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Jackson and Robert Morris principals report focus on PLCs, behavior supports and early literacy
Summary
School leaders described professional learning communities, Tiered supports, crisis documentation and early literacy screening at Jackson and Robert Morris schools.
Administrators for Jackson and Robert Morris elementary schools told the Batavia City School District board on Monday that the schools are focusing on professional learning communities (PLCs), early literacy and math screening, and expanded social-emotional supports.
School leaders said PLC work is now in its second year and that every teacher participates in PLCs to analyze common formative assessments and place students into WIN (What I Need) groups for targeted instruction. Administrators described a master-schedule revision to maximize instructional time and collaboration with special-area teachers.
They described UPK and kindergarten screening regimes that feed literacy and math profiles used to place students in interventions. Screening tools mentioned include Brigance, DIBELS (implied through literacy profile discussion), curriculum-based assessments, i-Ready diagnostics and teacher-created assessments. Administrators said collected data produce a cohort spreadsheet for each student to track progress and guide instruction.
School staff described expanded crisis-response procedures. The schools have a crisis documentation spreadsheet that tracks incidents and colors them by need (for example, counselor response versus administrative response). Administrators said crisis calls can range from a short teacher support to multi-hour events requiring parent pickup or emergency services; the transcript records that some students can require lengthy interventions and in some days staff respond to many incidents. The schools also employ a behavior consultant, a social worker and an SEL liaison (Christy Serra) who leads whole-school lessons on strategies such as "green choices" and "whole-body listening." Administrators said Genesee County Mental Health partners with the school for family-to-school connections.
The schools have added calm-down corners, visual schedules, first-then boards and token systems. They report increases in observed student regulation when intentional lessons on routines and procedures are taught early in the year. Administrators said early screening and co-located related-service providers at initial screenings help connect students quickly to OT, PT, speech or counseling services.
Programs mentioned that provide extra instruction include extended-day programming, SOAR (smaller ratios with math focus) and My Brother's Keeper; administrators said extended-day programming will begin soon and aims to keep low student-to-teacher ratios for targeted support.
The principals asked the board to note broad parent involvement and community partnerships (turkey trot, curriculum nights, community helpers day) and highlighted that staff are using data to set measurable goals and to refine instruction across grades.
Quotes from the transcript include: "Every single teacher in our schools is in some sort of PLC" and "We created a crisis documentation spreadsheet this year ... so instead of putting out those individual fires, we're able to put out those on a bigger scale and be able to think more long term."
