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4 Corners principal cites improved attendance, behavioral referrals and reading gains
Summary
Principal Cam O'Donnell reported 97% attendance, declines in behavior referrals and early literacy gains at 4 Corners Elementary; the school highlighted PBIS programs and said 12 students had exited targeted reading supports.
Cam O'Donnell, principal at 4 Corners Elementary, told the Superior School District board that the school is seeing strong attendance and measurable reductions in disciplinary referrals as staff focus on behavior supports and targeted literacy interventions.
O'Donnell reported an attendance rate of about 97% as of the most recent Friday and said referrals overall are down 27% year-to-date with major referrals down about 37% compared with the same time last year. The principal credited teachers and the school’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) team for the decline and described weekly recognition systems and school-wide celebrations tied to positive tickets.
On academics, O'Donnell said the school prioritized growth in addition to proficiency. Winter benchmark results showed first-grade early literacy benchmark attainment rising from 65% in the fall to 85% in winter; second-grade reading metrics rose to about 80% at the winter check. O'Donnell said spring AIMSweb/FASTBridge screening is underway and the school expects to complete assessments for all students.
O'Donnell described staffing constraints: the school’s EMLSS (specialized literacy services) teacher is shared with another building and is on site three days per week, creating scheduling stress. Still, O'Donnell said the team had exited 12 students from the EMLSS program because they had “closed the gap” and no longer needed the specialized support.
The principal highlighted structured daily small-group interventions, alignment between interventionists and classroom instruction, use of professional learning community (PLC) time for data-driven planning, and ongoing monitoring through the end of the school year.
“We are on track to have 100% of our kids assessed by the end of testing,” O'Donnell said, and described continued work to use “very specific structured interventions daily” and PLC time to solidify gains.
O'Donnell concluded by noting goals for reading growth and the plan to celebrate spring results and plan summer and fall supports for students who still need additional help.
