Eatonville Middle outlines new master schedule, behavior plan and intervention progress

Eatonville Middle School Principal Chris Paul told the Eatonville School District Board of Directors on Oct. 12 that the school is adjusting its master schedule and boosting behavior and intervention programs to improve attendance and student achievement.

The presentation centered on five classroom rotations for board members and emphasized planned changes to the master schedule, expanded intervention coursework, a shift in advisory timing and the school’s positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) approach. "The more that we can plan with data for what we're going to be experiencing, the less we're reacting," Paul said during the presentation.

Paul said the school has introduced a sixth‑grade block and is exploring blocks for grades seven and eight that combine humanities subjects into longer periods so teachers have extended time with students. He said the change is intended to strengthen teacher‑student relationships and allow more in‑depth instruction. The school also added "advanced ELA" in block courses this year and has expanded advanced course offerings compared with last year.

Assistant Principal Jade Cash, curriculum staff Allison Minas and other teachers described efforts to use I‑Ready assessment data and Panorama behavioral analytics to guide instruction and interventions. A lab coordinator and other staff said the school provides pull‑out Learning Assistance Program (LAP) classes rather than push‑in services this year; the staff reported serving 98 students in first semester LAP services and exiting roughly 23 students from LAP after remediation.

The presenters gave specific I‑Ready diagnostic results from winter compared with fall benchmarks. Staff said the middle school saw substantial gains among students identified for support: for example, presenters reported that in one set of reading measures all 16 sixth‑grade students who completed testing showed growth and that many students posted double‑digit gains. In math, presenters reported mixed results with a majority of targeted students showing growth but a notable minority showing little or no change.

Physical education changes include a move to unified PE (peer‑supported inclusion of students with different needs) and adaptive PE (teacher‑adapted instruction). PE staff described the unified model as pairing peers with students who require additional support to build skills and social interaction.

Behavior strategy details included a "quick correct" response that aims to minimize lost instructional time when students become disruptive. Staff described priority steps: teacher redirection followed by brief office intervention designed to return students to class quickly; the goal is to limit time out of instruction to minutes rather than longer removals.

The school reiterated its token economy and recognition programs, such as pride cards and a student‑of‑the‑month program. Staff said they now recognize about 40 students monthly by department to broaden recognition across classrooms.

On tutoring and extended learning, staff said the Warrior Academy tutoring program currently serves about 20 students on average and that the school expanded sessions to morning and afternoon after winter break. Transportation is cited as a major barrier to increasing participation; staff reported conversations about possible activity‑bus funding for academic reasons but said funding and logistics remain unresolved. The school is exploring drop‑off rally points and virtual options such as Zoom to increase access.

Paul and staff also identified priorities for further development: districtwide calibration of I‑Ready usage, broader Panorama access for staff, expansion of honors and high‑school‑credit opportunities for middle school students, and upgrading campus security cameras. They said training for teachers on small‑group instruction and data use is ongoing and that the school will continue aligning its School Improvement Plan (SIP) with district strategic goals.

Board members and student representatives attended classroom rotations and later praised the hands‑on format. The presentation closed with an invitation for questions and continued collaboration between school staff and the district.

Ending: The school framed the schedule and program changes as iterative steps aimed at raising attendance and achievement through more intentional scheduling, targeted interventions and strengthened behavioral supports. Staff and the board identified transportation and staff training as immediate constraints to expanding tutoring and intervention coverage.