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Excelsior Springs middle school reports gains in math proficiency and reduced discipline incidents
Summary
Principal and staff described increased math proficiency, higher participation in after‑school tutoring, reduced tardies after e‑hall pass rollout, and counselors shifting focus to academic support.
School leaders presented the board with a progress report on middle‑school academics, behavior and services, highlighting gains in math proficiency, expanded tutoring participation and fewer discipline incidents.
The middle‑school principal told trustees the building saw notable gains on interim assessments: seventh‑grade math proficiency rose from 41 percent to 64 percent and eighth‑grade proficiency rose from 44 percent to 68 percent in the period cited by the principal. “Our teachers are rocking it, and they're doing a great job with this,” the principal said.
Administrators credited several initiatives: an after‑school tutoring program that reached 46 percent of students in the first semester; counselors who shifted part of their focus from mental‑health work to “academic health” and proactive check‑ins; and implementation of an electronic hall‑pass system that the principal said “has almost eliminated tardies.” The school also reported using Sprygo to track bullying reports and a more restorative approach to incidents rather than relying solely on punitive measures.
The principal praised staff work on instructional rigor and described professional development aimed at evolving school culture toward “a culture of learning.” The building serves roughly 550 students who come from three feeder schools, the principal said, which requires work on social skills as students integrate into new peer groups.
The presentation was informational; no board action was required.
