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District reports mixed math results; tech director cites cybersecurity upgrades and falling digital-literacy scores
Summary
The board accepted the R2.1B math monitoring report showing modest state-level proficiency gains and targeted improvement for at-risk groups while local standards changes lowered local proficiency. The technology director reported improved cyber defenses but warned digital literacy assessment scores fell to 49%.
The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District board accepted a set of monitoring reports showing mixed academic outcomes and recent technology investments.
Katie Coffman Parker, director of teaching and learning, presented the R2.1B monitoring report on mathematics, saying six of nine grade levels showed gains on state assessments and noting a notable increase in fifth-grade proficiency to 70.4%. She cautioned that revised state standards and cut scores make year-to-year comparisons complex, and that local standards refinements contributed to a drop in district-level local-assessment proficiency from 78.9% to 75.5%. She also highlighted gains among at-risk demographic groups.
"We are making reasonable progress in the content area of mathematics," Parker said, while noting specific grade-level declines that will shape targeted interventions.
Separately, Scott Marty, director of educational technology, told the board OE14 technology indicators were in compliance but raised two concerns: digital literacy assessment (DLA) performance fell to 49% and staffing reductions in library/media time may have contributed. Marty detailed substantial cybersecurity upgrades over the past year, including multifactor authentication, endpoint detection, virtualized servers and a new cloud backup that significantly improves recovery speed in a cyber incident.
"For our students to truly become the future-ready graduates we envision, they will need to be equipped to navigate real-world digital threats," Marty said, urging continued investment in preventative protections and professional development to both integrate AI and safeguard instruction.
The meeting also included a review of the state's 2024'25 report card data (district overall score 70.6) and a five-year budget forecast that assumes flat enrollment and highlights the fiscal risk posed by an expiring operational referendum. Finance staff warned that, unless revenue or enrollment improves, deficits could compound and require difficult decisions in coming years.
Board members accepted the R2.1B and OE14 monitoring reports with noted exceptions and requested transparency on any future indicator changes so the board can track how revised measures affect trend interpretation.
