Grand Forks School Board presents 2021-22 student proficiency data
Nov. 15—GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks Public Schools' 2021-22 proficiency scores were in line with the statewide average, according to the district's chief academic officer.
The scores are derived from the North Dakota State Assessment, administered annually. According to the state's Department of Public Instruction, all North Dakota students in grades 3-8 and 10 take the NDSA's English and math assessments, and grades 4, 8 and 10 are administered its science assessment.
According to NDSA data, 48% of the district's students were proficient in English, compared with the statewide average of 45%. In math, 39% of students were proficient, equaling the statewide average.
During Monday's meeting of the Grand Forks School Board, Chief Academic Officer Amy Bartsch said despite scores aligning with the state's average, there is room for improvement.
"Right now, what these scores say is that we're doing better than the rest of the state, which is great," said Bartsch. "But I don't think we're satisfied with how we're performing. We're examining a number of avenues to improve student proficiency."
Bartsch cited a district-wide program called "structured literacy" as a means to improve reading proficiency.
"Through brain research, we've learned there's a better way to instruct through structured literacy," said Bartsch. "We're looking at how phonology plays a role in the acquisition of reading ability. Because that's what these tests measure: How you are able to read a passage and comprehend it through decoding."
Bartsch also said the district plans to boost its existing programs providing after-school assistance, such as its mentor center, in an effort to boost proficiency across all subject areas.
Also during Monday's meeting, Brenda Lewis, assistant superintendent for elementary education, provided an update on the district's international teacher hiring program.
Of the district's 14 international hires, two are currently teaching, seven have a planned start date of Nov. 28 and the remaining are pending final United States Citizenship and Immigration Services approval. Lewis said she hopes all of the international hires will arrive in Grand Forks by December.
Lewis said that delay in arrival for the teachers is due to complex requirements from the government of the Philippines, of which seven of the teachers are citizens. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) requires the district to complete a lengthy accreditation process in order to hire Filipino teachers.
"In addition to completing the POLO process, we then have to wait for our hires to receive out-of-country clearance from the Filipino government," said Lewis. "Unfortunately, I have no control over that timeframe."
Lewis said the district has plans to try and make the process of hiring international teachers more expeditious, including creating a pool of pre-qualified applicants starting on Dec. 1, and exploring shorter-term visas, such as the H-2B, to fill needed positions until longer-term employees are found.
In other district news:
* The superintendent evaluation committee met on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to assess Superintendent Terry Brenner's performance. They rated his performance as "satisfactory in all areas."
* Board members approved a request from Red River Valley Education Cooperative to obtain student data, for the purpose of conducting career readiness assessments on the district's students, as well as conducting workforce recruitment campaigns.
* Two educators — Cassie Schmisek and Sarah Bry — were recognized by their school's principals as classified and certified employees of the quarter, respectively. Schmisek is a paraprofessional specializing in mental health and developing curricula for autistic students at Central High School, and Bry is an instructional design coach at Lewis and Clark Elementary.
