Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Performance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bloomington Hills Elementary outlines attendance, PBIS and reading gains as priorities
Summary
Principal Christie Wheeler told the board that Bloomington Hills Elementary has implemented PBIS with help from a grant, reported kindergarten reading gains and described efforts to boost attendance and grade-level instruction.
Bloomington Hills Elementary Principal Christie Wheeler reported to the Washington County School District Board on Jan. 6 that the school is using a district MTSS grant to implement a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) framework, has seen midyear gains in early literacy and is prioritizing attendance improvements.
Why it matters: Principal-level improvements in instruction, behavior supports and attendance protocols tie directly to student outcomes and the district’s plan to exit targeted-support statuses for underperforming schools.
Key points from the presentation - Enrollment and demographics: Wheeler reported the school’s enrollment fell from about 520 last year to 438 this year, citing transient student movement; kindergarten enrollment was lower than projected but she expects rebound with incoming students. - Reading and growth: Kindergarten students met midyear Acadience goals at a higher rate than the prior year (73% hit the 10-whole-words-read goal by December versus 43% by April last year). High-frequency-word goals were met by 94% of kindergarteners at midyear. - PBIS and culture work: Using the MTSS grant, the school established visible expectations (“Be safe, be positive, be on task, treat others kindly, be strong”) and a weekly recognition system with colored jars and prize drawings to reinforce behavior. Teachers adopted schoolwide traits linked to counseling lessons (for example, bullying prevention tied to “treat others kindly”). - Attendance focus: Wheeler said attendance lags behind district averages in most grades and noted a building protocol to reach out after two absences; the school ties belonging and attendance together as a strategic lever to improve outcomes. - Targets and next steps: Grade-level teams set goals (for example, third grade targeted 80% typical or better growth) and the school will continue data meetings, focused Tier 1 instruction and targeted interventions to improve proficiency and growth metrics.
Ending: Wheeler asked the board to monitor progress; the presentation emphasized that district supports (grade-level specialists and MTSS funding) helped create immediate changes in behavior supports and instructional focus.
