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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 investments, staffing and program changes are producing expected outcomes.
Key findings and actions - Growth and movement between tiers: Purnell said 511 students moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1 in reading and 431 moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1 in math. She reported 140 students moved from Tier 3 to Tier 1 in reading and 235 in math. For Tier 3, she said a total of 1,368 WISD students were served in reading pull‑out intervention at one point during the year. - Programs and curricula: The district expanded use of i‑Ready as its universal screener and deployed the i‑Ready teacher toolbox for just-in-time lessons. For reading interventions the district added UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) phonics and kept LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention) in use; for math the district shifted Tier 3 work toward i‑Ready standard‑based mastery lessons and numerical operations strategies rather than only remediation programs focused on basic facts. - Secondary adjustments: At high schools, district leaders replaced computer-based Win time interventions with direct-teach Win classes; Win was lengthened and re-scheduled to improve attendance and instructional time. Purnell said Win is now 45 minutes and moved away from lunch so students attend more reliably. - Summer supports and retention: Purnell described “Camp Read” (a six‑week summer intervention targeted at Tier 3 first–third graders) and said the district is using state comp funding to staff Tier 3 positions. Trustees and staff discussed recruiting retired teachers to fill vacancies and splitting days between retired hires to maintain classroom coverage.
Constraints and concerns - Staffing and vacancies: Purnell repeatedly identified unfilled SIT (supplemental intervention teacher) and SIP positions at some campuses. She said several campuses had Tier 3 groups of 14–16 students earlier in the year and that large group sizes reduced effectiveness until staffing was increased. - Tier 2 fidelity: Walkthroughs showed strong use of i‑Ready pathways but inconsistent direct-teach practices in Tier 2 small groups. The district plans Tier 2 calibration walks and more guidance for principals and teachers to ensure Tier 2 is delivered 30–45 minutes, 2–3 times per week as intended. - Stretch growth: The district is focusing on increasing “stretch growth” (more-than‑typical annual growth on i‑Ready) for Tier 3 students; Purnell said campuses with strong stretch-growth results are used as models for coaching and PD.
What’s next Purnell outlined steps for 2025–26 including Tier 2 progress monitoring, additional PD for teacher toolboxes, aligning strategic-reading training with district resources, expanding coaching for SIT teachers, and continuing Win‑time scheduling changes to ensure students attend. Trustees asked for ongoing campus‑level breakdowns and SIT teacher performance data to replicate practices that produced higher stretch growth.
Ending: Trustees thanked Purnell and the SIT team for the work with struggling learners. The public hearing portion of the agenda closed after the presentation; no formal board action was taken at the hearing.
