Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (formerly World’s Best Workforce)

The World’s Best Workforce (WBWF) was developed in 2013 (Minnesota Statutes 2023, section 120B.11) to ensure that school districts and charter schools in Minnesota enhance student achievement through teaching and learning supports. School boards that govern districts and charter schools are required to develop comprehensive, long-term strategic plans that address the following four WBWF goals:

All children are ready for school.
All racial and economic achievement gaps between students are closed.
All students are ready for career and college.
All students graduate from high school.

Note: Due to legislative changes, third grade reading is no longer a WBWF goal area as of the 2023–24 school year.

What is Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness?

During the 2024 session, the Minnesota Legislature renamed WBWF to Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (CACR). This new name emphasizes dual roles for the goals set forth in district plans—supporting students with academic achievement within their pre-K through 12 experience as well as preparing them to be active members of their community after graduation. This change will take effect as of the 2024-25 school year strategic plans and Fall 2025 annual summary report.

CACR plans will address the four WBWF goals above as well as one additional goal:

Prepare students to be lifelong learners.

Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness Strategic Plan

A WBWF/CACR strategic plan is a multi-year, detailed document that illustrates how a district or charter school will execute its goals or initiatives concerning the WBWF/CACR goals. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) recommends that districts and charter schools develop goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART).

How will districts and charter schools measure progress?

Each district and charter school creates its own plan to prepare all students for school and align a standards-based curriculum with classroom instruction, so that students are career- and college-ready at graduation. The success of each plan can be measured locally using, among other possible data sources:

The Kindergarten Entry Profile or other measures of school readiness.
State or local assessments.
Graduation rates.
College entrance exams.
Postsecondary outcomes, including employment.

What role does the school board play?

Minnesota Statutes 2023, section 120B.11, requires school boards to establish advisory committees. The advisory committee should:

Ensure that community members have an opportunity to participate in the strategic planning process.
Be reflective of the district’s diversity and its schools, and thus include, to the extent possible, teachers, parents/guardians, support staff, students, and other community residents.
Make recommendations to the school board concerning rigorous academic standards and student achievement goals and measures.

Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness Annual Meeting

Districts and charter schools are required to hold an annual public stakeholder meeting on the progress made toward WBWF/CACR goals. The meeting is designed to empower stakeholders (teachers, parents/guardians, support staff, students and other community residents) to provide feedback on the data in the report.

Download the 2024-2025 Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness Report