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LB Clark staff present learning, belonging goals and open-house plans for new building
Summary
LB Clark Middle School staff told the Two Rivers board they are using a data-driven process to target gaps in achievement and belonging; they set a target to increase student sense of belonging by 7% and aim for 60% student talk time in classrooms, and staff described near-complete construction with a Dec. 10 ribbon-cutting planned.
Representatives from LB Clark Middle School presented the school's "Guiding Coalition" plan and progress to the Two Rivers school board, outlining academic and character-focused goals developed through data boot camp and root-cause analysis.
School staff said the academic objective centers on raising math performance, noting a discrepancy between strong fifth-grade results and weaker outcomes in other grades. To address that gap the school will use a common-assessment protocol and focused instructional-practice goals to identify students who need extra support or extension.
On school climate, LB Clark set a goal to increase the targeted groups' sense of belonging by 7% by 2025 and established an instructional-practice target of a minimum of 60% student talk time and maximum 40% teacher talk time in classrooms. Staff described concrete steps: a custom quarterly student-connection survey, a "student connection tracker" that identifies students without a trusted adult in school, targeted teacher sign-ups to reach those students, and a "2 by 10" strategy where adults spend two focused minutes with a student for 10 consecutive days to build rapport.
Staff also highlighted classroom-level practices already in use, including exit tickets with symbols for self-assessment, unit reflections in math and small-group coaching for teachers. When asked, staff said student self-assessments generally appear candid and are used to prompt classroom conversations.
The presentation included a construction update: most LB Clark building work is complete (cafeteria expansion, gym refinements, branding and plaques), a playground is scheduled for next summer, and remaining furniture shipments are expected through January and February. The board was told a ribbon-cutting for the new gym is scheduled for Dec. 10 at 6 p.m., followed by tours on additional dates.
Why it matters: The school combined measurable academic targets with concrete social-emotional strategies and described how building improvements are intended to support those goals. The board received multiple evidence-based practices and an implementation plan that links data collection to classroom interventions.
Next steps: School staff will continue implementation of data protocols and quarterly surveys, complete remaining construction and participate in scheduled community ribbon-cutting and tours.
