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Bells, Northside principals report gains under turnaround plans; district awaits state results
Summary
Principals from Bells and Northside Elementary Schools presented turnaround strategies covering math, reading and interventions. Both schools reported year‑long interventions and improved interim measures; the district is awaiting official SC READY results.
Principals from Bells and Northside Elementary Schools briefed the Colleton County School District Committee of the Whole on progress under their turnaround plans, describing targeted interventions in math and reading and interim growth measures while the district waits for SC READY results.
Bells Elementary Principal Ferguson told the board the school set 10‑percentage‑point targets for both math and English language arts and enacted several classroom and staffing changes to meet them. “So it was a 10% increase in each area,” Ferguson said, summarizing the goals. To raise math performance, Bells added a second math interventionist (K–2 and 3–5 splits), built time for small‑group instruction into math blocks, supplied hands‑on manipulatives and whiteboards, ran a “math word of the day” and instituted 45 minutes a week of fluency practice. For reading, Ferguson said Bells added 15 minutes of independent, self‑selected reading each morning, continued two reading interventionists and used I‑Ready diagnostics to guide interventions.
“We have seen continuous growth,” Ferguson said, adding that the school will review which strategies to keep so it can better isolate what drives gains.
Northside Principal Behe reported progress on a resource and equity goal focused on students with IEPs and said interim diagnostics show improvement: “In reading, 78 percent of our students with an IEP have made progress in reading. For math, 81 percent of our special needs students are making progress,” Behe told the board. Northside also described scheduling changes that enable “double dosing” (additional targeted instruction), use of standards‑mastery practice, expanded hands‑on math resources and a fact‑fluency program targeted by grade band. Referral counts fell from 950 last year to 435 this year, Behe said, and the school plans celebrations for students who met growth targets.
Board members praised the principals and asked clarifying questions about make‑up testing, participation rates and instructional materials. Chair Strobel and Superintendent Williams characterized the presentations as informational; no board action was requested. The district said it will report official SC READY results to the board once the state releases them.
