South Elementary principal outlines four-year improvement plan focused on literacy, inclusion and school culture

Derek Thompson, principal of South Elementary, presented the school's three-year improvement plan to the Plymouth School Committee on Monday, laying out four goals centered on academic achievement, student well-being, special education services, and school culture.

Thompson said the school has 626 students, "30 general ed homerooms, 3 Scribe homerooms," and identified that 23% of students receive special education services and 25% are low income. He said the school developed a new motto: "we are 1 south," to focus staff, families and students on shared expectations and growth.

On academics, Thompson described a district-aligned focus that emphasizes a consistent system to analyze student-performance data, identify students who are struggling, and apply consistent interventions that carry across grade levels. He noted a literacy committee working with Dr. White and the need to define explicit behavioral/learning expectations (focus, organization, perseverance) across grades.

For special education, Thompson said the school is working to reduce pull-out services and increase inclusion, supported by a near-full-time special education department head in the building. On school culture, he described tools such as a staff "collaborative survival guide," monthly community meetings with fifth graders and student-run clubs to increase student voice and ownership.

Thompson acknowledged MCAS results have been "steady" with no significant year-to-year gains, saying improved MCAS performance should be treated as a byproduct of the school's broader goals rather than the sole outcome.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about how the plan would raise assessment scores and about specifics of the implementation; Thompson emphasized building staff capacity, instructional models that meet individual students where they are on a learning continuum, and time for the work to take hold.