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Oak Elementary principal reports steady student growth, higher attendance and early literacy work
Summary
Oak Elementary principal Jana Pierce told the board the school set growth and stretch goals in reading and math, used Title funds to add intervention tools and raised weekly attendance to roughly 73 percent this year.
Oak Elementary Principal Jana Pierce presented the school's winter status report to the board, describing instructional and attendance work that she said aims to increase student growth in reading and math by June.
Pierce said the school set a goal that 75 percent of students would meet either a growth goal or a higher stretch goal this year (an increase from 65 percent last year). At the winter check she reported roughly 35 percent of students had met their growth goal and 15 percent had met their stretch goal; about 48 percent of students were at or above grade level in reading at the winter assessment point. In math Pierce said 21 percent had met growth and 6 percent had met stretch goals to date, and the school hopes to have 70 percent meet growth goals by June.
Instructional supports cited included dedicated SCA (classified) time in classrooms for small‑group interventions, Title funds to purchase MyPath (an adaptive math supplement) and Do the Math interventions, use of rubrics and short‑cycle goal setting with students, and additional planning time with an instructional coach. Pierce described an approach to writing across grades and a plan of monthly or weekly student goal‑setting with tokens earned for meeting targets; tokens feed a book vending machine the school installed as an incentive.
On social‑emotional learning, the principal said a full‑time counselor provides weekly whole‑group lessons and six‑week small groups; the school uses the DECA/DESSA screener and has targets for a 10 percent improvement in social‑emotional skills by year end. Pierce highlighted family engagement work (family math night with take‑home kits), a school garden and an artist‑in‑residence project.
Pierce reported attendance gains: Oak increased an attendance metric from about 53 percent (two years ago) to 68 percent last year and is at about 73 percent this year. The principal said illness has affected attendance this winter but staff continue weekly attendance initiatives and incentives.
Board members praised the school's attendance improvement and asked follow‑up questions about growth and incentives. Pierce said the school will continue to use data from state assessments and the district dashboard to target interventions and that staffing for interventions remains a priority.
