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Ancient Lakes principal highlights attendance gains, math work and use of AI for targeted instruction
Summary
Whitney Greg, principal of Ancient Lakes Elementary, reported on school improvement goals: attendance, math proficiency and ELA. She described PBIS changes, improved SPED attendance, use of number talks, targeted interventions, and pilot use of AI tools to generate individualized practice materials.
Whitney Greg, principal of Ancient Lakes Elementary, presented the school’s growth priorities and progress to the Quincy School District board, highlighting attendance initiatives, math instruction improvements and targeted interventions supported by technology.
Why it matters: the school’s School Improvement Plan (SIP) sets measurable goals that guide classroom practice and resource allocation. Greg told the board the SIP focuses on attendance, math proficiency and English language arts proficiency and described specific strategies that staff use to reach those goals.
Greg said Ancient Lakes set a goal to increase the share of students attending at least 90 percent of school days from 60 percent to 70 percent; she said the current overall rate remains about 60 percent but that fifth grade is at about 71 percent and students with special needs (SPED) have improved to roughly 66.9 percent. To make school more appealing, the school expanded PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) community experiences so all students can participate without paying with “Quincy Gold.” She described a range of community experiences (planting seeds, glow-stick dance, assemblies) and said the PVC (Parent Volunteer Committee) will donate ice cream for a culminating mini field trip to a nearby shop.
On math, Greg said the school set a proficiency goal of 40 percent on the STAAR metric; winter benchmark results showed roughly 25–27 percent of students at benchmark or beyond, and the group just below benchmark increased by about 8 percentage points. Greg credited a school-wide adoption of “number talks,” professional development and an after-school “Math Is Cool” program that involved 34 fourth- and fifth-grade students in competitions.
Greg described instructional changes in ELA, noting that the school started with 29 percent proficiency and set a goal of 45 percent; she said teachers are using STAR instructional planning reports to identify specific standards where student groups struggle and tailoring intervention time to address those gaps. She added that 61 percent of students recorded typical or high growth on STAR reading from fall to winter.
Greg also described practical uses of AI tools for teachers: staff used AI to convert STAR diagnostic output into targeted practice problems and short instructional materials for small groups or advanced students during intervention blocks. Greg emphasized that staff use AI to supplement, not replace, core curriculum and that teachers are employing the tools to save planning time and generate focused materials for students.
Greg closed by praising student leadership in events such as a student-run “staff of the month” nomination effort and recognized classified staff for Classified Staff Appreciation Week. Board members had no further questions on the Ancient Lakes report.
The board received the report; no formal vote or action was required.
