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Union Public Schools credits early‑release PLCs with measurable reading gains
Summary
District leaders and principals reported higher reading growth and increased teacher collaboration after restoring early‑release Fridays for professional learning communities (PLCs).
Union Public Schools board members heard data Tuesday showing that early‑release Fridays used for professional learning communities have correlated with improved reading growth and stronger teacher collaboration across the district.
Administrators described the PLCs — weekly early‑release blocks when teachers meet to analyze student data and plan interventions — as a systematic process that has led to gains on STAR reading assessments and higher teacher retention signals.
At Peters Elementary, Principal Tracy Weese told the board staff use collaboration documents and a “teacher clarity” protocol to plan instruction and follow‑up for subsequent PLC meetings. Sixth‑grade principal Tammy Ward said PLCs “are a systematic process of diving deep into student data, identifying learning misconceptions, and working together to plan instructional interventions.”
Ward presented survey and assessment examples. She said a sixth‑grade math PLC set a target of 70% mastery on integer operations and reached 67%. She also showed STAR reading charts comparing this year with last, noting the share of students “on track for a year’s worth of reading growth” rose from a little over 40% to a little over 60% in sixth grade.
District staff emphasized the time and professional development required to sustain PLCs. Ward said teachers have participated in training, consultant support and repeated reflection to improve PLC effectiveness; in a recent site survey, 93% of respondents said collaboration strengthened working relationships with colleagues.
Board members did not take action on the item; the presentation was an information report. The district thanked teachers and administrators for implementing the practice and plans to continue using early‑release PLC time in the coming year.
