Instruction and Learning

Using a variety of curricular resources and instructional approaches, teachers in St. Louis Park Public Schools adhere to the Minnesota Academic Standards.  Learn more about the Minnesota State Standards.

The purpose of the Achievement and Integration (A&I) for Minnesota program is to pursue racial and economic integration, increase student achievement, create equitable educational opportunities, and reduce academic disparities based on students' diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds in Minnesota public schools.

• Read Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.861
• Read Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.862
• Read Minnesota Rules, parts 3535.0100 to 3535.0180 of the School Desegregation/Integration rules

View the 2023-2026 Achievement and Integration Plan

If you come across any classroom materials that you have questions about, we encourage you to have conversations with your student's teacher and/or principal. We also encourage families to review the following school board policies:

• Policy 604 - addresses parental curriculum review

• Policy 606 and 606 Procedures - addresses the selection of textbooks and instructional materials and the procedure to request alternative instructional materials

• Policy 632 - addresses teaching about controversial issues

Families can pursue alternative instructional materials by completing the form available on our website and sending it to their teacher or school principal. The form is designed to gather the necessary information to better understand your specific preferences and work collaboratively to answer questions and to find suitable alternatives.

• English Form
• Spanish Form
• Somali Form

American Indian Education Webpage 

Beginning in 2021, we made changes to the enrichment programming to significantly expand programming and access for all students in all grade-levels. We hold a belief that each student has untapped brilliance that can be fostered through gifted education. We have shifted from a focus on remediation to a focus on acceleration, as we believe this is what is needed to develop students' talents, skills and cognitive ability to engage at their highest levels. Thus, we replaced all pull-out remedial math and reading intervention programs with research-based enrichment programs, co-teaching, and coaching at the elementary level, as well as discontinued all pull-out remedial math and reading intervention programs at the secondary level.

Learn more about how we expanded programming at each level.

Enrichment Programs Webpage 

K-5 Local Literacy Plan          

Language and Literacy Webpage

2024-25 Literacy Plan

St. Louis Park Public Schools are committed to providing specialized instruction to our students who are English Language Learners (ELL). Our schools are enriched by the presence of children from other cultures. When students arrive who do not speak English, they spend part of the school day in their general education classrooms with additional support in instruction of academic English. This instruction assists ELL students in acquiring skills that enhance their learning and progress in school. Interpretation and translation services are provided as families require them, enabling the parents to have an active role in supporting their child's education.

Services are provided in every school and with more than 250 children receiving ELL services, the district has a vital and inclusive program.

Title I Webpage

2024-25 Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness Presentation

On an annual basis, our school district sends a comprehensive Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (previously World's Best Workforce) report to the Minnesota Department of Education that documents goals in these key areas:

• All children are ready for school
• All third-graders can read at grade level
• All racial and economic achievement gaps between students are closed
• All students are ready for career and college
• All students graduate from high school These goals are intended to indicate progress toward increase student performance and college and career readiness skills.

This report is presented to the public and the School Board at public meetings in the fall each year. For our students to be ready for college and the workplace, we must have academic outcomes that support the state’s workforce. This is important for a number of reasons:

• Our population is aging
• Seventy percent (70%) of jobs will require more than a high school diploma by 2018
• We don’t have qualified candidates to fill many good-paying jobs
• The fastest growing segment of our future workforce is students of color, and they currently have the state’s lowest graduation rate
• Minnesota has one of the worst black-white achievement gaps in the country 

Want to help review what is taught in St. Louis Park Public Schools classrooms? We invite families to apply to join the District Instructional Programs Advisory Council (DIPAC). You do not need any educational background to join. The Committee will review the process of our curricular and instructional program offerings.

Apply by December 22, 2023

• No background required (just your interest to participate!)
• Seeking diverse perspectives
• Attend approximately 4 meetings (1.5 hours each).

What we hope to do

• Support the development of curricular and instructional programs that are anti-racist and promote racially equitable learning experiences for all students.
• Bring together academic interests that support achievement for all students across the district.
• Provide advice and insight to support the Superintendent in the development of curricular and instructional programs.
• To review and provide feedback on District policies, practices, procedures and programs that impact curriculum and instructional programs.
• Gather feedback from parents and students throughout the district regarding how to share decisions and progress of district Program Design Teams with the greater parent and student community.

DIPAC has the authority to make recommendations to the Superintendent regarding curricular and instructional programs. 

Meeting Schedule
All meetings will take place at the District Office on Mondays from  4:30 - 6:00 pm unless otherwise noted.

• January 8, 2024
• February 5, 2024
• April 8, 2024
• May 13, 2024
   

Membership
DIPAC membership is based on interest, not educational expertise. Members include up to two representatives from each elementary school and up to four representatives from each secondary school, one school board member, district teachers and administrators, and up to four high school students. The length of term is two years. 

DIPAC will strive to reflect the racial, gender, language, and ability balance of the school district and will actively recruit participants from underrepresented groups, if at the end of the application process, we do not see an adequate response.  The district Teaching and Learning team and the Superintendent shall work together to ensure underrepresented groups are equitably represented from across the school district. These appointments will be endorsed by Principals at each of the representative sites from across the school district.