Arman Larvie middle school outlines data-driven approach and early-warning supports
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Principal Delfino Soro Garcia told the Hermiston SD 8 board that Arman Larvie uses state OSAS and NWEA MAPS data plus common formative assessments to guide instruction, highlighting a PBIS "streak" profile, an early-warning system (15 high‑risk students) and targeted small‑group interventions.
Principal Delfino Soro Garcia presented an update on Arman Larvie Middle School’s instructional strategy and student supports, telling the Hermiston SD 8 board the building serves 692 students with staff representing 16 spoken languages and a team of 41 teachers and 10 assistants.
Garcia said the school relies on OSAS summative assessments and NWEA MAPS interim tests to build a longitudinal picture of student performance and to identify targeted instructional needs. "We start off looking at what does that picture look like for a student? How have they been performing over the years?" he said, describing how teachers use unit‑level common formative and summative assessments to adjust instruction.
Assistant principal Heather Mills described the school’s PBIS‑based "streak" profile, given monthly to every student, which tracks four indicators (tardies, overall attendance, behavior referrals and failing grades) and feeds incentives such as raffle tickets and reward parties. Mills said the early‑warning system in the student information system highlights 15 students currently classified as "high risk," who receive outreach from counselors and home visits; about 614 students were identified as performing well. "Those are the kids that we want to give them a pat on the back and say, keep up the good work," Mills said.
Science teacher Christina Deanda described classroom shifts toward collaboration and hands‑on labs under the district’s Portrait of a Graduate approach, reporting high quiz and CFA averages in her classes and saying the methods supported both engagement and learning: "When my kids are taking quizzes, they are excelling at, like, in 93, 95%, 98% range."
On instructional adjustments, Garcia and his team outlined how the district uses assessment disaggregation to set interventions, enrichment and course placement. For middle‑grade math and language‑arts, teachers may assign heterogeneous core classes supplemented by separate intervention periods; small‑group rotations of three to five students provide focused support in intervention settings.
Board members probed teacher flexibility, recognition for staff, and how data informs day‑to‑day classroom decisions. Garcia said teachers collaborate on unit plans and can adjust pacing and strategies based on assessment results. The presentation concluded with staff noting plans to share MAPS winter results with teachers and to continue using locally developed performance assessments and rubrics to monitor growth.
The board did not take action on the presentation; staff said they would return with further data and that parents and teachers would continue to be engaged in planning and supports.