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Assante and Kingswood teachers cite PLC cycles, CFAs for measurable math gains
Summary
Teams from Assante and Kingswood presented professional learning community practices and common formative assessment cycles; Assante reported fourth‑grade proficiency rising from 19% to 63% in a recent cycle and Kingswood reported grade‑level gains and a goal of 90% family academic engagement.
Teachers and principals from Assante and Kingswood presented the district’s professional learning community (PLC) approach and recent assessment results during the meeting’s spotlight segment.
Assante presentation: Principal Emily Dean introduced a fourth‑grade team that described weekly PLC cycles, common formative assessments (CFAs), progress monitoring and a three‑week “win cycle” used to reteach and accelerate instruction. Faculty presented a before‑and‑after example in which proficiency in a focused CFA rose from 19% at the start of the cycle to 63% at the end; the team said intervention needs fell from 55% to 19% over the same cycle. Team members emphasized culture, vulnerability, and frequent data checks as the mechanisms behind that growth. The Assante team also noted the school’s rapid enrollment growth and said it had added about 330 students since the start of the current year.
Kingswood presentation: Principal Cara Miller introduced the Kingswood fifth‑grade math team. The presenters said school‑level goals include a minimum 3% increase in proficiency in math and ELA; the fifth‑grade team reported ELA growth from 38% to 41% and math growth from 38% to 42% year‑over‑year, with cohort math proficiency increasing by 14 percentage points from fourth to fifth grade. Teachers described deconstructing “essential standards,” creating learning ladders for students, using CFAs to guide small‑group instruction, and reorganizing tier‑2 time so students are grouped by skill needs rather than by homeroom.
Family engagement and implementation: Kingswood presenters said a school goal this year is 90% family participation in academic events; both schools described providing resources for families (documents, videos and tutoring) to support learning at home.
Board reaction: Board members praised the presentations and asked practical questions about impediments and supports. Assante teachers identified frequent student turnover (the school reported 330 new enrollments since the start of the year) as a primary impediment; Kingswood noted many new staff members and highlighted a strategic professional‑learning plan to bring new teachers into PLC practice.
Ending: Both teams closed by asking the board for continued support for PLC time and resources; board members thanked the staff and acknowledged the presentations as evidence of practices that district leaders say they hope to scale across schools.
