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Waco ISD review finds student gains from accelerated instruction; leaders flag staffing, tier‑2 work as priorities
Summary
District officials told the school board that accelerated-instruction efforts using i-Ready, teacher toolboxes and new coaching produced measurable reading and math gains in 2024–25, while staffing shortages and tier‑2 implementation remain the chief obstacles to further progress.
Courtney Purnell, director of accelerated instruction for Waco ISD, told the board during a public hearing that the district saw measurable shifts in students’ intervention tiers after 2024–25 interventions but that staffing gaps and inconsistent tier‑2 implementation limited further gains.
Purnell said Waco ISD’s June 2025 tiering showed about 52% of students in reading and 54% in math at Tier 1 (grade-level/core instruction). She reported about 32% in Tier 2 and 13% in Tier 3 for reading, and 29% in Tier 2 and 16% in Tier 3 for math. “So right now, we have about 52% that’s tier 1,” Purnell said. She added, “I want you to know and I want to assure you that when I look at the data, it’s not where we need to be. I know that. I own that.”
Why it matters: The district ties intensive supplemental services (Tier 3) and targeted small-group instruction (Tier 2) to student success on nationally normed diagnostics (i‑Ready) and Texas assessments (STAAR). Purnell presented districtwide actions and results so trustees could judge whether…
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