Marshall schools provide updates on training, student progress and events

MARSHALL – The Marshall Public School District provided updated reports to the school board Monday on faculty training progress, events, grades and more.

The state implemented the READ Act effective July 1, 2024, which will ensure that every child in Minnesota reads at or above grade level every year, starting in kindergarten. To do this, Marshall teachers are participating in the Online Language and Literacy Academy (OL&LA) training that is currently in Phase 1.

OL&LA is a READ-Act funded program, which provides additional training access to professional development staff approved by the Department of Education.

“Our teachers in Phase 1 of the READ Act training are well underway with their training this fall and are making great progress,” Superintendent Jeremy Williams said. “All of our elementary teachers, academic support positions, K-12 SPED (special education) and reading specialists are completing OL&LA training this year. Next year, 5 to 12 language teachers will also undergo training in the Science of Reading.”

Peter Thor, principal of Southview Elementary, said in his report to the board that his staff is on track to complete the nine required modules.

“Approximately 90% of our certified staff here at Southview complete OL&LA training,” said Thor. “Many of our teachers are doing excellently and have already completed the first three modules.”

Park Side Elementary School Principal Darci Love and Assistant Principal Tiffany Teske also reported that their teachers are completing the training, but so far are finding that what they are doing is consistent with what the training teaches.

During recent Fire Safety Week events earlier this month, the Marshall Park Side Fire Department visited to teach preschoolers about fire safety and practiced a fire drill. The toddlers in turn visited the fire brigade for an excursion.

Thor stated that they have been doing High Five Fridays, where the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee brings in a local team to greet students into the building on the second Friday of every month.

Peggy Reynolds from the high school said her staff is taking Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) training, an intervention program that uses data to identify student needs.

“The BARR program has successfully launched with approximately 98% of our certified personnel completing the training,” said Reynolds. “This program allowed our students and teachers to be organized into teams, giving our teachers common preparation time to meet and focus on the strengths and needs of their students. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the impact of the program on our school community.”

Reynolds also said all students in fifth through eighth grades participated in bus safety training this month to ensure students understand bus behavior and safety.

The high school report card provided an update on where students currently sit in this first semester. Teachers submit grades every three weeks to monitor progress and trends.

For the upper class, there has been a 9% increase in the number of students currently graduating since last school year. About 87% of 12th graders are graduating, up from last year’s 78%.

The juniors also increased by 3.5% to 88.9% and achieved a percentage of 85.5% last October.

Tenth grade students see a slight decrease: 81.75% of students pass, compared to 83% last year. The freshman class does not have comparable data as they are still adjusting to the transition to high school, but currently has a 78.5% graduation rate.

The high school also implemented Securlypass, an electronic hall pass system this month, to replace handwritten passes. Students receive five passes per week, and the overall goal is to ensure safety and accountability by providing real-time data on where students are or need to be, and more effectively monitor hallway traffic.

Dan Hoffman, assistant director of the Area Learning Center and Career and Technical Institute, said classes and activities are running smoothly at the new ALC location.

Director of Special Education Jackie Budden provided an update on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services and Developmentally Adaptive Physical Education (DAPE).

There are currently 24 deaf and hard of hearing students. The Building Identity event held in Redwood Falls last April brought together more than 100 area students, including 10 from Marshall, to connect with other students with hearing loss. Budden still sees the results of that event.

“One student commented that they did not realize there were other students their age with hearing loss, and this student has now become more confident and willing to wear their hearing aids every day.” Budden said. “A student discovered that there are other students who have the same type of hearing loss. This is an empowerment event for our students with hearing loss.”

There are 47 students in the district participating in DAPE services, which focus on designing special instruction for students with physical or motor disabilities to participate in physical education.