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Holmes and Mann schools report MTSS gains and community engagement; Holmes cites 39% reduction in students below 10th percentile in reading
Summary
Principals and building leadership teams from Holmes Elementary and Mann School presented the year’s school improvement work, citing gains in reading and math for focal cohorts, expanded family engagement activities and schoolwide MTSS practices. Holmes reported a 39% decrease in students below the 10th percentile in reading from fall to winter.
Two District 97 elementary schools gave the board updates on school improvement work, explaining changes to Multi‑Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), family engagement and instructional practices.
Holmes Elementary Principal Tammy Phillips and her leadership team described a “year of learning” focused on culture and climate, targeted instructional minutes ("what I need" or "win" time), data‑driven MTSS meetings every six to eight weeks and expanded enrichment. Phillips reported that the school reduced the number of students below the 10th percentile in reading by 39 percent (from 41 to 25 students) and reduced the number below the 10th percentile in math by 35.5 percent (from 31 to 20) between fall and winter benchmarks. The team said those outcomes were the result of differentiated instruction, use of intervention and Title I staff, progress monitoring and an after‑school tutoring program (LEAP).
Holmes staff also highlighted community activities — a Taste of Holmes cultural event, beginning‑of‑year family meetups and career day — and said they piloted the district ELA curriculum. The principal described continuing priorities for SY26: strengthening academic outcomes while maintaining gains in culture and community partnerships, piloting a new math curriculum and refining scheduling for "win" time.
At Mann School, Principal Susanna Leon and her leadership team reported a logic‑model process that included family surveys and focus groups to inform goals for belonging, engagement, ELA and math. Mann emphasized project‑based learning, cross‑grade reading buddies and learning walks that allowed teachers to observe peers’ practice. Mann staff said focal‑cohort students in their school reported higher belonging and engagement than the building average, and the team described classroom‑level Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) tied to grade‑level priorities such as grammar, fact fluency and vocabulary.
Board members praised the schools for emphasizing both academic and social‑emotional work and asked questions about the intervention dosage and how the schools involved families. Holmes staff described 30‑minute daily intervention blocks four days per week (30 minutes for math and 30 minutes for reading) used in targeted instruction and progress monitoring. Both schools said they planned continued family outreach and shared plans for summer supports.
