Menu
McCook School Board reviews test scores, sets new goals
McCOOK — All members of the McCook School Board were present Monday evening as Superintendent Grant Norgaard delivered his annual report, highlighting district-wide academic performance and outlining next steps in the district’s new five-year improvement cycle.
Norgaard presented data from all standardized tests administered over the past year, noting that McCook Public Schools (MPS) outperformed both the state of Nebraska and peer districts in every subject area. English Language Arts (ELA) was the district’s strongest academic area, with 67% of students testing as proficient, compared with the statewide average of 49%.
Math performance, however, is emerging as an area of concern. MPS students are currently performing at the state average of 49% proficiency. “There’s work to do,” Norgaard said, emphasizing that the School Improvement Team is shaping new goals to address lingering challenges as the District begins a new five-year improvement cycle.
Currently in the first year of this next improvement cycle, staff have drafted two new problem statements focused on reading and math achievement—areas where proficiency levels remain inconsistent.
For reading, the district’s new statement acknowledges that “not all students are meeting grade-level proficiency expectations.” Over the coming months, the School Improvement Team will develop strategies aimed at creating greater consistency and coherence in literacy instruction across grade levels.
In mathematics, district data show that a significant number of students struggle with foundational pre-algebraic skills, particularly one-step problem solving. The improvement team believes strengthening instructional focus and coherence will be key to raising overall math achievement.
Norgaard reminded the board of the specialized math training teachers completed over the summer. “We’ve taken steps to train our math educators and to improve our math curriculum, and we are hopeful that we will see some improvement in our proficiency scores.”
High School Assistant Principal Jake Curl added that the district’s new math goal centers on building essential foundational skills: “The school improvement goal really focuses on addressing the fundamental math skills that will help students be successful in all upper-level math courses.”
Central Elementary Principal Joel Bednar emphasized staff dedication to the process. “The amount of work teachers have put in to identify areas that need to be improved on and fine‑tuning the curriculum to help our students achieve success.”
In addition to academic goals, Norgaard outlined several district-wide concerns that will influence planning and professional development in the coming months. These include:
inflation’s impact on school funding,
a nationwide shortage of certified teachers,
stagnant growth trends in standardized testing, and
chronic absenteeism.
Norgaard expressed cautious optimism that attendance data may show improvement after new interventions were implemented. “We’re looking forward to seeing this year’s data about absenteeism after some of the interventions we have employed,” he said.
A brief overview of what teachers learned during their professional development day last month was also given. Norgaard explained the Science of Reading Master Class, which provided strategies to incorporate reading and literacy into instruction, no matter the content area. Staff also attended a training that helped them better understand the impact of poverty on students and their ability to learn and succeed. The session also emphasized literacy instruction, aligning with statewide priorities.
The only action item of the night was the approval of the consent agenda, which passed unanimously.
Business Manager Jeff Gross informed the board that MPS will need to hire a new auditing firm. The company that has handled audits in recent years will no longer serve school districts. Gross has issued a Request for Proposals and has already heard from several firms, though he anticipates higher costs during the transition.
He also continues to monitor legislative activity in Lincoln that could impact school operations and finance.
Board members offered positive remarks about another successful round of Bison Days and the strength of the superintendent’s report.
Student Board Member Quinn Taylor said, “It was great to see how McCook Schools have outperformed the state in all areas.”
Board member Charlie McPherson noted the demanding workload on staff. “I know our teachers and administrators wear multiple hats. We appreciate everything you do.”
Gross then acknowledged the critical role of substitute teachers: “We really appreciate our substitutes that come in and keep everything up and running when teachers are out with activities or battling sickness. We’ve got great subs.”
Member Mike Langan praised students’ conduct. “I’m just impressed by the character of McCook students in public and in competitions with other schools. McCook students really stand out in their behavior and integrity.”
As his closing comment, Norgaard announced a developing partnership with the Roots program, made possible through discussions with hospital administrators. The collaboration would provide student teachers with temporary housing as they transition into the school system and community. “This could be a real win for everyone,” he said. “We’re just thankful they’ve allowed us to be a part of that amazing facility with an amazing purpose.”