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Russell Elementary credits staff training and MTSS supports as test scores climb; attendance and bus routes remain barriers
Summary
Russell Elementary presented midterm data showing gains in ELA and math after targeted professional development and a two‑year goal plan, while school leaders and board members flagged chronic absenteeism and a heavy reliance on buses as continuing constraints.
Russell Elementary told the Parkrose School District Board of Education that three years of targeted professional development, data-driven interventions and a two‑year goal plan have led to measurable gains in student diagnostic and state test results.
The school’s presenter said diagnostic and state data show steady improvements: from 2022 figures of roughly 26% meeting standards in ELA and 21% in math to most recent figures of about 43% meeting ELA standards and 37% in math. The presenter described daily 30‑minute "win" small-group instruction, tiered MTSS supports (whole group, targeted groups, intensive 1:1 or 2:1), weekly meetings to review progress and teacher professional learning communities that require staff who attend outside training to present learnings to their teams.
The gains, the presenter said, followed use of state funds to send staff to professional development, instructional coaching and cross‑district classroom observations; the presenter emphasized that staff must return and implement strategies in PLCs for the investment to succeed.
Board members and audience members asked detailed questions about absenteeism and transportation. The presenter said the school began collecting teacher-level attendance logs in October, then moved to a teacher tracking system in December to reduce the time burden. The process now takes the team roughly 30–45 minutes monthly to review, uses postcards and principal-signed letters for outreach, and requires teachers to contact families after two or more days of absence. The presenter said five buses serve the school and that missing a bus often prevents students from getting to class.
Board members noted that Russell serves students from the farthest parts of the district (including previously served Sumner neighborhood students), which increases bus routes and complicates attendance outreach. A board member said future residential development on large agricultural parcels (referred to as the Rossi property) could require boundary changes and capital planning that would affect transportation and school size.
The presenter and several board members credited teachers and staff for the improvements and said the school’s diagnostic data for the current year look promising. Board members asked for follow‑up detail at a work session about the attendance data and how transportation policy and potential boundary changes could affect Russell.
Ending: Board members and student representatives praised Russell’s progress and tasked staff to bring more detailed attendance and diagnostic analyses to an upcoming work session for planning and advocacy purposes.
