School committee hears elementary and middle school progress on targeted instruction and school improvement plans
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Summary
District leaders described midyear progress on elementary and middle school improvement plans, including a targeted instruction (TI) pilot using homogeneous groupings for 40 minutes per day with an aim that 70% of targeted students show a year of growth; staff will survey families and students for cycle adjustments.
School leaders briefed the Swampscott School Committee on midyear progress toward school improvement goals at both the elementary and middle school levels and described a targeted instruction (TI) pilot intended to accelerate growth for the district’s lowest-performing students while challenging high achievers.
Miss Sanborn provided the elementary-school update: a three-house positive-behavior system (Lobstars) is in place, staff have expanded recognition across all staff, and two celebrations have already been held. She described family partnership efforts, community events, and classroom practice changes tied to the school improvement plan.
Miss Minter outlined the middle-school plan: four goal areas (data literacy, writing excellence, student belonging, family partnership) and use of Open Architects to centralize data for action. TI at middle grades began in December as a pilot with homogeneous groupings for 40 minutes daily; staff have prioritized the lowest 25% while also creating advanced groupings for high-achieving students. “Our primary goal is for 70 percent of these students to achieve at least a full year of growth,” Minter said when describing target outcomes and planned assessments.
Teachers described curriculum choices inside TI groups—project-based modules, primary-source work and collaborative writing—along with plans to survey staff, students and families at the end of cycles to decide whether the TI blocks should be five-week rotations or longer cycles. Committee members repeatedly praised the collaborative approach and asked about measurable outcomes. Minter said MCAS growth and I Ready assessments will be used as performance indicators and that the next I Ready administration in February will inform adjustments.
Committee members encouraged continued emphasis on multiple data points (I Ready, MCAS, report cards, classroom observations) rather than a single test score and expressed support for continued community engagement elements (mystery readers, family coffees, robotics) that staff tied to student belonging and participation.
The committee did not take formal action on TI at the meeting; staff were asked to return with survey results and follow-up data to inform cycle planning.
