Principals report improved behavior and reading gains; schools describe interventions and facility needs

Principals from four Berkeley County schools presented school improvement plans and results at the board’s April 30 meeting, reporting declines in disciplinary referrals, higher attendance, and gains on I‑Ready diagnostics while outlining next steps for instruction and facilities.

Why it matters: The presentations give the board visibility into school-level implementation of district initiatives — including PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), targeted intervention periods, co-teaching models and professional development — and spotlight areas that require targeted funding or operational support.

Highlights from the schools - Winchester Avenue: Principal Ballard and the school’s LSIC described a drop in major and minor referrals (total referrals down from 61 to 33 as reported in the presentation), growth on I‑Ready diagnostics across kindergarten through third grade (kindergarten from 18% to 67% on a diagnostic measure cited), and the school’s emphasis on PBIS, attendance trackers in student planners, and professional development for instructional assistants. The PTO secured a $10,000 grant for an outdoor classroom and sensory garden, the presentation said. - Orchard View Intermediate: The principal described a focus on co‑taught classes, increased opportunities for personalized instruction using I‑Ready, and expanded co-teaching with special education and gifted staff. The school reported growth on state and benchmark measures — notably third-grade reading proficiency improved relative to prior years — and described facility and parking needs addressed with facilities staff. - North Middle School: Staff reported gains on I‑Ready diagnostic measures and said they staged a testing environment to mirror the West Virginia General Summative Assessment (GSA) to help students adapt. North emphasized a new intervention period to move students across targeted groups every nine weeks and reported community support events that served dozens of families. - South Middle School: The principal reported progress on climate and culture after several years of high discipline rates, and described targeted plans to improve nonfiction reading exposure and provide teacher support. South noted ongoing attendance challenges and special-education subgroup proficiency goals tied to its additional-targeted-support designation.

Common themes and next steps Presenters described common strategies: PBIS implementation, regular data-driven PLCs (professional learning communities), co-teaching, tiered intervention periods, and school-based professional development. Several principals requested increased, targeted professional development for instructional assistants and more state/regional support for community‑school personnel. Facilities requests (camera upgrades, lobby repairs, accessibility work) were noted and forwarded to the district facilities team. PTO and community partnerships were highlighted as sources of one-time funding for school projects.

What the board heard: Superintendent Sachs and board members praised school leaders’ work and asked for continued focus on translating diagnostic growth into stronger summative (GSA) results. Several board members and staff emphasized the importance of sustained instructional coaching and consistent implementation across grade levels.