Mixed results on student achievement in latest ends policy monitoring

Did Eden Prairie Schools make reasonable progress over the past year on its ends policies, which measure results being achieved by students? That was a key question the Eden Prairie School Board recently deliberated at its Sept. 23 business meeting.

Results were mixed for varying reasons, with areas of notably strong success as well as some concerning indicators that the district and board said would require more work.

The four key areas where the district was determined to have made reasonable progress were:

• Each student graduating and being academically prepared to progress to multiple opportunities after high school.
• Each student receiving a broad-based education that exceeds Minnesota’s graduation requirements.
• Providing each student with skills to succeed in the modern global economy.
• Each student having the knowledge that citizens and residents of the United States need to contribute positively to society.

The two key areas where the district was determined not to have made reasonable progress were:

• Each student reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
• Each student meeting individual growth and proficiency expectations in (but not limited to) language arts, math, and science.

While some board members speculated that these shortfalls were likely due to post-pandemic recovery issues, among other things, one board member noted that the lack of progress in the two latter areas has been a problem for years that the board needed to acknowledge and commit to tackling.

Board records appear to back up this pattern. In the nine years since the 2015-16 school year, not once during annual ends policy monitoring has the school board deemed the district in compliance with its ends policy stating that students must meet individual growth and proficiency expectations in language arts, math and science.

In that same nine-year period, the board deemed the district to have made reasonable progress in third-grade reading levels in only three years: 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.

It should be noted that some of these years predate the tenure of the current superintendent, most of the current administration, and most, if not all, of the current school board. Additionally, the reasons behind these outcomes have shifted from year to year.

Board meeting records were not readily available for the 2014-15 school year or earlier. Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) has requested access to files from prior years and has reached out to the school board and the district for context and comment regarding the reasons behind this pattern.

How ends policy monitoring works

The Eden Prairie School Board differs from many other boards in the metro area in that it is a policy governance board. In ends policy monitoring, the board sets specific goals, or ends, related to student achievement. It directs the superintendent to create a plan to fulfill these goals and measure whether the district has met its expectations.

Addressing each of the six ends (1.1-1.6) policies in turn, Josh Swanson, EP Schools’ superintendent, first reminded the district of the measurement plan they had previously approved for each ends policy. Swanson then asserted whether he believed the district did or did not make reasonable progress in achieving that end during the past school year. He then provided evidence about the progress that had been made.

The board then voted on whether it agreed with his assertion. In cases where the board determined that reasonable progress was not made, Swanson was directed to come back to the board at a future meeting with an analysis and plans for addressing those issues.

All board members were present for the meeting except for Debjyoti “DD” Dwivedy, so six votes were cast for each ends policy.

Outcome: District made ‘reasonable progress’ in four of six ends policies

Ends policies 1.1-1.6 drill down from one overarching statement: Ends Policy 1.0, which states that Eden Prairie Public Schools exist so that each student obtains an outstanding education that prepares them for their next stage of life in a manner that justifies the resources expended.

Ends Policy 1.1: Each student graduates and is academically prepared to progress to multiple opportunities after high school.

Swanson asserted that the district did make reasonable progress on this end, and the board agreed.

Swanson said he was proud of the district’s results. “There is remarkable work that goes on behind the scenes” to support each individual student and their progress, he said.

Robb Virgin, the district’s assistant superintendent of secondary education, cited a projected 94.2% four-year graduation rate (just below the target of 95%). He said the lower-than-ideal graduation rate is partially impacted by the increased percentage of students who moved from the high school to the TASSEL Transition program as part of Individualized Education Program (IEP) plans.

Virgin also said that 93% of students demonstrated post-secondary readiness (18 points higher than the target of 75%).

Board chair Aaron Casper said, “We are super proud of the work that you’re doing on a daily basis for these students, and it’s showing here.”

Ends Policy 1.2: Each student is reading at grade level by the end of third grade.

Swanson asserted that “unfortunately,” the district did not make reasonable progress, and the board agreed. This was the fourth year in a row for this result.

However, Swanson said this did not mean significant work and progress were not taking place. He noted bright spots, including a rise in third-grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA)/Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS) reading scores.

These increased over the past year from 62% to 66% (down from 68% in 2021-22 but on the upswing), with Eden Prairie continuing to be one of the top performers in the state. FastBridge numbers were essentially flat.

“I know how important it is to have each of our students reading by third grade,” Swanson said. “It’s work we’ve invested in and continue to work on.”

Felicia Thames, the district’s assistant superintendent for elementary education, said that even though the numbers did not meet expectations, there’s evidence “that we’re closing the gap for students.”

Thames said that to improve outcomes, the district uses multiple reading assessments to gauge reading comprehension and fluency. This information is then used to identify students at high risk so they can find them the right instructional match.

School board member Kim Ross said while it was not an excuse for this target being missed, it was important to consider that the current third graders were “COVID kindergartners” who missed much of the typical in-person instruction previous cohorts experienced.

