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Little Falls board hears MCA results, advances MTSS framework and literacy pilots
Summary
District staff told the school board that reading proficiency across tested grades is about 41% (state average ~49.5%), highlighted third-grade gains and announced literacy and assessment pilots under a formal MTSS rollout, with fidelity checks planned this year.
Lisa, the district’s teaching and learning presenter, told the Little Falls Community School Board that the district is implementing a formal Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to align initiatives and improve student outcomes. She said districtwide reading proficiency across grades 3–8 and 10 is about 41%, compared with a statewide average of about 49.5%, and that math proficiency currently sits near 36.1% versus the state’s roughly 45%.
Lisa emphasized pockets of growth: third grade showed a 9 percentage-point gain year over year, and sixth and seventh grades rose about 5 percentage points. She credited teacher professional development — including LETRS training — and classroom implementation for recent gains and said the district is piloting phonics and knowledge-building resources and testing a secondary resource called Power Up to address foundational gaps.
The presentation laid out next steps: a half-year pilot of four literacy resources ending in January to determine which to adopt for a districtwide elementary curriculum, expanded fidelity checks (beginning at the elementary level within the next month), and work to align secondary resources and assessments. Lisa also listed assessment tools in current use (FastBridge, i-Ready and others) and said the district will use formative assessments and targeted tier 2 and tier 3 interventions to support students who need additional instruction.
Board members asked whether many kindergarten students arrive behind expectations; Lisa said the district uses local kindergarten screeners and will review that data in upcoming building-level meetings. She described family engagement nights and early screening as parts of the district’s response to early literacy needs.
The board received the presentation and discussed next steps for committee review and a likely request next spring to fund a new elementary reading curriculum after pilot results and committee recommendations are complete.
