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Rogers Elementary leaders report ELL gains, big drop in chronic absenteeism and renewed focus on social‑emotional skills
Summary
Rogers Elementary staff told the Marshalltown board that ELPA21 results showed growth (about 65.5% in 2024 and 68.89% in 2025 at Rogers), the school reduced chronic absenteeism by 10.27% from 2024 to 2025 and is targeting a further 3% reduction, and teachers are using responsive-classroom strategies and a fly‑5 SEL curriculum to address self‑management gaps.
Rogers Elementary staff updated the Marshalltown Community School District Board Oct. 20 on academic and culture work at their building, highlighting ELL assessment gains, a substantial reduction in chronic absenteeism, and targeted social‑emotional work.
Julie Vincent, an ELL teacher at Rogers, reported that approximately 65.48% of English‑learner students showed growth in February 2024 and that 68.89% showed growth in February 2025—figures she said exceed the state averages cited in her presentation. Suhei Alvarez, Rogers’s school resource specialist, said the building reduced chronic absenteeism by 10.27% from 2024 to 2025, the largest reduction in the Marshalltown CSD that year, and that the school’s attendance goal for 2025–26 is a 3% reduction for chronically absent students. Alvarez described outreach efforts including a monthly parent newsletter, grade‑level incentives and themed attendance campaigns.
Instructional coach Chelsea Castle described teacher work on individual student goal‑setting with families, interactive modeling and data‑driven PLC conversations. School counselor Kendi Manners and classroom teacher Ashley Verdinas said school data show lower self‑management scores in K–2 and that staff are using Tier‑1 SEL instruction and teacher-language coaching to improve emotional regulation and classroom transitions.
Rogers staff, students and community members also highlighted family engagement efforts, staff morale initiatives (positive postcards and surprise rewards) and a new fourth‑grade student leadership team created by application; presenters said staff retention has been strong and that these culture efforts support student learning.
What’s next: Rogers leaders said they will continue monitoring EL and SEL metrics, pursue the attendance‑reduction goal, and return updates to the board as requested.
