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Southview Elementary credits interventions and community partners for sharp gains in attendance and reading
Summary
At a Muncie Community Schools board meeting, Southview Elementary showcased student, teacher and volunteer stories and district data showing improved attendance (about 94%), lower suspensions and rising reading pass rates tied to interventions, learning walks and community partnerships.
Trustees heard a spotlight on Southview Elementary on Tuesday night that paired student and family testimony with school- and district-level data showing measurable gains in attendance and literacy.
Principal Casey Smitherman told the board that the school has focused on tightly aligned interventions and regular data meetings to "plan, do, check, act" for individual students. "We go get them," she said, describing how staff and volunteers routinely knock on doors and bring students to school.
The presentation included several personal accounts. Parent Heather Gamble said the school"provided me over the summer and through this year has been life changing for my children and I," crediting school staff who arranged transport and ongoing support. Teacher Brianna Thompson described classroom changes — differentiated small-group reading, consistent progress monitoring and weekly data chats — that, she said, helped produce "high growth in reading scores" among her students. A volunteer who has worked at the school 30to 40 hours a week described pulling students for 1-on-1 intervention work and pursuing a GED with district support.
District and school leaders presented outcome data to back the anecdotes. Staff reported current daily attendance at about 94%, down from under 90% the first year of the intervention work. Suspension counts were cited as roughly 335 in an earlier year, dropping to about 113, then 35 in one semester and about 61 to date. Reading measures showed improvement on the district's I-Ready and IREAD indicators: an initial IREAD pass rate of 38% rose to 52% in year two, with a later second-pass figure given as 70%; staff said they are "fingers crossed" about reaching 80% on a subsequent administration.
School leaders credited multiple partners and programs — the Indiana Literacy Cadre and Marian University learning-walk model, Ball State Research Design Studio, Reading Futures online intervention, Heggarty phonemic awareness and other evidence-based curricula — for the progress. Laura Sawanca of the literacy cadre, who visits district schools regularly, told the board, "You're definitely making progress," and described learning walks as a vehicle for rapid teacher development and shared practice.
Board members praised the school and asked staff to share learning-walk schedules for trustees who wish to attend. Superintendent Reynolds and other trustees framed the progress as promising for the district's effort to exit Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) status, while noting final state determinations remain pending.
The board did not take formal action on Southview-specific policy at the meeting; the presentation was offered for information and recognition.
