Oshkosh schools report declines on Forward math and ELA; district outlines multi-year plan to raise results

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…