To the editor,

This is in response to the parent comment made last week about the upcoming school boar election.

I wonder how much the public knows that the DPI changed the scale for measuring school effectiveness. Not only have some scores dropped, but they have done so in the face of a change in the way the metrics are calculate for the state’s proficiency rankings, which allow for districts to look better if you don’t look at the data carefully.

The new proficiency ratings have reduced the scores needed to attain a specific proficiency rating. Therefore, our district’s rating of “Exceeds Expectations” can be misleading. For example, a couple of years ag, a minimum score of 73 was needed to rank as “Exceeds.” Now only a 70 is needed. The “Meets” minimum dropped from 63 to 58!

Furthermore, there were weight changes in the calculations included in the score that are factors for: achievement, growth, chronic absenteeism and attendance or graduation rate. A pie chart on the district page will give you the information as to how much weight is on each factor. Target group outcomes went from 0 to 25% since 2016-17. On Track to Graduation (attendance and chronic absenteeism) bumped from 20% to 25% (Wisconsin Office of Accountability http://oea-dpi.shinyapps.io/report_card_weighting_calculator/)

Note: Some of OUR scores: District as a whole (72.8), one of our elementary schools (70.1) and the middle school (72.6) would have scored “Meets Expectations” for the last academic year, had the ranking metrics not been altered by the state. Further, our district has attained this rating while our math scores have plummeted significantly over the years (The DPI District Report Card can be seen beginning from 2011-12 school year to 2021-22 at http://apps2.dpi.wi.gov/reportcards/home.)

Suggestions that this drop in academic scores is a response to COVID-19 do not fully make sense. In fact, being home and online brought forth concerns regarding how academic time was being spent in school. Perhaps that is why many of Wisconsin schools are losing students. Parents send their children to school to learn to read, write, calculate and to learn to think to their highest levels. This is not happening in many classrooms and parents are responding.

The school board holds the responsibility for advocating for students’ education and monitoring their academic performance; therefore, they should be involved in figuring out why scores have dropped and how to improve them. Perhaps it’s because there has been a shift in some of our kids’ academic time to focus on secondary concerns. School board agendas and meetings (both online and on YouTube) seem to indicate that the state and district are more focused on socio-emotional learning and student behavioral activities than on increasing quality academic student skills.

Many of this summer’s policy changes may not reflect the thoughts and values of most of the families and the community and perhaps not even some of the staff.

An additional responsibility of the school board is to consider the entire community’s input regarding the local education of their children. A few are speaking for many and they may not reflect the general population’s opinion or values. Voting and paying attention to school board meetings will help the community be heard. It will help determine how OUR taxpayer funds are used to prioritize academic growth for EVERY student. Accountability in our spending and our efforts is needed in every aspect of the district.

I’m ready for a new person with a new perspective. I will vote for Cassie Erickson on April 4! I’m thankful that she has and continues to ask the challenging questions and is working toward solutions so our children don’t fall behind. Our River Falls children matter. She is an educated, open-minded voice of reason that I trust will view all sides of the multi-faceted situations and navigate the tough decisions accordingly.

Tabitha Kretzmann

Town of River Falls