public via a dashboard.

Board members pressed for more immediate signals, pointing to Menominee Elementary (formed from school consolidations) as an example where scores dropped and asking whether consolidation or other operational shifts might be contributing to districtwide declines. Board member Tim Wright said, “The scoreboard is the Forward exam; we went down in math and ELA,” and called for clearer accountability measures. Administrators responded that the monitoring system is being strengthened so the district can intervene more quickly at the classroom level.

Officials also described changes to secondary instruction tied to college-readiness measures, including the C3 co-plan/co-serve model for students with disabilities and new English language resources such as NoRedInk for grammar, and said the district is increasing practice that mirrors Forward and ACT item formats so students gain familiarity with test genres.

Why it matters: The Forward test is the state’s primary annual measure of proficiency in grades 3–8. School leaders told the board they expect a lag between curriculum adoption and improved standardized results but said the district is building data and coaching systems intended to shorten that lag time and provide earlier indicators of progress.

The district’s next steps: staff said they will provide a dashboard with the I-Ready diagnostic and common-formative assessment progress at three checkpoints per year, continue principal coaching and calibration, and refine pacing and unit sequencing so students encounter skill items before the spring tests.

Supporting quotes: Director Jackie Cole said, “We recently asked the board to support adoption of Bridges 3 in elementary and Illustrative Math in middle school — those are the high-quality materials we’re aligning our coaching and monitoring around.” Dr. Coleman added, “This information is from last school year…we are on a journey to realize our full potential.”

Ending: District officials urged patience for a multi-year implementation while continuing to press for faster feedback loops and more targeted interventions for students furthest from proficiency.