Minnesota North Star Accountability System

Supporting Success for Every Student

Lakeville Area Schools is committed to helping every student learn, grow, and thrive. As part of Minnesota's school accountability system, several Lakeville schools have been identified through the state's North Star Accountability process. This designation helps schools and districts take a closer look at student outcomes and identify opportunities for improvement.

What is the North Star Accountability System?

The Minnesota Department of Education uses the North Star Accountability System to review information to identify schools that may benefit from additional planning and support to improve outcomes for students.

Schools identified through this process complete a Comprehensive Needs Assessment, which is a detailed review of school and district data, practices, and stakeholder feedback. This process helps schools determine what is working well and where improvements can be made.

The foundation of North Star’s process for identification is a stage-based approach to school accountability that uses multiple measures of evaluation, including:

Achievement on state reading and math tests
Progress over time on state reading and math tests
Progress toward English language proficiency for students learning English
Four- and seven-year graduation rates
Consistent attendance

Which Lakeville Schools Were Identified?

What Did We Learn?

As district and school leaders reviewed data, classroom practices, and staff feedback, several common themes emerged:

We want to strengthen how we support all learners during daily classroom instruction.
We want to ensure multilingual learners have consistent access to grade-level learning and opportunities to develop language skills while learning academic content.
We want to improve how we collect information about student experiences and instructional practices so that we can make informed decisions and continuously improve.
We believe that strengthening instruction for all students will have a positive impact on student achievement, attendance, engagement, and graduation outcomes.

What Actions Are We Taking?

Lakeville Area Schools is implementing a district-wide improvement plan focused on providing strong, high-quality instruction for every student in every classroom.

Our work will include:

Strengthening classroom instruction across all schools.
Supporting teachers with professional learning and coaching.
Improving how we monitor and evaluate instructional practices.
Using student, family, and staff feedback to guide decision-making.
Ensuring multilingual learners receive support that helps them access grade-level learning while continuing to develop language skills.
Regularly reviewing data to measure progress and make adjustments when needed.

What Happens Next?

Starting in the 2026-27 school year, over the next three years, the district and identified schools will continue implementing improvement plans, monitoring progress, and sharing updates with families and the community.

This process is not about labeling schools. It is about identifying opportunities to strengthen our systems, improve student outcomes, and ensure every student has access to a high-quality educational experience.

Lakeville Area Schools remains committed to continuous improvement and to partnering with families as we work toward success for every learner.