Poinciana Elementary presents school improvement plan, sets targets to raise reading proficiency and attendance
Summary
Poinciana Elementary outlined a school improvement plan focused on students with disabilities, early literacy, reading comprehension in grades 3 and 5, and raising attendance to 97% with interventions and programs such as UFLI and read-alouds.
Poinciana Elementary Principal Tara Whitehead presented the school’s improvement plan to the Monroe County School Board, describing goals and the data that shaped them.
The plan lists four primary goals: increase achievement for students with disabilities, raise literacy proficiency in second grade, improve reading comprehension in grades 3 and 5, and raise average daily attendance toward a 97% goal. Whitehead said the school is designated “ATSI” (Additional Targeted Support and Improvement) for students with disabilities and that the school will use evidence-based interventions and classroom practices to improve outcomes.
Why it matters: The plan links assessment data, including proficiency drops in third-grade ELA and subgroup performance, to targeted interventions. Whitehead said the school will use programs and strategies such as read-alouds and the University of Florida Literacy Initiative (UFLI) to build foundational reading skills.
Key targets and actions: Whitehead cited subgroup proficiency for students with disabilities at about 40% and set a target to raise that subgroup to 55% by the end of the year. For grade-level goals she cited planned increases (for example, improving grade 3 reading from about 45% to 60% and grade 5 from about 44% to 58%) and described professional development, common planning time, data meetings, and district walkthroughs to ensure instructional fidelity. The school plans to expand “books in hands” instruction and continue Pelican Prep intervention blocks and high-school volunteer readers when available.
Questions and clarifications: Board members asked whether the ATSI designation carries additional funding; the presenter said the designation brings more oversight rather than direct supplemental funding from the state but the district provides some supports such as ESE teachers and ELL teachers. A board member asked whether the school surveys families about device usage; Whitehead said the school is encouraging “read while you ride” practices and could consider a parent survey.
Next steps: The school will continue data meetings and implement planned interventions; no board vote was required for the school improvement plan presentation.
