Shoreline Junior High credits advisory "Shark Time" and schoolwide culture for strong test results

Shoreline Junior High Principal TJ Barker told the Davis County School District board that a deliberate, schoolwide focus on culture and a daily advisory period called "Shark Time" have helped the school post strong district and statewide assessment results.

Barker told the board that Shoreline emphasizes what staff presented as a five-part culture code — safe, healthy, achievers, respectful and connected — and that staff intentionally use those values in daily routines and recognition systems. "Shoreline is built upon the foundation of kids before content," Barker said during the presentation.

The nut graf: School leaders said the combination of a consistent positive-behavior framework (PBIS), a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), and a coached advisory period gives students both social-emotional learning and time for academic intervention, which they link to higher test performance and student engagement metrics.

ShorelineJunior High staff gave examples of how the practices are applied. Health teacher and coach Nicole Deaton described schoolwide displays of the SHARP code, frequent positive "chart cards" for students and drawings for prizes to reinforce desired behavior. Social studies teacher Laurie Compton said Shark Time groups "are a place where students can feel a sense of community" and described one student who rallied classmates to help her meet academic goals.

Barker and staff pointed to several data points to explain academic progress: a rising share of ninth-grade students enrolling in additional classes (Barker said roughly one-quarter of students take at least one additional class), higher scores on RISE testing at district and state levels, and scores on the ASPIRE pre-ACT math and English that ranked at the top among junior highs in the district last year. Teachers said Shark Time dedicates the final 30 minutes to academics for intervention and acceleration; some students take extra online classes for honors designation.

Board President Gerard thanked presenters for connecting the school's vision to district goals and praised the emphasis on belonging. The presentation included recognition of the staff who developed the advisory program and a call from the board for continued sharing of specific practices with other schools.

Ending: ShorelineJunior High staff said they will continue to refine advisory practices and share their approaches with district colleagues; the presentation prompted applause from the board and an invitation to continue cross-school exchanges of strategies.