Teachers spotlighted and social-emotional program praised as district reports 2,203 students with no discipline referrals
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Summary
A kindergarten teacher demonstrated the 'Capturing Kids' Hearts' program; the superintendent said 2,203 students (about 74% of the district) had no office-discipline referral this semester, and James Matthews principal outlined plans to raise proficiency after presenting interim ELA cohort data.
At the Pine Bluff School District board meeting, a kindergarten teacher from LPGB Kinder Academy demonstrated how the Capturing Kids' Hearts program is used to build connections, warm welcomes and social-emotional routines before academics, saying, "When you have a child's heart, you have their mind." The teacher showed anchor charts, described daily greetings by name, and explained twice-monthly Capturing Kids' Hearts lessons and conflict-resolution instruction.
Superintendent Barber told the board the district will recognize 2,203 students — roughly 74% of the student population — who did not receive office-discipline referrals for the semester; the district plans to hold recognition events in January and publish the list on its website and social media.
The board also heard a data-driven presentation from James Matthews Elementary. The principal (introduced as Tamika Wright and speaking in the meeting as Tamika Reyes) presented longitudinal ELA interim data for grades 4–6 comparing November 2024 to November 2025. She reported decreases in the percentage of students at Level 1 and increases in Levels 2–3 in several cohorts, though writing proficiency remains a persistent weakness and some Level 4 students dropped to Level 3. Her action plan emphasized stronger daily tier 1 instruction, immediate small-group interventions, progress monitoring, peer observations (including a study visit to a Jacksonville school that improved substantially), writing journals for every student, and ongoing accountability for implementation.
Superintendent Barber recognized two James Matthews teachers for high value-added growth: Kira Barnes (three‑year ELA student-growth average 85.19%) and Matthew Jimerson (three‑year math growth average 86.24%; three‑year science growth 82.68%). Both teachers were present for recognition.
District staff told the board they use Benchmark and I-Ready for diagnostics and to group students for targeted interventions. Board members praised the classroom and leadership work and suggested the district consider broader adoption of successful practices.