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Rochester Public Schools hears annual Achievement and Integration report; some literacy and diversity goals fall short
Summary
District administrators presented the annual Achievement and Integration (ANI) report, saying subgroup literacy on-track rates rose in some groups while the district fell short of goals for teachers of color and several postsecondary-credit targets; no public comments were offered during the required hearing.
The Rochester Public Schools (Independent School District 535) board received its annual Achievement and Integration report Dec. 3, with administration saying the district made measurable gains in some student groups but did not meet all of the targets it set for itself.
Will Ruffin II, executive director of equity and engagement, presented the required ANI data and said the district set three core goals: improve literacy (measured by FastBridge on-track rates), increase the percentage of teachers of color, and raise the share of students earning at least one postsecondary credit while in high school. Ruffin reported that Black students’ on-track FastBridge rate rose from 21.3% to 24.4% (a 3.1 percentage-point increase) and Hispanic students moved to 19.3% (a 3.9 point increase), which the administration characterized as making progress toward a three-year target of a 3% annual gain.
On staffing diversity, the district reported an increase in teachers of color from 5.0% to 5.6% but noted the 6.0% target was not met. Ruffin told the board, “we have 85 teachers who are identifying as teachers of color; last year we had 84,” and framed the change as stronger retention than recruitment to date.
On the postsecondary-credit goal, administrators reported an overall increase of 85 students earning credit, but most subgroups fell short of a 4.5% target. The presentation highlighted mixed subgroup trends — for example, Asian Pacific Islander students rose by 22 students while American Indian and Alaska Native students went from 4 students to zero in the reported year.
Superintendent MacKel (presentation introduction) and staff emphasized the difference between percentage measures and raw counts, noting that a rise in the number of students earning credits can coincide with a lower percentage if cohort sizes change. The administration pointed board members to fuller tables and narrative explanations in the written report posted online for members and the public.
Chair Nathan opened a public-comment period linked to the statutory reporting requirement; no community members signed up to speak. The board recorded its discussion of the ANI report for state reporting purposes as required.
Next steps identified by administration included continued data review and using the written ANI report to support the district’s state filings and ongoing school-improvement work.
