Project WIN staff describe student gains and monthly milestones at board meeting

Shannon (last name not provided), lead teacher at Project WIN, presented a month‑by‑month summary of the behavioral‑academic program to the board and highlighted student work, gains and graduation stories. "Project Win is where my friends are," one student wrote in a self-portrait exercise shown to the board; other students described WIN as a "happy, safe place" and credited the program with teaching coping skills and reading improvement.

Shannon said the program served 13 students earlier in the year and had nine students in attendance at the time of the presentation, with typical capacity around 10 students. She emphasized that Project WIN uses the same common‑core curriculum as home schools but with additional social‑emotional support and relationship‑based instruction. The presentation highlighted two students who gained between one and two grade levels on the winter I‑Ready diagnostic in reading.

Shannon described vocational and community outcomes: one graduate was working 40-plus hours a week at Pizza Ranch and others had transitioned back successfully to their home schools. Staff named by Shannon included "Miss Alyssa" (reading intervention), Donna Anderson and "Miss Sam" (paraprofessionals); Shannon said those staff members were central to the program's work.

Board members asked how Project WIN compares with out‑of‑district placements such as Richardson; Shannon said Richardson historically received higher per‑student funding but did not present a uniform curriculum or obvious resource differences to her classroom experience. She reiterated WIN’s focus on reading growth, social skills and community-based transitions and closed by describing long‑term relationships with students as a motivating factor for staff.