Wordheiser Elementary reports gains in reading and math, outlines attendance push

Wordheiser Elementary staff told the Eatonville School District board that the school has recorded measurable gains in reading and math and outlined a package of attendance strategies aimed at raising student presence and performance.

In a presentation, a school staff member identified as Lynn (presenter) reviewed School Improvement Plan goals, state assessment results and iReady diagnostic usage. For grades 3 through 5, the school reported 50.3% of students met the English language arts standard in the 2022-23 school year, matching the state average, and the school set a goal to reach 60% this year. Lynn said students with disabilities met the standard at a rate under 15% in ELA; she identified that subgroup as a priority for improvement under the state's priority-school labeling.

Lynn described K–2 and early-grade diagnostic results: first- and second-grade students were 31% at grade level on the fall IReady diagnostic and 51% at grade level on the winter diagnostic; kindergarten data were handled separately and were not included in that comparison. The presentation emphasized iReady lesson time targets, with a district target of about 45 minutes per student per week in focused lessons and progress checks the staff hope will support further gains.

Attendance was another stated priority. Lynn noted the school monitors students attending 90% or more of school days and also referenced a district-year target described in the presentation as 80% for the year; the school reported a current attendance rate of 81.77% so far in the year. Strategies to improve attendance include quarterly postcards to families with attendance percentages, ROAR tickets (Respect, On Task, Attitude, Responsibility) that enter students into drawings, classroom door recognition for 100% daily attendance, monthly certificates for students who reach 90% and a March attendance bingo challenge that tracks specific goals such as seven consecutive days with no tardies.

Teachers and staff who contributed to the presentation (identified in the record as Mrs. Hatzinger, Mrs. Johnson and Missus Calla) described classroom projects on grade-level standards, scaffolding writing assignments and teacher-created materials for monitoring attendance. Board members praised student work displayed during the school tour and thanked staff for the increased focus on interventions and data tracking.

The presentation repeatedly tied instructional time and targeted intervention to projected gains: Lynn said greater iReady usage and scaffolded instruction should support the school's aim to increase the share of students meeting standards. School staff and the board noted the school is concentrating interventions on students with disabilities, a subgroup the presenter flagged as below target in both ELA and math.

The presentation did not propose new district policy; it outlined school-level implementation steps, ongoing data monitoring and outreach to families.