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Onalaska board hears midyear strategic-plan update on reading, math and social-emotional supports
Summary
District administrators told the board they are on a multi-pronged path to raise proficiency and close gaps: revised assessments under Act 20 set new baselines, personal reading plans and expanded SEL supports are in place, and an alternative elementary special-education program is being explored for 2025–26.
Denise, the district administrator leading the Pillar 1 report, told the Onalaska School District board on Feb. 10 that midyear data show progress on the district’s goals for reading, math and social-emotional learning. "We tried to streamline the report out, by connecting the annual goal to the data that's connected to it," she said, explaining new baselines after an assessment transition required by Act 20.
The update described three revised annual goals. For reading, the district set a STAR reading proficiency target of 55% for grades 4–8 after a year of transition; Denise said the district began the year near 35% and the predictor at the end of last year was 48%, with winter progress moving toward the 55% target. For K–3 literacy the district moved to AIMSwebPlus as the measurement and set a goal to reduce the share of students at or below the 20th percentile by 5% by spring. For older students the district seeks to maintain a high passing rate (90–95%) in English coursework.
Board members heard how the district is responding: teachers and interventionists are implementing personal reading plans for students in the bottom percentiles, and staff are progress-monitoring those plans weekly. Denise said the district has extended weekly problem-solving conversations and is using a color-coded action-step dashboard to track impact: green for expected progress, yellow for below-expected, red where there is little progress.
Math leaders described STAR Math as the predictor for grades 3–8 and a 55% proficiency goal; last year’s figure was 47%. Administrators acknowledged capacity limits in tier-3 math support and said they are focusing professional development and instructional coaching this semester to refine interventions. The district plans classroom walkthroughs and additional coaching days with an identified math consultant to raise instructional fidelity.
On social-emotional learning, the board heard midyear results from the SABERS screener: "82 percent of our students fell in the low-risk category, 16 percent in some risk, and 3 percent in high risk," Denise said. Resilient-learner teachers and a district behavior-intervention (RISE) team are delivering tiered SEL supports; the presentation cited 24 elementary students receiving tier-3 SEL interventions and 47 receiving tier-2 supports as midyear outcomes. Denise told the board the district is building a system to measure program impact and to rescreen students during winter and spring windows so interventions can be adjusted promptly.
On special education, district staff said they are exploring an alternative special-education elementary program to begin in the 2025–26 school year to serve a small number of students whose needs exceed current placements. "We started talking internally, what can we do as a district to meet the needs of these students internally," the chair said, noting benefits for transitions back to classrooms and peers.
The board discussed attendance and family supports as part of the strategy. District materials credited a revised tardy/absence policy and a system-of-care partnership with La Crosse County for attendance gains; the presentation showed a midyear figure of 87.77% (students with under 10% absences) toward a 90% target. Administrators said they are developing a needs-assessment process and working with community partners when school-based resources are at capacity.
Why it matters: the report ties assessment changes, classroom-level interventions and SEL services to measurable district goals. Trustees emphasized accountability and asked what the district needs from the board to sustain and scale these strategies. The district said next steps include continuing progress monitoring, convening an Act 20 steering committee and preparing for spring assessment windows.
Next step: building principals will provide further disaggregated updates at the building level and the board expects a full-year scorecard at the end of the school year.
