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Academic Plans

World's Best Workforce

In a strategic effort to create the world's best workforce, the State of Minnesota passed legislation in 2013 requiring school districts to create a long-term strategic plan that is based on five core concepts:

  • Closing the achievement gap
  • All students ready for kindergarten
  • All students in third grade achieving grade level literacy
  • All students attaining career and college readiness before graduating from high school
  • All students graduating from high school


This plan is called the World's Best Workforce, and it serves as a comprehensive plan that shows how our district initiatives and plans work together toward a common goal: to create a workforce armed with skills necessary for survival in 21st century careers.

Along with a plan, legislation requires us to publish an annual report documenting progress towards creating the world's best workforce. Download or most recent annual report below.

 World's Best Workforce Report

Literacy Plan

Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act, was passed and signed into law on May 24, 2023. The goal of this legislation is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals.

We  and charter schools are required to annually submit data to MDE on student performance in Kindergarten, Grade 1, 2, and 3 on foundational reading skills including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, fluency, and oral language, in addition to our  Local Literacy Plan.

Big Lake Schools 2023-2024 Local Literacy Plan  

Big Lake Schools 2024-2025 Local Literacy Plan