Principals cite growth, set ambitious 85% proficiency goals for Rekluse and Rawhide

Principal Cliff Toole told the Campbell County School District #1 board on Feb. 10 that Rekluse Elementary posted strong results and Rawhide Elementary showed year‑over‑year growth but lower achievement in some measures.

Toole said Rekluse earned an achievement score of 89 and a growth score of 64 and that the school had met expectations in recent years. For the coming year he said both schools would pursue a district goal of 85% proficiency in tested categories, raising the district’s internal target well above the state’s 51% threshold for 'satisfactory.' Toole described four core improvement priorities: structured professional learning communities (PLCs), expanded use of classroom and assessment data, a renewed focus on first‑best instruction, and building staff and student efficacy.

Toole detailed classroom tactics he said are already in use: reorganizing teams by grade bands to allow focused collaboration; a new PLC schedule that creates larger blocks of time for data‑rich conversations; an emphasis on ensuring every student responds to essential questions ('no opt outs'); and literacy routines — described in the presentation as 'miles on the tongue' and choral reading — to build fluency.

Trustees probed assessment results and asked about an apparent drop in a fifth‑grade cohort. Trustee (speaker 6) cited a fall from 71.4 to 18.8 for a reported cohort and asked whether staffing or curriculum changes explained the variance. Toole said the district sees 'pockets of excellence' and gaps that staff are addressing through targeted tier‑2 and tier‑3 interventions, more granular data reviews and vertical teacher conversations to guarantee grade‑level skills.

Board members also asked how Rekluse organizes instruction with very small enrollment. Toole said Rekluse currently has eight students (three middle‑school and five elementary) with three certified full‑time teachers and comparable classified support; staff are departmentalized to create subject matter expertise and preserve instructional quality despite low headcount.

The board took no action on academic targets during the meeting. Toole yielded to trustees for questions after the report; several trustees encouraged continued data work and noted the importance of stable programs and clear communication with parents.

The next steps Toole described were continued PLC implementation, renewed emphasis on assessment data to guide instruction, and monitoring results for the next assessment cycle.