Ends Policy 1.3: Each student achieves individual growth and proficiency expectations annually in, but not limited to, language arts, math and science.

Swanson asserted the district did not make reasonable progress in this end, and the board agreed. This was the same outcome as in at least the past nine years.

Notably, this year, MCA proficiency indicators dropped across the board for elementary, middle, and high schools. This was particularly so in science, where the elementary school saw a 10-point drop from 2021-22 to 2023-24, and the high school saw a 12-point drop over the same period. The middle school was essentially flat over the same period, having lost small gains it made last year.

In reading, proficiency dropped one point at the overall elementary level from 2021-22 to 2023-24. At the middle school, it dropped four points, and at the high school, 13 points.

It should be noted that the district recently decided to switch to the ACT as the key measurement tool for high school since participation numbers have been so low in the MCA as to make it an unreliable indicator of progress. However, MCA participation is significantly more robust at the elementary and middle schools, making it a more reliable indicator there.

Eden Prairie Schools’ full results can be viewed by school or for the district as a whole by using the search bar on the Minnesota Department of Education’s Minnesota Report Card website.

Virgin pointed out that while results did not meet most targets, Eden Prairie performed significantly over state and national norms in the various measures. He also said there was important context, particularly regarding how newly implemented science standards align with MCA test material.

The district also neared, met, or exceeded some of the aggressive growth targets. It was nine points above aggressive growth targets for students below grade level in reading, and met its growth target for multilingual (ML) learners.

Board members expressed support for the work being done and stressed the importance of continuous improvement in reading proficiency.

However, board member Charles “C.J.” Strehl also expressed frustration. “We’ve sat here for three years and we’re not making progress,” he said. “The numbers keep going down, and this is on us as a board.”

Strehl said the board had been having the “same conversations” for years, but nothing was changing. “We have to stem this tide,” he said. “There’s some areas that are really, really clear that have to get better, and they may require significant changes in thought process and discussions at a board level.”

Ross cited National Institutes of Health research from May 2023 showing that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its significant impact on education, students regressed significantly, especially in math and science.

“I think it’s something we should not ignore,” she said. “I hesitate to cast doubt on anything we’ve done as a board or our staff have done for our students when we’re looking at data around achievement in the context of a once-in-a-lifetime negative event in world history.”

Casper said he agreed nobody was happy with the results but that, from a policy governance perspective, the board needed to listen to Swanson and his team to determine what the district needs to improve.

He noted that the district did meet aggressive growth goals and some of the grade targets. He cautioned against looking at the MCA results “as a monolith.” Instead, he urged everyone to look at the whole picture and consider all facets of the student experience across all grades.

Ends Policy 1.4: Each student receives a broad-based education that exceeds the Minnesota State Graduation Requirements.

Swanson asserted the district did make reasonable progress, and the board agreed.

“As I traverse the metro, the state, the national, the opportunities that our students have here in Eden Prairie off-the-charts fantastic,” Swanson said.

Virgin and Thames highlighted the high percentage of students taking enriched and advanced coursework who also reported positive engagement in talent development programs at all grade levels. This included the Discovery Programs at the elementary schools, Pathways at the middle and high school, and Capstones at the high school.

School board member Steve Bartz said, “You can see kids are really encouraged to discover and explore … this is really thoughtful and intentional work and just great numbers all the way across.”

Ends Policy 1.5: Each student has the 21st century skills needed to succeed in the global economy.

Swanson asserted the district did make reasonable progress, and the board agreed.

Swanson highlighted “the intentional work done to improve outcomes” in instruction and assessment practices after he and the board asserted in 2021-22 and 2022-23 that the district did not make reasonable progress in this ends policy.

Virgin presented evidence focusing on proficiency in collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.

He also discussed strategies being used to improve outcomes, including adapting progress monitoring and reteaching and refreshing measurement tools. He addressed the importance of self-assessment and goal setting in achieving 21st-century skills and expressed optimism about the potential for significant improvement in 21st-century skills.

Ends Policy 1.6: Each student has the knowledge that citizens and residents of the United States need to contribute positively to society.

Swanson asserted the district did make reasonable progress, and the board agreed.

He said the district met all metrics except attendance but felt it was making progress in that area.

Thames went over the five key metrics of this policy: Minnesota civics; K-5 report cards for respectful and responsible behavior; student and staff feedback for respectful and responsible behavior; attendance; and digital citizenship and proficiency.

She said that while EP Schools missed the attendance target, it was holding steady at 93%, which is good compared to the rest of the metro area.

When asked by the board to drill down on this metric and provide comparison data about other districts, Swanson said it was complicated because data needed to be compared across a couple of different data sets. However, he assured the board that EP was doing “significantly better” than others.

Virgin also said chronic absenteeism is a “national problem” and that the district continued to work on measuring and improving attendance numbers.

Full details, video recording available on school board website

The district’s full presentation and details of the measurement plan used to make these assertions can be viewed in the Agenda and Materials of the Sept. 23 school board meeting. A video recording of the discussion can also be viewed.