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Brookings district rolls out 'transition' reading benchmarks and advances high school renovations
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Summer Schultz told Brookings Radio the district will use year‑one 'transition' scores to track literacy proficiency as students move between buildings and that Brookings High School has begun phased renovations (science rooms, bathrooms, roof and upgraded air handlers); numeric results and project costs were not provided.
Dr. Summer Schultz, superintendent of Brookings School District 05-1, described a new district metric — year-one 'transition' scores — designed to measure the share of students who are proficient in reading as they leave one building and enter the next. She said the measure is one of several weighted indicators tied to the district’s strategic plan and is intended as a diagnostic, not a single high-stakes achievement score.
Schultz explained the transition metric will track cohorts such as students leaving elementary schools entering Camelot, students leaving Camelot entering middle school, and students moving from eighth grade to ninth grade at the high school. The district will combine multiple measures rather than rely on a single standardized test, and she said literacy coaches and principals are working to ensure tier‑one instruction aligns with research-based practices. Schultz emphasized the district is in year one of collecting these transition scores and that small early gains are promising.
On facilities, Schultz said construction at Brookings High School is underway, with crews two weeks into work on science classrooms, new bathrooms and a new roof; air handlers in renovated areas will be upgraded in phased work. She said custodial and facilities staff are actively supporting the project and that the phased approach is meant to manage heating and cooling system updates as spaces are completed.
Why it matters: literacy attainment and facility conditions directly affect classroom learning and the district’s ability to deliver instruction. Transition scores give the district a way to identify which schools and practices are working and where targeted supports are needed.
What wasn’t said: Schultz did not supply numeric transition-score results, specific contractors or project cost figures for the high school work, or precise timelines beyond a general early‑phase status. She identified Hillrest and Camelot as schools showing notable improvements but did not provide comparative statistics.
Next steps: middle school tier‑one instruction will be a focus in the coming year; the district will continue collecting transition data and monitoring progress. Facilities work at the high school will proceed in phases aligned with completed classroom renovations.
