Windermere principal credits DRI, CHAMPS and new student advisory with early-grade reading gains

Marcy Pascual, building principal at Windermere Boulevard Elementary, told the Amherst Central School District board that the school’s expanded differentiated reading instruction and classroom-management work are starting to show measurable improvements.

Pascual said Windermere introduced a push-in tier 2 model called differentiated reading instruction (DRI) for kindergarten and first grade and used a master-schedule change to concentrate the school’s reading experts where they were needed most. "We started the year off with the story of the coffee bean...with any change comes challenge," she said, describing staff work to reframe practice and support implementation.

Pascual presented FastBridge screening comparisons showing kindergarten students scoring in the high-to-some-risk category fell from 41% to 35% year over year, while the low-to-no-risk group rose from 59% to 65%. For first grade, the high-to-some-risk share dropped from 51% to 37% and the low-to-no-risk share increased from 49% to 62%.

She also reported fall-to-winter growth improvements: first-grade minimal or "flat" growth decreased from 41% to 29%, and expected or typical growth increased from 48% to 64%.

The principal credited several changes: a five-person reading-intervention team (identified in the presentation as Amy Busick, Kelly Spagnolo, Stephanie Oswald, Kelly Gay and Allison Damon), use of data-driven flexible groupings, and training in tier 2 and tier 3 programs such as SPIRE for the most intensive readers. Pascual said the interventionists "meet with students at their specific instructional level" during a protected instructional block, which avoids pull-outs and keeps classroom teachers and interventionists working side by side.

When asked by a board member what "protected time" means, Pascual explained it is a period when "we don't want kids pulled out for related services...their reading team is pushing in, and everybody's in there for that instruction." She added that part of the strategy was maximizing human capital by altering the master schedule so experts can support kindergarten and first grade.

Administrators also described CHAMPS (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success) as a buildingwide common language for expectations. "The clearer we can be, the kinder it is," Pascual said, summarizing why the school is rolling out CHAMPS visuals, voice-levels and review sessions for staff and students.

On student life, Windermere has launched an AP advisory for fifth graders (30 applicants split into leadership groups) and a student newspaper now in its sixth edition, both intended to elevate student voice. The school outlined attendance strategies as well: weekly PPS/administration meetings, an attendance-tracking system run four times a year, updated family notices, outreach including home visits when needed, and monthly "attendance heroes" recognition. Administrators said transportation issues and lack of appropriate clothing are frequent family-side barriers.

Pascual introduced "Wendy's Closet," a volunteer-run clothing closet located at Trinity United Methodist Church that serves pre-K through fifth-grade students in the Amherst Central School District. The program is open the first and third Wednesday of every month from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and provides everyday clothing, shoes, toiletries and concert clothing; presenters said the closet aims to reduce barriers that affect attendance and learning.

The presentation closed with an invitation to a culminating "One School, One Book" event on March 26, featuring read-alouds, activities and family programming.

Next steps: administrators said they would continue monitoring classroom data and report back on outcomes as implementation continues.