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Davis School outlines data-driven push to raise attendance and close learning gaps
Summary
Davis School leaders told the York City SD committee Dec. 8 that a reworked PLC structure, targeted literacy work and strengthened family outreach helped raise attendance to 93.8% and produced early gains on interim assessments; staff said more counseling capacity and tools are still needed.
Davis School leaders on Dec. 8 told the York City School District committee that a restructured professional learning community (PLC) model, targeted instruction and stronger family partnerships are driving improvements in student attendance and small gains on interim assessments.
The presentation, led by Miss Sweitzer and Dr. Moyer, highlighted the school’s mission of fostering belonging and data-driven instruction. Sweitzer said the building’s attendance rose to 93.8 percent this year from 91.3 percent last year and credited social-worker outreach and an attendance competition board she described as ‘‘a healthy competition’’ that rewards grade-level improvement.
Administrators gave a breakdown of student demographics — transcribed in the record as 47.7 percent Hispanic and 42.3 percent Black — and said 26.8 percent of students are English-language learners. Leaders described family engagement work, a food backpack program and a high level of app use among families (88 percent active within 21 days, per the presentation).
On academics, instructional staff described a district-supported shift toward data-driven PLCs that align K–8 standards, identify gaps and produce targeted action plans. Miss Moyer and instructional coach Mister Landis described work to vertically align math and ELA standards, create common academic vocabulary and give teachers time for peer observation. The presentation said some grades and subjects show proficiency while others lag; teachers noted several students missed proficiency by one or two items on assessments and that small shifts in targeted instruction could yield measurable gains.
Front-line teachers gave examples of the PLC impact. Sixth-grade teacher Miss Conaway said working with seventh- and eighth-grade colleagues revealed misalignments (for example, in metric-system expectations) and allowed her to adjust lessons so students are prepared for the next grade. First- and second-grade teacher Angie Harmon and Missus Powers described using IXL prescriptions to individualize practice and maintain student engagement; Powers said some students who had never taken an award home now bring certificates for even small gains.
School leaders also identified challenges. They reported 46 suspensions districtwide and two expulsions (one from Davis and one from Bearkat Cyber) and said about 20 percent of students are chronically absent. Fostered interventions include mentoring, check-in/check-out systems, girl groups run by the social worker and outside counseling partners; administrators said there is now a wait list for PA counseling services and that staffing and resource gaps remain.
Leaders framed the effort as iterative: the PLCs, attendance strategies and parent engagement tools are designed to produce incremental, sustainable improvement before the next round of assessments.
The board asked for follow-up detail on the specific predictors used to identify students close to proficiency and on possible districtwide tools to scale the PLC and curriculum-alignment work. Davis staff and board members agreed to continue the dialogue and explore district-level resources to support teachers’ gap analysis and curriculum supplements.
