The Roseville Area School Board on Thursday received a data-rich achievement report showing districtwide Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) proficiency largely flat from 2024 while FastBridge growth measures showed stronger gains at early grades and pockets of improvement across schools. District staff emphasized training and targeted interventions to address persistent racial disparities.
Jake Vondelinde, executive director of teaching and learning in the office of educational equity, led the presentation and said the district's reading proficiency was about 45.5% compared with a statewide average of about 49.6%, a roughly four-percentage-point gap. "We remain about 4 percentage points below the statewide average and both Roseville and the state stayed about the same proficiency rates from the previous year," Vondelinde said.
The report highlighted areas of improvement: grades 5–8 showed gains in reading proficiency (eighth grade gained 5.3 percentage points), seventh grade outperformed the statewide average, and several elementary schools (Falcon Heights, Parkview, Rams, Central Park, Emmett D. Williams, Brimhall) posted strong FastBridge combined typical and aggressive growth in reading and early literacy. In math, districtwide MCA proficiency was 37.8% (grades 3–8 and 11), below the statewide average by about 7.5 points; grades 7 and 11 showed year-over-year gains, and Central Park, Edgerton, Parkview and Rams posted multi-year increases.
Vondelinde framed the results as part of longer-term systemic work: the district has invested in structured literacy and the science of reading (LETRS training for K–4 teachers and pre-K; district rollout of Carryall/University of Minnesota programs for upper elementary), and has partnered for professional development in math using Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). "We continue to put forth resources and efforts into our literacy improvements, especially at our earliest grades," Vondelinde said.
District staff said FastBridge growth classifications (aggressive, typical, modest, flat) show progress with reduced flat growth in early reading and early math; about 64% of earliest readers had combined typical or aggressive growth. Vondelinde also noted the district secured roughly $1 million from the Minnesota Department of Education for alternate delivery services and reimbursements supporting literacy, math and behavior interventions.
Board members pressed on disparities and implementation. One board member asked whether improvements were benefiting all student groups; staff acknowledged that while some groups improved, racial disparities persist and range widely by subgroup. Vondelinde pointed to new teacher evaluation rubrics and cultural-competence elements intended to align classroom practice with equity goals and said the district will continue to prioritize early literacy and targeted interventions.
No formal board action was requested on the report, but staff said curriculum reviews, training, screening three times per year (K–8) and phased implementation of new materials are ongoing. The district also noted changes in state assessment design — the reading MCA will transition to MCA4 next year and science has shifted to MCA4 this year — which will require resetting some trend comparisons.
The district will continue monitoring assessments, training completion rates and school-level results as the multi-year literacy and math investments proceed.