Reading and math test scores in some school districts were higher last year.
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As public schools across the country struggle to adopt artificial intelligence tools in classrooms, one Wisconsin district that’s seeing strong academic gains is moving in the opposite direction.
In the state Fond du Lac School Districtstudents have limited access to AI on school devices, principals are expected to spend more time in classrooms, and teachers and administrators meet regularly to analyze student performance and adjust methods to reteach weak areas. Principals and counselors even walk neighborhoods and knock on doors when students are repeatedly absent from school.
The strategy seems to be working. Between 2022 and 2025, Fond du Lac’s math and reading scores improved significantly, according to the most recent Education scorecard report published last week. “Four or five years ago, we had three of our 14 schools exceeding expectations on the state report card,” says Superintendent Matt Steinbart. Forbes. “Last year, 13 out of 14 schools either exceeded or significantly exceeded expectations.
This improvement is even more remarkable compared to what happens, on average, at the national level. The new Education Scorecard analysis found that achievement in math and reading remains depressed nationally. Researchers say the trend began in 2013 with the repeal of the No Child Left Behind Act, a law enacted by President George W. Bush aimed at holding schools accountable by requiring annual standardized reading and math tests for students. The decline was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighth-grade reading scores are now at their lowest point since 1990. But buried in the bleak national data were just over 100 districts that were improving faster than their peers.
Many of these districts share something in common: a focus on literacy, instructional consistency, teacher leadership, accountability and human connection.
“The idea that there’s some magic practice or policy or tool that, if we could just find it, it would be like flipping a switch and then we could solve all education problems is very seductive to people,” says Rachel Canter, director of education policy at the Progressive Policy Institute and founder of Mississippi First, a nonprofit that helped push it. successful literacy reforms in this situation. “But change always takes time.”
Here are five things many of the fastest-improving districts have in common — and what parents might want to look for in their own schools.
1. They treat literacy as everyone’s job
Improving districts emphasized structured instruction and the “science of reading” in entire school systems, not just individual classrooms. This is instruction based on scientific research on how the brain learns to read. It is a structured approach that teaches children to sound out words using phonics, emphasizing vocabulary and comprehension.
In Idaho Kuna Common School Districtteachers, principals, district leaders, and even school board members underwent reading science training to align instruction. Many districts also adopted standardized reading curricula at all grade levels rather than allowing schools to use widely different approaches.
“When school districts think about aligning their system from the top down to the classroom, they get better results because there’s an intent there,” Canter says.
2. Principals spend more time in classrooms
Principals act as educational leaders, not just administrators.
Fond du Lac created the “Teacher on Special Assignment” roles to handle many behavioral and administrative responsibilities that often take principals away from academics. Steinbarth says principals now participate in weekly repeated language arts “data-driven instruction” where teachers analyze assessments and adjust lessons in real time.
“This is not a one-off,” says Steinbarth. “This is a system that we actually developed and built.”
3. They invest heavily in Teacher Coaching and accountability
Tennessee’s Johnson City Schools expanded from one instructional coach to 19 over two decades, while other districts reorganized coaching around specific content areas, such as math and literacy.
“Education is an investment in the future,” says Canter. “But after that first push, then the question is can you sustain that investment by keeping those teachers for the long term?”
In many regions, this investment is reinforced by stricter accountability systems. Steinbarth says Fond du Lac’s partnership with the University of Virginia Leadership Training Program created an “accountability loop” for district managers and administrators.
4. They are obsessed with data and student progress
Many districts rely on regular reviews of student achievement and understanding to identify problems early.
Teachers meet regularly in collaborative groups to monitor student progress and plan interventions. At Fond du Lac, principals participate in 70-minute instructional sessions that focus on how students performed on specific standards and skill areas.
The emphasis, Steinbarth says, is “constant reflection and adjustments.”
5. They prioritize participation and human connection
Students must show up to learn. Some areas hired monitoring specialists or worked with community groups. Others have introduced technology-free days to encourage more direct student involvement. Or, like Fond du Lac, drastically limit student phone access during school hours.
Fond du Lac managers and counselors sometimes walk through neighborhoods and knock on doors to encourage participation. “They’ll go straight to the house, knock on the door and say, ‘I can hear the TV, somebody’s in there, come to the door. It is so important that [the student] he’s at school today,” says Steinbarth. “We’ve gone that extra mile to build a relationship.”
The regions showing some of the strongest post-pandemic recoveries don’t necessarily look the most futuristic. But many focus strongly on foundational skills, strong teaching, and consistent support systems—precisely the kinds of human-centered strategies that may matter even more in an AI-driven world.
