Martin Middle School presents vision, iReady gains and family outreach to Orting School District board

Martin Middle School staff and students presented their schoolwide vision and three priority goals to the Orting School District board on April 1, telling the board they aim to ensure ‘‘all students and staff are learning at high levels while feeling safe, seen, and valued.’'

A presenter for Martin Middle School described a theory of action built on teacher teams setting clear, rigorous goals aligned to priority standards, frequent progress monitoring and classroom practices meant to increase student agency. "When you talk to students, it's interesting. They will tell you, 'I wanna know what I'm learning today and why it's important to me,'" the presenter said.

School leaders said the district is using the iReady diagnostic this year as its primary interim measure and set a goal that 50% of students reach grade level on the tool. Presenters reported reading scores rose from a fall baseline of 23% to about 32%, and math from 16% to about 22% — gains they described as progress toward the target but not yet the goal.

Teachers in demonstrations described instructional changes intended to produce those gains. A social studies PLC lead said the department aligned its scope and sequence with ELA and math and adopted a common writing protocol, CER (claim, evidence, reasoning), to make evidence use consistent across classes. "If we all want them to use evidence and explain their evidence, it should be the same no matter the discipline," the teacher said.

Math teachers outlined Building Thinking Classrooms strategies — vertical whiteboard work, random collaborative groups and visible student thinking — and said the approach increased participation. Science teachers described using the adopted Amplify Science curriculum to frame real-world investigations and frequent chapter reflections.

Assistant Principal Ms. Cronin described family- and community-facing efforts under Goal 2: Falcon Family Outreach meetings, parent tutorials for multiple platforms (Skyward, ParentSquare, Google Classroom) and student-led conferences that drew nearly 400 family attendees in the fall, with a spring target of roughly 500. "Parents told us they need better two-way communication and simple tutorials; we plan a parent hub with quick links and how-to slides," Ms. Cronin said.

Under Goal 3, the school is emphasizing social-emotional learning and a positive-behavior recognition system. Presenters said the school uses the Second Step curriculum in advisory once a week, runs Falcon tickets to highlight positive behavior and operates a student-run store staffed by business-class students. Falcon Council, a teacher-nominated student advisory group, will provide student input on school direction.

Students also spoke. Seventh grader Emery Renatus told the board Falcon Council provides a student voice and opportunities to improve the school, while other students described how goal-setting helped them track and reflect on learning.

Presenters said Panorama survey results are being used to target self-efficacy interventions and that iReady practice (MyPath) has been scheduled for two advisory periods per week; staff pointed to students who completed more than 100 lessons as examples of engagement. Teachers reported a new partnership with high school National Honor Society students to tutor middle-schoolers.

No formal board votes or motions were recorded during the presentation. The session concluded with applause for staff and students and recognition that spring break was near.