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Tumwater elementary principals present school improvement plans emphasizing reading and math interventions
Summary
Principals from Tumwater Hills and Black Lake Elementary summarized school improvement plans focused on reading comprehension and numbers-and-operations in math, reporting recent assessment gains and layered interventions including IMSE and community partnerships.
John Halvorsen, principal of Tumwater Hill Elementary, and Misty Henkel, director of elementary education presenting for Black Lake Elementary, briefed the board on school improvement plans that prioritize early reading and math interventions.
John Halvorsen reported Tumwater Hills Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) results from last year: 47% passing in English language arts, 44% in math and 63% in science, with subgroup gaps by race and ethnicity. Halvorsen said the school focused on multisensory reading strategies, GLAD training, daily "Win Time" intervention blocks (30 minutes for math and 30 for reading), and a grant-funded partnership with South Puget Sound Community College that placed college students as 20-hour-per-week support for targeted students.
Misty Henkel presented Black Lake Elementarys data review and goals. She highlighted significant grade-level growth from fall to spring in recent years: for example, kindergarten ELA proficiency moved from roughly 24% in the fall to 92% in the spring; kindergarten math likewise rose from about 70% to 95% (winter measures). Black Lake identified two primary goals for 202425: continued growth in ELA across grades and a deeper review of math resources and instructional supports. Henkel described IMSE training for K2 certificated and paraprofessional staff, short-cycle data protocols, targeted interventions and partnerships for wraparound services.
Both presenters emphasized disaggregated data use to set short-cycle goals (46-week cycles), the role of PLCs and progress monitoring, and continuing professional learning in the science of reading and Ready Math. Each school cited volunteer support and community partnerships as part of their improvement strategies.
Board members asked clarifying questions about trends in math performance and whether district-level adoption of math intervention materials was planned; presenters said districtwide curriculum decisions and math intervention resources remain a work in progress.
