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Central SD 13J wins nearly $934,400 per year summer-learning grant; staff favor STAR interim assessment
Summary
Director Jackson told the board the district received a competitive summer learning grant of $934,382 annually for three years and that teacher feedback strongly favored selecting STAR as the interim assessment over i-Ready; the board discussed curriculum materials across K–12.
Director Jackson briefed the board May 4 on an ambitious K–12 curriculum adoption and interim-assessment selection process, and announced a multi-year summer learning grant award that will expand programming.
Jackson described nine curriculum committees that reviewed materials across science, health and social studies and outlined specific requests from teachers — including new high-school anatomy and astronomy texts, Spanish-language materials for biology, and about 20 microscopes for lab work. She said many recommended materials are available for public review and that the district will hold viewings at the annex.
On interim assessment, Jackson said the state’s accountability changes left districts to choose from four options; district teacher teams narrowed the choices and, after surveying staff, "the data overwhelmingly favors STAR over iReady," with 85 percent of respondents preferring STAR (the figure rose to 85% with additional respondents). Jackson said FastBridge (the district’s existing universal screener) has alignment with STAR and that districts can pilot changes before the 2027 implementation window.
Jackson also announced a competitive summer learning grant award of $934,382 per year for each of the next three years. She said the district plans K–12 programming with a strong literacy focus for grades K–5, credit recovery and targeted interventions at the high school, and broader enrichment in STEM and the arts; the district aims to serve roughly 575 students across the three-year program, compared with recent summer participation of about 200–300 students.
Superintendent Kavista said the funding provides the district space to scale proven strategies such as high-dosage tutoring and to better align summer work with in-school instruction.
Quote: "We got almost everything we asked for, which is $934,382 per year for each of the next three years," Jackson said. "We are very excited and a little overwhelmed about making sure that we plan to spend this money to get our kids excited and engaged."
Ending: Jackson invited community members to review recommended materials online and at in-person viewings; the board will receive a final recommendation on interim assessment and materials after teacher review and the close of public input.
