Richfield Middle School reports lower tardies, fewer suspensions and early academic gains

Richfield Middle School has seen measurable improvements in student attendance, behavior and early academic growth so far this school year, Principal Bridal Barlow told the Richfield School Board on Feb. 3.

The principal said the building recorded a year-over-year decrease in class tardies and partial absences between the first and second checkpoints, and that more students are arriving on time. “When you look at the scope of a school day … 9,000 is winning for us right now,” Barlow said, referring to the school’s tally of tardies and partial absences in the current year’s first half. She said the building’s share of students with zero tardies increased from about 81% in the first quarter to about 88% in the second quarter.

The improvements have coincided with stepped-up hallway supervision, daily family notifications about tardies, and a new “Back on Track” intervention for students with repeated weekly tardies, Barlow said. “Students do some, half a day to a full day in Back on Track, which is a time for them to kinda look at the data, reflect on it, and set some goals,” she said.

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