Mercer Island Middle School outlines SIP focused on reading growth, rigor and student agency

Mercer Island Middle School staff told the district board that this year's School Improvement Plan will sharpen instruction around reading growth, shared definitions of "rigor," and student agency while expanding cycles of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) work to monitor progress.

"Rigor is kids challenging themselves beyond where they see themselves currently," said Katie Gallagher, IMS associate principal. Gallagher and principal Mary Jo Rogers said the school will not simply "opt students into" advanced work but will explicitly teach the characteristics of higher-level ("level 4") work and create classroom routines for students to practice being "drivers" of their learning.

The plan centers on three linked priorities: reading growth, an engagement continuum that supports student ownership, and inclusive instruction. Denise Thomas, a sixth-grade language-arts teacher and PLC lead, described practices already in classrooms, including triads (general-education teacher, special-education teacher and paraprofessional) to support students with IEPs and a mastery-monitoring approach to assess progress in six-week cycles.

IMS staff framed the work with research-informed "visible learning" strategies and a sequence of PDSA cycles. "We are going to build in the clear instruction of how to do that as opposed to saying you should be a driver," Rogers said, adding the emphasis will be on making expectations and feedback transparent to students.

Presenters addressed measurement concerns around the district's I-Ready diagnostic. Katie Gallagher and others said scale scores provide a stable comparison for growth but warned of "ceiling effects" for high-performing students who may appear not to grow on a given diagnostic because they have outgrown the measure. The staff said they will use I-Ready's mastery-monitoring and other internal tools to better track students testing above grade level, and are piloting a seventh-grade reading program to address a recurring dip in seventh-grade scores.

Board members asked how the school will ensure level-4 opportunities are not perceived as optional or as extra work. "It isn't something you have to do additional or that you have to reach a certain level before you can try for a level 4," Denise Thomas said, describing revised proficiency scales and "spice levels" that invite challenge once a student shows mastery.

IMS set a measurable reading goal in the SIP: by June, the share of students meeting or exceeding their typical annual growth will rise (school presenters cited a target shift from 63% to 70% in the slides). Staff emphasized that growth expectations are nuanced: for students below grade level the aim is that 75% meet or exceed typical growth, while students at or above grade level will be monitored with mastery tools and expected to maintain or extend proficiency rather than relying purely on the annual typical-growth metric.

Presenters and board members discussed transitions to the high school and new district dashboards that will allow teachers and counselors to review an individual student's trajectory across assessments and accommodations. Staff said additional family communication and clearer student reports are priorities.

The board praised the middle-school team for classroom work and student-facing clarity seen during a recent site visit. The presentation concluded with the board taking note of the school's PDSA calendar and plans to revisit details in future reports to the board.