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Heights Elementary principal outlines SIP goals, highlights post‑COVID recovery in math and continued ELA gaps
Summary
Heights Elementary Principal Jody Sabin presented a one‑page School Improvement Plan focusing on math and ELA growth targets tied to Smarter Balanced Assessment results; she emphasized PLC work, proficiency scales, student incentives (awards night), and a forthcoming 'theory of action' for math.
Jody Sabin, principal of Heights Elementary, presented the school’s one‑page School Improvement Plan and walked the board through targets and strategies tied to Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) results.
Sabin said the school set goals for students to move up proficiency levels on the SBA: the plan emphasizes moving students from level 2 to level 3 (passing) and from level 1 to level 2 over the next testing cycle. She said the school selected SBA outcomes because that assessment determines the school’s improvement status and therefore must be central to the improvement plan.
Sabin described trends since 2017–18 including post‑COVID recovery: math scores are approaching or exceeding pre‑COVID levels in several grades, while ELA results remain behind for cohorts most affected by pandemic learning disruptions. She and instructional coaches cited a large “jump” in standards between third and fourth grades and described fractions and fifth‑grade standards as recurring challenges.
To address the gaps, Sabin said the school relies on teacher PLCs (professional learning communities), common formative assessments, proficiency scales, and targeted small‑group instruction. She highlighted a school awards night used to motivate students and families—giving medals to students who show growth or move up levels—and said that community engagement at those events has grown.
Board members pressed on homework expectations, assessment strategies, and whether students recover as they progress to higher grades. Sabin and instructional staff said interventions and PLC reflection on high‑impact teaching strategies are central; she said a formal theory of action for math is expected to be ready by the start of next school year.
What happens next: the principal will continue to refine PLC practices, common assessments, and the math theory of action and will answer follow‑up questions from board members about how progress will be tracked and reported to the board.
