Wichita Falls Independent School District trustees voted unanimously to adopt the 2025–26 District Improvement Plan after a lengthy work‑session discussion focused on literacy and math performance in early grades and strategies to accelerate student learning.

The board approved the plan as presented by Kristin Nash, director of federal and state programs, and recommended by Superintendent Donnie Lee. Trustees discussed targets carried forward from 2024–25 — including a district teacher retention target set at 85% and multiple grade‑level performance objectives (many set at an 80% end‑of‑year target) — and debated whether some targets should be raised for kindergarten and pre‑K reading and math.

Why it matters: The plan sets measurable annual targets that drive spending of state and local supplemental funds and guide curriculum and intervention priorities across the district. Board members said they wanted ambitious targets but also practical, monitorable strategies to help students who enter kindergarten and first grade below grade level.

Trustees and staff debated how assessment type and changing national norms affect the appearance of district results. Nash and district curriculum staff explained that K‑2 results use a norm‑referenced assessment that compares students to a national sample and that MAP norms were recently updated to account for pandemic effects — a change that lowered some reading norms and affected district percentages. Staff emphasized that different instruments are used at different grade bands (circle assessments in pre‑K, MAP in K‑2, then STAAR/STAR in later grades), and that direct comparisons across instruments can be misleading.

Board members questioned the size of early‑grade declines from pre‑K into kindergarten and first grade and pushed for investments to strengthen early childhood readiness. District staff said the pre‑K group is smaller and often selective (eligibility criteria), while kindergarten counts include all children entering school, which partially explains the changes. Staff also reported that Amplify (the new K‑2 reading curriculum) is in early implementation and that the district is still seeing the uneven effects of curriculum change; they said sustained implementation over multiple years is needed to show full gains.

Key clarifications and targets noted in the meeting:
- Teacher retention performance objective: 85% (no change).
- K–2 reading and math targets: board discussed keeping many objectives at 80% but debated raising some measures (an individual board member advocated for a 90% reading/math target for a specific measure; staff recommended 85% as reasonable in some cases).
- Pre‑K letter‑naming automaticity: staff reported end‑of‑year figures that prompted questions (three‑year‑old pre‑K inclusion affected prior-year comparisons); staff said the 60‑second rapid letter‑naming task and growth measures should be interpreted cautiously.
- College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) goals: TSI (college ready in both reading and math) target left at 50% though last year’s performance was 30.6%; AP/IB “cut score” target raised from 65 to 70 after the district met 65.7 last year; industry‑based certification target recommended to increase to 40% after jumping from the low 20s to about 38% in recent years.
- Dual credit goal: district goal remains 30% though current participation is about 15%; staff reported the district pays for first attempts at the TSI and provides tutoring, and noted that AP/IB participation can offset dual credit counts because students choose among advanced options.

Staff described intervention and accountability steps that will support the plan, including: weekly internalization meetings where teachers dissect lessons from the district‑adopted curriculum, daily RTI (response to intervention) blocks beginning in mid‑August, site‑based tutoring and targeted small‑group instruction, coaching from district staff and Region 9, and monitoring of strategy implementation multiple times per year. Principals and campus leaders also described using tutors and retired teachers for small‑group work and pairing paraprofessionals strategically so certified teachers deliver core instruction.

A principal who addressed the board during the work session, Amanda Garcia of Southern Hills Elementary, acknowledged the campus rating and the staff’s work. "I own that F in every single part of it," Garcia said, describing staff turnover challenges her campus has addressed and the current emphasis on internal coaching and targeted intervention.

Votes at a glance (formal actions taken during the meeting):
- Approved: 2025–26 District Improvement Plan as submitted (motion made and seconded; outcome: approved 6–0) — action recorded in the minutes.
- Approved: Year‑to‑date financial and investment reports through 08/31/2025 (motion made and seconded; outcome: approved 6–0).
- Approved: 2025–26 budget amendments as detailed in the budget amendment report (motion made and seconded; outcome: approved 6–0).
- Approved: Applicant pool for hiring (Human Resources applicant pool) (motion made and seconded; outcome: approved 6–0).
- Approved: Expansion of the district partnership with Third Future Schools to add two additional campuses pending grant funds and contract amendments (motion, discussion and vote; outcome: approved 6–0). (See separate article for presentation details.)
- Approved: Dress regulation change to allow jeans on additional days (motion made and seconded; outcome: approved; roll call recorded as 4 in favor, 2 opposed according to meeting tally.)

What trustees asked staff to do next: Several trustees asked for more precise, campus‑level evidence of how interventions are working (two‑week group updates, mid‑year MAP progress, DIBELS trends for early literacy), the financial breakdown of supplemental spending tied to goals, and an ongoing report on dual‑credit and CCMR strategies. Staff said they will return with monitoring data and reinforced that curriculum and implementation are multi‑year efforts.

Ending: Trustees signaled support for keeping targets ambitious while also asking staff to provide clearer operational plans and mid‑year checkpoints. The board moved from the work session to the formal consent and action items, carrying the approved targets and the district’s stated focus on early literacy and targeted interventions into the 2025–26 school year.