Parkside Middle outlines attendance, behavior and a writing-first plan as enrollment nears 800
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Summary
Parkside Middle School told the Teaching & Learning Committee it serves roughly 800 students, about 25% with identified disabilities, and outlined stepped attendance outreach, Tier 1 MTSS behavior goals and a targeted push to improve writing proficiency by spring 2026.
Parkside Middle School Principal Scott Schlix told the Manchester School District Teaching & Learning Committee on Oct. 28 that the school enrolls about 800 students and has prioritized attendance, behavior and writing as its key goals.
The presentation said roughly 25% of Parkside students are identified with a disability and the school recently expanded a newcomer program. "Our student enrollment right now is right around 800 students," Schlix said. He described a tiered attendance response: guidance counselors contact families after five absences; an administrative meeting with families is set at 10 absences; and home visits and additional interventions occur around 15 days absent.
Why it matters: chronic absence is linked to learning loss and the district emphasized proactive outreach. Parkside also described weekly positive recognition for students and an online points store where students can redeem acknowledgements with low-effort rewards like "lunch off team" or structured activities with former teachers.
On behavior, Parkside set a Tier 1 fidelity goal to reach 75% by June 2026 and said it aims to reduce conduct referrals by 6% through consistent MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support) implementation and a teacher-versus-office flow chart to clarify classroom vs. office-managed responses. "By focusing on the implementation of Tier 1 systems, conduct referrals will decrease by 6%," the presentation stated.
Academic focus: Parkside identified writing, specifically the NHSAS domain of evidence and elaboration, as its primary instructional target. Staff proposed a measurable goal to move 20% of students up one proficiency band on NHSAS spring 2026 writing scores and described partnerships with Slate through the University of New Hampshire to expand cross-curricular writing.
Student voice: Fifth graders staged a classroom "Kid Governor" election; student Jelani Paz delivered a speech focused on addressing youth drug use through fundraising, exit-plan lessons and statewide peer Zoom sessions. Committee members presented a certificate recognizing the student campaign.
Board reaction and next steps: Committee members praised Parkside's attendance outreach and asked for disaggregated attendance data and clarity on which cohorts receive the ten-day family updates. Committee member Turner said the outreach "can't be understated" and requested a school visit to see the work in practice. Parkside staff said they will continue PLC-driven calibration on writing and monitor the Tier 1 fidelity metrics to report progress to the committee.