Action of the School Board Action of the School Board 10/27/14 | Page 3

ment a comprehensive communication plan, and recommendation five, increasing messages of kindness in the Anoka-Hennepin community, will be presented to the board Nov. 24.
Action steps for recommendation one, increasing awareness of the variety of families, will
be presented Jan. 12; steps for recommendation two, increasing adult presence in middle
schools through use of volunteers, will be presented April 27; and steps for recommendation three, honoring contributions of diverse people, will be presented Feb. 23.
The full presentation is available on the district website.

Board adopts legislative platform

The School Board adopted a four-point legislative platform. The first item calls for increasing basic education revenue by $300 per pupil unit to allow the district to sustain current
class size, programs and services. This would generate approximately $12 million per year
and allow the district to keep up with cost increases.
The second item calls for establishment of a base formula of $1,700 for each student
qualifying for free or reduced price lunch. The current formula directs more money to
school districts with large concentrations of low-income students in individual schools. In
Anoka-Hennepin, poverty is spread somewhat evenly throughout the district. The district
would also like to see flexibility in how funds are used, as long as they focus on closing the
achievement gap and increasing student learning.
In the area of early learning, the district will request an increase in funding for the School
Readiness program. During the last two years, 90 percent of students who participated in
the district’s School Readiness program were ready for kindergarten based on spring assessments. The district is seeking an additional $600,000 for this program.
Finally, the district is seeking funding to cover the cost of students participating in post
secondary options programs that allow high school students to attend college, earning both
high school and college credit. School districts receive only a fraction of the cost of administering this program.
Board Chair Tom Heidemann emphasized the need to hold the legislature accountable for
funding inflation before it funds new programs.
The complete legislative platform is available on the district website.

Goal setting and Improvement planning process presented

Johnna Rohmer-Hirt, director of research, evaluation and testing, and Dr. Cynthia Hays,
chief academic officer, presented information on how test data is calculated for district
schools and what Anoka-Hennepin is doing to improve student learning.
The statewide accountability system, known as the Multiple Measurement Rating (MMR),
measures four educational items: proficiency, growth, achievement gap reduction, and
graduation rate (high schools only). The Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA)
tests are used for these ratings. Students take reading and math MCAs in grades three
through eight, a reading MCA in grade 10 and a math MCA in grade 11.
A focus rating is also assigned to target protected student groups: American Indian, Asian
Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, special education, English learners, and students qualifying for free and reduced price meals.

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ACTION

Only Title I schools that receive federal funding are eligible for a special designation based
on their MMR rating. Eight of Anoka-Hennepin’s 14 Title I schools received the highest
designation Oct. 1; and another two district schools ranked in the next highest category.
The top ranked schools, known as Reward Schools, are Adams, Eisenhower and Hoover
Elementary Schools in Coon Rapids; Lincoln and Wilson in Anoka; Jefferson and Madison
in Blaine; and Monroe in Brooklyn Park.
Learn more about the full results in the district’s Oct. 1 news release.