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Bywood Elementary showcases student-centered goal-setting and engagement tactics
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Summary
Bywood principal Kristen Meehan presented a video and staff/student examples of student-centered goal setting, including data binders, daily fluency practice (Amira), IXL competitions, house/team incentives and student-of-the-month recognitions designed to boost motivation and reading growth.
Bywood Elementary principal Kristen Meehan told the board that the school's student-centered goal-setting practices and engagement strategies are helping students take ownership of learning and improving reading outcomes.
Meehan presented a staff-created video showing classroom practices such as student data binders, ten minutes of deliberate daily fluency practice guided by reading coaches, Amira reading challenges, and IXL skill competitions. She said these routines let students set measurable targets (for example, "I grew seven words this month" on a fluency chart) and then track monthly progress.
Teachers described a house system—Obsidian, Citrine, Adventuring and Amethyst—that groups staff and students across grades to encourage collaboration and healthy competition. House points are earned for achievements including Amira wins and attending school board meetings; students and staff receive small rewards, assemblies and monthly recognitions.
Students and staff said the approach lifts morale, builds relationships across grade levels, and keeps attention focused during high-stakes periods such as PSSA testing. Bywood staff said the initiatives are intended to make learning more meaningful and fun while measuring growth with simple classroom data.
The presentation included examples of student celebrations (minute-to-win-it games, assemblies) and earlier community partnerships that brought programs such as a Phillies reading initiative to the school. No formal board action was requested during the work session.
