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Washburn presents curriculum, assessment and strategic-goals update; early-literacy screener shows 77% proficiency
Summary
District staff presented a curriculum-and-instruction update covering pacing guides, PLCs, assessment strategy and two strategic goals; staff reported 77% proficiency on a fall early-literacy screener and noted overall district proficiency at about 60.3% on a long-term measure.
District curriculum staff presented a broad update on curriculum, instruction and assessment, telling the Washburn School District board that the district is moving from narrative reporting toward data-driven goals and more frequent, contextualized measurement.
The district's curriculum presenter described how Wisconsin state standards and national standards are combined into common pacing guides that highlight "power standards" intended to prepare students for the next grade. "The 1 that's bolded is a power standard," the presenter said while showing pacing guides the district uses to align classroom instruction and report cards.
Staff described assessment practices the district uses to monitor growth. The STAR assessment is administered three times per year and is used alongside classroom-level formative checks. AIMSweb is used for kindergarten through second grade as part of meeting Wisconsin's early-literacy requirements (Act 20). Staff reported that 77% of students were proficient on the district's fall early-literacy screener, though some component scores (for example, vocabulary) were weaker and require targeted supports.
The presenter said Washburn's long-term trend data show an overall proficiency of about 60.3% on a decade-long test trend presented to the board; the district emphasized that 100% proficiency remains the goal even as some measures reflect improvement. Staff also described work with the Achievement Gap Reduction (ADR) grant and Title I funds to support interventions and coaching, and noted an ongoing five-year DPI project-award contract intended to build mental-health supports in schools.
An interim principal described building-level work on grading practices and PLCs, saying a universal grading-scale change will be considered next year after additional staff work and PD. The district also outlined a six-year curriculum cycle—research, pilot, implement and evaluate—to keep pace with instructional needs while managing budget constraints.
Chair remarks included logistics and community items: Sen. Romaine Quinn will attend the March meeting and tour schools, capital-project bids came in under budget allowing alternates to be added, and architect ISG is conducting further cost analysis. Staff said the middle/high principal position has been posted with interviews planned for early February.
The board accepted the strategic-plan update and will receive additional data-driven reports and specific implementation timelines at future meetings.
