Newsletters 2013-14 Focus newsletter, [1] fall | Page 4

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H E N N E P I N

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D I S T R I C T

A progress report on strategic investments

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noka-Hennepin students have more learning opportunities and additional support
for concerns thanks to the School Board’s
decision last year to invest some of the district’s
fund balance into expanding and adding programs. The four-year plan, known as the “strategic
investments,” is aimed at increasing student
learning and decreasing the achievement gap
while striving to better prepare every student
for life.
The strategic investments were made possible,
in part, through savings related to closing schools
several years ago and a number of other spending
efficiencies. All told, they added up to $11.4 million. The board decided to spend part of that –
$4.4 million last year – on expanding opportunities and save the rest. During year two, the board
will spend approximately $2.6 million on the
strategic investments. Other funding has come
from state Literacy Incentive Aid and the Safe
Schools levy.
Here’s a brief overview of progress on the
investments:

benchmarks by the end of kindergarten have a
higher likelihood of being proficient at the end of
grade three,” she said. A number of schools saw a
huge increase in the percentage of students who
were proficient at the end of kindergarten this
past spring in comparison with the previous year,
in part, she believes because of the increased time
in kindergarten. Assessment results showed that
the number of students considered “non-proficient” decreased by more than 30 percent from
one year to the next in seven schools.

Advanced math for fifth graders

“We are also in the development stage of a
program supporting high ability math students
for grade four as well,” said Wolverton.

Supporting young learners in need
The Kindergarten Readiness Preschool
Program expanded fr