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District details curriculum, assessment and dual-enrollment plans; cites $750,000 investment in teacher development
Summary
Superintendent and curriculum staff told the school board that all schools remain at Level 3 in the higher-reliability model, outlined assessment timing concerns, described a handwriting program roll-out, noted 62 students enrolled in dual-credit this fall, and said the district is investing about $750,000 in professional development.
Superintendent Ryan Thomas and curriculum staff presented the district’s annual K–12 curriculum-and-instruction update, reviewing progress on instructional frameworks, assessment practice, professional development investments and career-technical-education (CTE) supports.
The presentation covered higher-reliability school levels, an established teacher-evaluation model with 23 instructional elements, expanded PLC (professional learning community) time on Mondays, a growing induction program for new teachers and an ongoing five-year cycle for curriculum revision. The superintendent said all district schools are currently level three in the reliability framework and described school-level work to address specific indicators.
Assessment and data: Staff outlined the district’s use of STAR benchmarks and a twice-yearly essential-standards assessment (ESPA), noting that district data models are precise in forecasting outcomes but expressing concern about planned statewide assessment vendor changes. Administrators said new statewide science and math standards and a vendor transition may delay data return until fall and complicate year-to-year comparisons.
Professional development and staffing: The presentation listed federal and grant funds that support instruction—Title I (about $1.2 million to four elementary schools and Horizon High School), Title III (~$17,000 for English-language learners), Title II (teacher professional development) and Perkins funding ($78,000 last year; about $94,000 this year) that was used to remodel a drafting room and support AutoCAD instruction. Superintendent Thomas summarized the district’s investment in staff training, saying the district is "putting about 3/4 of a million dollars into our teachers." The district reported certified staff of 289 and support staff of 281, for a combined total of about 570 employees.
Dual and concurrent enrollment: The district said it has 62 students enrolled in a dual-credit program for the coming term and noted a $10 million legislative set-aside intended to expand dual-credit statewide. District leaders said they are working to steward local CTE and Perkins funds so that CTE programs remain strong should dual-credit reimbursements or state distributions change.
CTE and work-based learning: Presenters highlighted Perkins-funded facility upgrades (a drafting room for AutoCAD) and partnerships that connect students to local employers, and discussed the district’s focus on growing math and science dual-credit offerings (e.g., on-site college algebra and biology) to move toward an associate-degree pathway for students.
What’s next: Staff invited board members to observe PLC sessions and the summer curriculum-planning week, said the district will finalize K–12 literacy plans by mid-August, and noted several policy and staffing changes coming in June.
