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North Elementary highlights reading and math gains, expanded interventions and new teacher peer-observation program
Summary
North Elementary principals and instructional coaches reported early gains in kindergarten DIBELS scores and districtwide adoption of LETRS, Number Worlds and other research-based interventions; the school piloted a pre‑K bridging program and plans peer classroom observations under a new GLOW initiative.
North Elementary administrators and instructional coaches said early assessments and new instructional programs are producing gains in foundational reading and math among younger students, and they described plans to deepen teacher training and peer observation this year.
Sandra Keane, principal of North Elementary, told the board the school and district are following a strategic plan that aligns instruction and intervention. Keane said DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) screening for a recent kindergarten cohort showed improvement from the beginning of the year to the end of the year: about 51% of students were not meeting standards at the beginning of kindergarten and that figure fell to about 37% by the end of the year, reflecting growth among many students.
Keane highlighted district adoption of LETRS professional development and the Reading League, along with the six-step lesson frameworks based on the science of reading. She said many elements of phonics instruction and teacher training require roughly three years to fully show their effects districtwide.
Kathy (last name not provided), North Elementary’s instructional coach, described grade-level meetings, targeted intervention groups and a new peer-observation initiative called GLOW. The Cyclone 6 — a list of six effective teaching strategies compiled by district staff — underpins coaching and classroom observations. Kathy said teachers participated in a post-school-year book study on explicit teaching strategies and that GLOW will let teachers observe each other to debrief and adopt techniques that increase opportunities to respond and fluency.
Keane also played recorded remarks from a 2025 graduate, and Everly, a current kindergarten student who attended a three-day “pre‑K bridging” pilot this summer, spoke briefly about classroom visits and activities. Keane said the bridging pilot will expand toward other elementary schools next year.
District leaders reiterated that many of the curriculum changes — LETRS, SpringMap, Number Worlds and a structured walk‑to‑intervention model for math — are part of a multi‑year push based on the science of learning. Keane and Kathy credited district instructional coaches and expanded professional learning as factors supporting gains at North.
Dr. Schmeichel and board members did not take any votes on curriculum at the meeting; the schools’ remarks were informational.
Keane and Kathy said they will continue collecting and sharing assessment data with the board as the interventions mature.
