LTE Overview

Learning, Teaching and Equity Department

The Shakopee Public Schools' Department of Learning, Teaching & Equity (LTE) cultivates a dynamic environment where learning flourishes for everyone. It champions cutting-edge practices, fosters continuous growth, and ignites innovation to connect classrooms and empower every learner to reach their full potential. From curriculum design to instructional technology and professional development, LTE is dedicated to maximizing student and staff success so that each and every child reaches their greater learning potential.

Students sit at desks with laptops in a classroom while a teacher stands at the front near a whiteboard.

A young woman in traditional attire speaks at a podium in front of a teepee-like structure, with a grassy field and distant trees under a cloudy sky.

Programs & Support

AVID

AVID'S mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society. The AVID Elective course is programmatic support for targeted students who strive to stretch themselves and accelerate their learning to reach ambitious college and career readiness outcomes. Established in 2013, Shakopee AVID serves students in grades 7-12.

Each year, students in grades 6-10 are selected to be invited to apply to be in the AVID class for the following school year based on a set criteria. Students who would like to enroll in the class must complete an application and be interviewed before being considered for possible selection for AVID.

Each year, Shakopee's graduating AVID senior class receives numerous scholarship offers and acceptances to colleges and universities.

AVID works because it:

Places students in rigorous curriculum and gives them the support they need to achieve their goals.
Provides students with a supportive team and family environment made up of teachers, counselors, fellow students, their families and AVID tutors.
Redefines the teacher’s role as that of student advocate.
Transforms schools by creating a career and college-going culture throughout an entire school, impacting all students.

Data & Assessment

Teachers, grade level, department teams, and curriculum teams use assessment results to map out strengths and areas of need for individual students, groups of students, and curricular programs.

Click here to access the Data & Assessment section.

Summary achievement information on all standardized tests is reported each fall as part of the World's Best Workforce plan state requirements.

The Shakopee Public Schools Assessment Plan is an integral part of continuous improvement planning in all district schools. Shakopee school district supports using multiple pieces of information when evaluating student achievement performance. Standardized tests are only a part of the total system of results used by teachers and administrators in planning and implementing educational programs for Shakopee students. Standardized assessments guide improvements to district curriculum and instruction at the district level as well as at the building and classroom levels.

Click Here to Download a Summary Schedule

American Indian Education

American Indian Education in Shakopee supports all Title VII students in developing and achieving academic, cultural, social and personal goals. The team provide access to available community resources and create opportunities that ensure all American Indian/Alaskan Native students have access to a high quality, standards based education that inspires learning, critical thinking, cultural awareness and self-esteem.

The team's mission is to provide paths that foster character, cultural awareness and academic excellence in American Indian students and to empower them to positively impact the world as great leaders and life-long learners.

Any student with American Indian ancestry who is either an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe; has a parent that is an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe; or has a grandparent that is an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe. At least one of the above must apply.

Program services are free of charge to all American Indian students. To enroll in our program you must fill out a 506 Form and drop off at your child's school office. For more information, contact Justyne Vogel. The American Indian Education program receives federal grant money based on the number of students enrolled in our program.

The following services are provided as part of Shakopee American Indian Education:

Native Pride Group in the High School and middle schools
Academic Advocacy - monitoring grades, attendance and academic support
Family Advocacy - information and referrals
Information For Post Secondary Planning - financial aid and scholarships
Parent Committee (NAPAC) - If you would like to be on the parent committee, please contact Justyne Vogel.

Did you know? Shakopee High School was the first in the state with an on-campus space for a native cultural practice -- smudging -- built by students and made possible by a grant.

Click here to view the wcco spotlight

Multilingual Learning

Shakopee Public Schools Multilingual Learning opportunities provide a sequenced program of instruction designed for students who are not native speakers of English. These services focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing academic English. Language is learned in a content based instructional program.

Services are also intended to familiarize students with American culture and an American public school. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to transition students successfully into English-only instruction. Advancement in these services is based on student performance.

Click here to learn more about Multilinguial Learners in Shakopee.

Why does Shakopee have an ML program? Federal and state laws require that public schools provide instruction in English when language is a barrier to education.

How do teachers teach ML Learners? Instruction is only conducted in English. Teachers use a variety of best practice strategies to help students to become proficient in the English language through simplified English, gestures, pictures, songs, role-play and other techniques.

How long does it take a student to learn English? Learning English is influenced by many factors, but studies show that it takes a minimum of 5-7 years of high quality instruction for students to become proficient in reading, writing, speaking and understanding English.

Dyslexia

Shakopee Public Schools is committed to providing high quality reading instruction for all students, including students diagnosed with dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a neurological condition affecting language processing and reading ability. Minnesota Statute 125A.01 further defines dyslexia as “characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent recognition of words and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.”

While Shakopee Public Schools does not formally diagnose dyslexia, we do universally screen students for indicators of dyslexia, in compliance with Minnesota Statute 120B.12. Screening data, along with additional diagnostic assessment data, determine next steps for any student with reading concerns, and may include supplemental, targeted instruction and continuous monitoring of student progress.

Students with a diagnosis of dyslexia from an organization outside of Shakopee Public Schools must meet federal and state eligibility requirements in order to qualify for special education services.

Interested in learning more? Please click the links below for additional information.

Minnesota Department of Education

The Reading League of MN

International Dyslexia Association

The Dyslexia Toolkit

Navigating the School System When a Child Is Struggling with Reading or Dyslexia

Title 1 Services

Title I is a federally funded program that provides additional resources and support to help ensure all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities and reach their full academic potential. Through targeted instruction, supplemental supports, and family partnerships, Title I helps students build skills and confidence in reading and mathematics. The goal of Title I is to provide equitable access to the support each student needs to thrive academically.

Funding is based on the number of students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. All Title 1 services are supplemental to core classroom instruction.

Click Here to find more Title 1 Information on our Intervention & Enrichment page.

MDE Report Card

Local Literacy Plan

Click here to download Shakopee Public Schools 2025-26 Literacy Plan

Minnesota districts and charter schools are required to annually submit to MDE a local literacy plan and data on student performance in kindergarten, grade 1, 2 and 3 on foundational reading skills including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency and oral language; students who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia; and students in grades 4 to 12 who are identified as not reading at grade level. Minn. Stat. 120B.12, subd. 4a (2023).

A district Local Literacy Plan (LLP) serves as a strategic roadmap for enhancing literacy outcomes for all students. It outlines the district's goals, strategies, and resources for ensuring all students receive explicit, systematic, sequential, diagnostic, culturally responsive and linguistically sustaining literacy instruction across all grade levels. The LLP establishes specific, measurable goals for literacy improvement, provides a framework for culturally responsive evidence-based instruction, guides assessment and data-driven decision-making, promotes collaboration and communication, allocates resources effectively, and ensures continuous improvement. This comprehensive plan guides the district’s efforts to achieve the READ Act’s goal of every child reading at or above grade level annually, while supporting multilingual learners and students with special education needs. Districts must annually update the LLP to ensure continuous improvement to meet the READ Act’s goals.