District outlines CSIP goals and literacy plan as state shifts assessment model
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Summary
District leaders presented a CSIP Lead 3 evaluation focused on behavior interventions, curriculum alignment and a draft literacy plan; staff said Galileo will end its platform and the district task force is vetting replacement benchmark assessments while DESE moves toward "testlet" assessments.
District administrators used the February board meeting to present a CSIP (Comprehensive School Improvement Plan) Lead 3 evaluation and updates to assessment and curriculum work.
Dr. Beck (S15) said Lead 3 work targets consistent behavior intervention reporting, curriculum adoption and K–12 benchmark alignment to Missouri Learning Standards. He highlighted district discipline data: tardy referrals account for about 26% of reported incidents, and out-of-school suspensions (OSS) are disproportionately assigned to male students (presenter cited OSS at about 66% male, 34% female), which the district will address through supports and by adding intervention capacity including additional behavior interventionists and a second BCBA (board-certified behavior analyst).
On assessments and curriculum, Mr. Russell (S2) said Galileo, the district's benchmark platform for several years, notified districts it would end its platform and transition to a new vendor in September, prompting the district to convene a task force to evaluate replacement options. "We are scrambling to find something new," Russell said, describing a cross-departmental team that will vet vendors and bring recommendations to the board.
Officials also described state-level changes: DESE plans to move toward a ‘‘testlet' model that allows windows and smaller, topic-focused assessments," a change district staff said should provide more timely feedback to teachers and allow students to "level up" across the year rather than waiting for an end-of-year score.
Administrators said the district is drafting a literacy plan with three priority goals and corresponding action items; the plan is expected to be presented to the board in April or May. The presenters framed the combined work as a significant planning year driven by vendor changes and new state assessment guidance.
The board asked about membership of district literacy teams and vendor-selection processes; presenters said teams include teachers, reading specialists, SPED and EL staff and that the district is trying to balance representation while avoiding overloading staff who serve on multiple teams.
Administrators said the mid-cycle curriculum review will make ongoing adoption and PD more deliberate, and that further details and recommended resource adoptions will return to the board for approval.