Board asks staff to produce SMART goals and data on literacy, middle-school math and college readiness

Trustees at a Humboldt Unified School District retreat directed district staff to build measurable SMART goals tied to priority areas and return specific monitoring data and recommended targets at a later meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Griffin told the board staff will prepare SMART goals and student-data analyses: “My team to bring back actually SMART goals to the board with actual student data,” she said. Board members identified several possible focus areas: third-grade reading proficiency, algebra access and performance in middle school, and 11th-grade measures (ACT or college- and career-readiness indicators).

Board members emphasized triaging highest-need student groups and highest-leverage interventions. Board Member Anrivic said staff should identify the “biggest problem areas” and where targeted work would lift broad outcomes; other trustees suggested concentrating on early literacy and algebra as gatekeepers to later success.

Dr. Griffin agreed to produce baseline statistics and suggested staff would model scenarios (for example, plausible percent-point increases over a multiyear timeframe) to help the board choose time-bound SMART targets. Trustees asked staff to ensure monitoring is practical for regular board reporting and to bring the proposed goals and timelines back for board approval during strategic-plan implementation.

No formal SMART goals or targets were adopted at the retreat; the motion and direction were to have staff return proposed, measurable goals linked to the priorities discussed.