Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Performance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wallingford middle school presents gains in belonging, PLCs and high state score
Summary
Middle-school leaders highlighted stronger student belonging, PBIS tiered supports, and professional learning communities; the school reported an Act 13 building score of 88.9 and cited Panorama survey improvements across several student groups.
The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District's middle-school leadership presented to the school board on Jan. 28, describing improvements in student belonging, classroom practice and data-driven instruction.
Dr. Mancinco, the middle-school principal, said the school’s theme this year is an adaptation of Brené Brown’s sentiment that “the middle school is messy, but that’s where the magic happens,” and framed the year’s priorities around belonging and teacher collaboration. He and assistant principals Kim Stock and Kevin Kelly described tiered PBIS supports and the rollout of professional learning communities (PLCs) that meet twice monthly to create common formative assessments and share strategies.
Kelly described the PLC model and its focus on data-driven questions — what students should know, how to tell if they have learned it, and how to respond when they have not. The presenters said PLCs are being treated as a “laboratory” this year so teachers can experiment and refine practice. Dr. Mancinco said the school’s Act 13 building score this year is 88.9, one of the higher scores in the state, and emphasized that the district is focused on sustained growth rather than chasing rankings.
The presentation included student work and a short video. A student excerpt in the meeting highlighted hands-on lessons and a sense that classrooms are “welcoming” and “dedicated.” Board members praised the Panorama survey results showing increased positive responses on trusted adults and sense of belonging, and they commended the staff for the PLC rollout and extracurricular achievements.
The board left the presentation with plans to continue tracking the data and to support the PLC work as a strategy for improving student outcomes.
