Burnsville Alternative High School and Secondary Virtual Academy outline data-driven strategies to boost reading, attendance

Burnsville Alternative High School (BOSS) and the Burnsville Secondary Virtual Academy presented to the ISD 191 Board of Education on Nov. 6 about how each school uses data, AVID strategies and social-emotional learning to support students.

The schools outlined three common improvement goals: increase student reading achievement, strengthen assessment systems and increase family engagement to improve attendance. Kelli Ron, principal of the Burnsville Alternative High School, said the schools’ AVID focus for the year targets “focused note taking, critical reading strategies, and questioning.”

The Virtual Academy described a weekly schedule built around four synchronous 84-minute core blocks (ELA, math, science and social studies) with a 30-minute WIN intervention period embedded in ELA and math. “WIN is a 30 minute block … where intervention and special ed integration is available in both,” Pat Mosey, sixth-grade teacher and BLT member, said. She described guided-reading ability groups, independent reading, small-group intensive reading supports and use of FastBridge assessments to form intervention groups.

High-school Virtual Academy teachers said they operate as a single collaborative team that reviews student-level “4 learners” charts and shares successful practices. Elizabeth Iler, a high-school VA teacher, said comparing teachers’ approaches led to replicating weekly personalized videos that increased asynchronous engagement: “teachers who were making weekly videos of themselves talking directly to the students … we’re getting more kids engaged and feeling more of a sense of community.”

At BOSS, presenters described STRIVE, a structured credit-recovery and advising block that pairs students with an advisor who follows them across their time at the school. Molly Romano, a BOSS BLT member, said each student maintains a continuous learning plan (CLP) that lists credits earned, credits needed, an estimated graduation date and quarterly goals that are reviewed and signed by families.

BOSS also described a student survey administered in the second quarter to identify students who feel disconnected or who need resources such as mental-health support or food assistance. Angela Sloniker, BOSS BLT member, said the survey helps staff identify and connect individual students to appropriate supports.

Both schools reported shared leadership practices: regular collaborative-team data reviews, walk-throughs to document SEL competencies, unit-recovery periods to allow students to finish portions of coursework without repeating full classes, and data protocols for student-support meetings. Leaders said high-risk students will receive additional assessments after the winter window to monitor progress.

Board members commended the focus on connection and the team approach. Director Mickelson, the board’s BOSS representative, said the emphasis on “making every student when they show up feel seen” supports attendance and graduation goals. Dr. Latanya Daniels, superintendent, attended and thanked staff for the presentation.

The presentation did not include specific numerical targets for expected gains beyond the schools’ stated goal to increase FAST a reading performance and attendance; presenters said some implementation details (for example, frequency of specific interventions for individual students) will be managed at the school level.