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Elementary principals report literacy gains, targeted interventions and improved engagement
Summary
Three elementary principals told the board their schools are emphasizing the science of reading, small-group interventions and engagement measures; Liberty reported a winter jump from 36% to 55% of students on or above grade-level reading in a recent window.
Principals from Oak, Liberty and Periwinkle elementary schools presented progress reports to the Greater Albany Public SD 8J board Wednesday focused on literacy, math interventions and student engagement.
Oak Principal Leanna Bennett said the school is using I Ready data and small-group instruction tied to the science of reading with an end-of-year target to move roughly 4% more students into early/mid/above grade-level reading; she described diagnostic screening and frequent progress checks.
Liberty Principal Taylor Smith told the board Liberty’s winter benchmark showed a substantial shift: "Right now, we're at 55% of Liberty is on or above grade level," she said, reporting an increase from a 36% fall benchmark. Smith highlighted daily small-group time, MyPath interventions for math and use of Title funds for extra planning and coaching.
Periwinkle Principal Caitlin Lindsey described an instructional focus on "typical growth" targets; the school aims for 70% of students to meet typical growth goals and uses intervention review meetings, SEA support and attendance incentives to lift outcomes.
Across the presentations principals emphasized data-driven coaching, use of supplemental curricula in early literacy (ECRI, Hegarty, Mosaicos) and frequent learning walks and observations to provide timely feedback. Board members asked about engagement measurement; Bennett explained the CHAMPS-based observation method of sampling students every five seconds during a 10-minute window to tally on-task behavior.
The reports were presented as informational updates; no formal action was taken.
