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Richmond Drive principal outlines turnaround plan after low report‑card scores
Summary
Richmond Drive Elementary principal Robert Ham presented a continuous improvement plan focused on academic growth, climate and parent engagement after the school scored 11.64 out of 40 report‑card points; the plan emphasizes PLCs, MTSS, weekly monitoring and targeted interventions for special education and multilingual learners.
Robert Ham, the newly installed principal at Richmond Drive Elementary, told the Rock Hill School Board on Dec. 10 that the school is launching a tight, data‑driven turnaround plan centered on academic achievement, climate and parent participation.
Ham said the school’s most recent report‑card indicator scored "11.64 out of 40 points," a number he called a clear signal that the building must change practices. To do that, Richmond Drive will monitor its continuous improvement plan every 30 days and use professional learning communities (PLCs) and multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) to target instruction.
"We are moving our school forward," Ham said, describing steps already under way: integrating special education teachers into PLCs, using benchmark and MAP data to form small instructional groups, and running weekly monitoring for each student’s "wildly important goal." He added that 25% of students are currently receiving Tier‑2 supports and that leaders are tracking subgroup performance closely.
The presentation listed concrete supports: district coaches conducting classroom observations and coaching cycles; FastBridge and RISE interventions for reading; and literacy training (LETRS) for 25 teachers and two administrators as part of a two‑year development commitment. Ham also cited increased family engagement — five family events so far this year — and a newly instituted quarterly awards program to celebrate growth.
Board members pressed Ham for day‑to‑day details and for data broken down by subgroup. Ham acknowledged some figures were not immediately on hand but committed to providing follow‑up information through district channels. He said the district is providing targeted coaching for new teachers and that teachers and parents have responded positively to recent changes.
Ham called staffing turnover a constraint — about 40% of the staff is new this year — and said the school’s strategy is to build teacher capacity through on‑site coaching, clear standard operating procedures and regular formative assessments. "We are building collective efficacy," he said, adding the school uses data trackers and item analysis to reteach standards where students struggle.
The board asked for a follow‑up on the composition of Tier‑2 students (how many are students with disabilities or multilingual learners); Ham said he would collect and submit that breakdown. The principal also accepted the board’s offer to identify ways trustees can assist the school directly.
The next procedural step is continued monitoring and a future update to the board on implementation progress.
