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Greendale Middle School credits "Panther Pride" program as short-cycle data show proficiency gains
Summary
GMS Principal Ray Curry told the Greendale School Board that the school's Panther Pride initiatives ' including Character Strong lessons, Panther Pals mentorship and structured instruction ' are linked to midterm gains: sixth-grade ELA up 16.6%, seventh-grade ELA up 11.9%, eighth-grade ELA up 5.5%, and reductions in behavior referrals.
Ray Curry, principal of Greendale Middle School, told the Greendale School District Board that the school's Panther Pride program is producing measurable midterm gains in student proficiency and behavior.
"What we're doing is working," Curry said during his presentation, summarizing results tied to a three-part approach that emphasizes a "culture of care," weekly Character Strong lessons and a Panther Pals mentorship program that pairs older and younger students. Curry said the short-cycle academic goal aimed for a 10% proficiency increase and that midterm results exceed that target in several grades.
Curry reported midterm ELA increases of 16.6 percent for sixth grade, 11.9 percent for seventh grade and 5.5 percent for eighth grade. In math, he said all three middle-school grades exceeded the 10 percent improvement target, with algebra students at an 81 percent proficiency level. He also reported a 25 percent short-cycle goal to reduce minor classroom incidents; to date overall minor incidents were down 18.7 percent and referrals for defiance, disrespect and noncompliance were down 32 percent.
Board members pressed for clarity on the figures. A board member asked whether the percentages represented the share of students proficient or the percent change; Curry and others clarified they are percent increases (change over time) derived from CommonLit benchmarks for ELA and unit benchmarks for math. "This is the increase," Curry said, urging that CommonLit benchmarks are generally more rigorous than the state Forward exam and that students often outperform Forward by 10 to 15 percentage points on the CommonLit measure.
Curry described implementation details: the first 100 days focused on learning attention and success criteria, the second on scaffolding and differentiation, and the third on scaling those practices. He described monthly reteaching, scenario-based staff coaching with instructional support staff, and spring reset conversations with students about expectations and intent versus impact.
Board members and the student representative noted the social-emotional elements of Panther Pals and the value of student leadership opportunities. Curry acknowledged that referral reductions are driven in part by a small group of students who receive multiple referrals and said the school's people-service team provides targeted supports for those students.
The board did not take any formal action on the presentation; Curry's update was received for information. The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 7.
