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Shepherd Hills outlines goals to raise test scores, boost attendance and expand teacher teams
Summary
Shepherd Hills Elementary presented a school improvement plan that sets numeric goals for math, English language arts, teacher collaboration and attendance and described classroom-level strategies and a pilot 'play equipment' initiative for second graders.
Shepherd Hills Elementary Principal Booth presented the school’s improvement plan to the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board of Education on Oct. 13, detailing academic targets, teacher-team work and student engagement strategies.
The plan sets specific numeric goals: raise the percentage of students scoring "meeting or advanced" in math from 55% to 65% and in English language arts from 58% to 70% by the end of the 2025–26 school year; increase the number of professional learning teams showing all five "developing" indicators from one team (about 14%) to six core teams (100%); and lift attendance from 94.5% to at least 97% by the same deadline.
Principal Booth said the school will use weekly, intentional professional learning team meetings and two daily intervention blocks to target students in need of tier 2 or tier 3 instruction. Booth described schoolwide activities designed to shift testing culture, including an elementary-wide ‘‘baseball’’ theme and a tailgate celebration after assessments to reduce test anxiety.
Physical education teacher Matt Bursch proposed a pilot program to give each second grader a ball (soccer ball, basketball, football or similar) at the end of the school year to encourage physical activity outside school. Bursch said he has contacted equipment distributors about pricing and availability. Board members praised the idea during questions and suggested offering alternative items such as chalk or jump ropes for students less interested in balls.
Board members asked how progress toward the goals will be measured. Booth and her staff explained they monitor assessment data weekly and use STAR assessments and the state Forward tests for quarterly and annual reporting. Booth described grade-level SMART goals set by each PLC team and said the staff will collect and analyze parent and staff feedback as part of implementation.
The presentation also described a PLC (professional learning community) self-evaluation in which most teams rated themselves as beginning or developing; Booth said teams will reassess in winter and spring and use formative assessments to adjust instruction.
Board members commended Shepherd Hills staff for high family engagement and staff morale. The presentation closed with a short Q&A about implementation details and logistics for the pilot ball program.
