Ron Elementary named Minnesota School of Excellence; school reports strong gains in early grades

Ron Elementary was presented to the ISD 191 Board of Education as a Minnesota School of Excellence on Nov. 20, school leaders said.

Assistant Superintendent Chris Belmont introduced the presentation and Principal Brad Robb and learning specialist Lori Coiler described survey results and academic goals that the staff used to guide improvement. Robb told the board the school set a target to increase the share of students who were not at benchmark in the fall from 48% to 60% attaining typical or aggressive growth; “we actually achieved 66%,” Coiler said during the presentation.

Leaders highlighted specific grade-level gains. They said first grade produced strong progress, with 90% of students who began the year below benchmark achieving typical or aggressive growth, and that 100% of first graders who started at benchmark remained there. The presenters said fifth-grade MCA proficiency rates rose from about 49.3% to roughly 60% in both math and reading, and that those reading scores remained about 11 points higher than the state average.

Coiler credited the gains to collaborative structures and targeted supports: co‑teaching arrangements, regular data meetings and progress monitoring, and coordination among learning specialists, multilingual staff and special education staff. Board members thanked the school for the progress and the recognition; Director Ault said she was impressed by the comparative data and Director Mickelson asked presenters to identify the single most important factor, prompting school staff to emphasize community, teamwork and structured data practices.

The board received the report; no formal action was required. The meeting moved on to other presentations and business items.