New Berlin board reviews Forward and ACT results; district to expand ACT prep
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Summary
District directors told the board that Forward exam results were steady in many grades, some cohorts showed growth, preACT results improved in ninth/tenth grades, while the 11th-grade ACT composite declined; the district plans curriculum review, item analysis and purchase of Mastery Prep for ACT preparation.
Board of Education — New Berlin School District — The New Berlin School District board heard a detailed presentation Tuesday on spring assessment results and the districts plans to respond.
Directors of elementary and secondary schools, Matt Stepniewski and Kelly Kwiatkowski, presented Forward exam cohort data and preACT/ACT trends. Stepniewski said longitudinal cohort analysis shows generally stable elementary performance: “the exact same kids… achieved the same as they did the year before,” and that third-grade ELA meeting-in-advanced rates were roughly in the low 70s.
Kwiatkowski said secondary preACT results improved in ninth and tenth grades, but the district saw a decline in the 11th-grade ACT composite compared with the prior year. “We were aware that could potentially go down,” she said, explaining staff had reviewed preACT-secure data and fall practice ACTs to anticipate spring performance.
Why it matters: Forward and ACT scores guide curriculum alignment, intervention and resource allocation. Presenters noted that DPI-adjusted cut scores and recent ACT changes (science removed from the composite) complicate year-to-year comparisons, so the district is focusing on true-cohort tracking, item analysis and curriculum scope-and-sequence checks.
Data highlights and district response: The presentation identified areas of strength (for example, seventh-to-eighth grade growth in some subject areas and strong social-studies proficiency at the elementary level) and areas to monitor (eighth-grade science and some math cohort dips). Kwiatkowski said the district purchased Mastery Prep, an ACT preparation program, and that staff will use multiple measures (FastBridge, aimswebPlus, Forward, preACT/ACT) to set individual student goals and interventions.
Board members asked whether preACT trends predicted the ACT decline and whether state cut-score changes affected comparisons; the presenters said they had expected some downward pressure and would continue to monitor results and adjust instruction.
Whats next: The administration will continue item-level analysis, provide additional curriculum alignment information, and report back with implementation steps for ACT preparation and any adjustments recommended by DPI guidance.