10/17/2026
📚 ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT LEWIS & CLARK! 📚
“Some of the highest proficiency and lowest novice rates I have encountered.”
“Your instructional systems are delivering results well above state norms.”
“Maintaining this level of academic alignment across 400+ students split between two K–12 buildings 30 miles apart is exceptional.”
As Lewis and Clark School District prepares for our Cognia Accreditation Review this April, we have enlisted the assistance of educational consultant Mitch Strand, who has worked with more than 35 school districts across North Dakota.
After reviewing our district's academic performance data, Mitch shared the following assessment of our schools. We were extremely encouraged by his findings and wanted to share his letter in its entirety with our families and communities.
********************************************************************
FROM ACCREDITATION CONSULTANT MITCH STRAND:
Having worked directly with various schools across North Dakota for the last 5 years, I can say with confidence that Lewis & Clark’s Math and ELA performance over the last two years under the ND A+ assessment represents some of the highest proficiency and lowest novice rates I have encountered.
When evaluating ND A+ data, context is critical. Because raw proficiency figures shifted across North Dakota during the transition to this assessment framework, state comparative benchmarks provide the true indicator of academic health. Looking at Lewis & Clark’s data, your instructional systems are delivering results well above state norms.
Here were some big takeaways from your data to me:
Statewide Comparative Benchmarks:
Across the 35+ ND Districts I have worked with, most districts struggle to maintain parity with state benchmarks across consecutive grades during state assessment transitions. Lewis & Clark not only met state benchmarks, but systematically outpaced them:
Mathematics: Last Spring, 6 out of 7 tested grade levels outperformed the North Dakota state average, with 5 grades (Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7) beating the state rate by double digits (11% to 23% above state proficiency).
English Language Arts (ELA): Last Spring, 100% of tested grade levels (all 7 cohorts, Grades 3–8 and 10) outperformed the state average, led by Grade 3 at 88% proficiency (+28% over state) and Grade 10 at 64% proficiency (+11% over state).
High Academic Floor: The most telling metric of schoolwide intervention effectiveness is the bottom tier. In school improvement data across the state, it is common to see 25% to 40% of students fall into the Novice band in several grade levels. At Lewis & Clark last Spring, no grade level exceeded 20% Novice in either Math or ELA, and Grade 10 ELA recorded 0% Novice. This proves that core classroom instruction and targeted interventions are actively catching struggling learners.
Operational Ex*****on:
Maintaining this level of academic alignment across 400+ students split between two K–12 buildings 30 miles apart is exceptional. In multi-campus rural configurations, geographic separation frequently causes curricular gaps and inconsistent pacing; your data demonstrates tight collaborative alignment across both facilities. Kudos to your Lewis & Clark family on a great job!
***********************************************************************
👏 We are incredibly proud of the teachers, support staff, administrators, and students at both Berthold School and North Shore Plaza School!
These results reflect the hard work taking place in our classrooms every day. As we prepare for our accreditation visit in April, we look forward to celebrating our successes while continuing to identify opportunities for improvement.
LET'S GO!!!!!!
