This meeting was covered for Southwest Voices by MPS parent Melissa Whitler. You can find her Twitter thread with more details on the meeting here, and her wrap-up of the November 9th meeting here.
The Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education met last week for its monthly Committee of the Whole meeting. This meeting included a presentation from district administration on academics, including data from the fall 2021 assessments in math and literacy, an update on the district’s literacy framework, an update on the selection of a new math curriculum for K-5, and the process to select a math curriculum for grades 6-12, which the district does not currently have.
For several years, the district has been conducting assessments of students three times per year in math and literacy to assess whether students are meeting grade level standards. Much like Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) scores, the assessments show differences in student learning based on race, with significant gaps between Black, American Indian, and Hispanic students compared to white students. Full details on proficiency levels in math and literacy for grades K-12 can be found in this presentation.
This fall, 59% of all Kindergarten students were proficient in reading, compared to 67% who were proficient in fall 2019. For African American students, 43% were proficient this fall, compared to 51% in 2019. 80% of white Kindergarten students were proficient this fall, compared to 82% in 2019. Director Sharon El-Amin pointed out that this fall, 44% of Kindergarten students designated as Special Education were proficient in reading, which is higher than the proficiency levels for African American (43%), American Indian (29%) and Hispanic (26%) students.
Proficiency levels are below the district average for students who are English Learners (EL), students who qualify for special education services (SPED), and students classified as homeless or highly mobile (HHM). In addition to these longstanding gaps, the assessment data this year shows a decrease in proficiency compared to previous years, during the period following distance learning from March 2020 - February 2021 because of the ongoing pandemic. Superintendent Ed Graff noted that the data is difficult to view because the gaps are so large, and have persisted for so long in MPS.
The presentation contained examples of schools that have successfully implemented parts of the proposed plan. Directors Caprini, Inz and Ellison asked if it would be possible for the board to observe or watch videos of some of the instructional practices from the presentation. Director Arneson noted that the schools highlighted in the presentation all included a lack of time and staffing as barriers to successful implementation of the strategies proposed by the district. Superintendent Graff acknowledged that while the district has funded literacy and math specialists for each k-5 school, those teachers are spending a significant amount of time working as building reserve teachers instead of in their role as support for classroom teachers because of the current shortage of staff and substitute teachers.
Director Inz asked the presenters to clarify the difference between “balanced literacy” and “science of reading” as it relates to the district’s method of literacy instruction. In a lengthy answer, MPS official Maria Rollinger shared her previous experience as an English teacher in St. Louis Park, noting that she often had 4th and 5th grade students who could not read, but that her teacher training had only prepared her to discuss written texts, not teach reading skills. She relied on her colleagues in lower grades to teach her how to teach reading skills to her students who had not already learned to read. She noted that this was enabled by both a culture focused on improved instructional practices, but also having the resources, coaching support, and time to learn and practice new methods.
MPS Senior Accountability, Research, and Equity Officer Eric Moore noted that the district will continue to evaluate its current literacy curriculum, called Benchmark Advanced. Director Arneson asked if the literacy plan would change if the curriculum was found to be inadequate. Senior Academic Officer Amy Fearing said that much of the framework could remain, regardless of the curriculum, but Superintendent Graff noted that the more detailed plans that each school is developing would have to change if the curriculum changes.
The board will continue to discuss the literacy plan and academics at their next meeting on December 14, 2021, where the agenda will also include continued work on the strategic plan for the district.
