East Primary teachers brief board on professional‑learning communities used to track student learning

Dan Smith, building principal at Kiski Area East Primary, and teachers Jody McCartney and Kelly Gallia presented the district’s Professional Learning Community (PLC) practices to the board, describing how grade‑level teams use common formative assessments and weekly meetings to identify student learning needs.

Gallia summarized the PLC’s four guiding questions—what students should learn, how staff will know they learned it, what to do if they haven’t, and how to extend learning for students who already meet targets—and explained the district’s daily and weekly meeting rhythms (Monday Google Meets for grade‑level alignment; later week meetings for individual student RTI discussions). She said the teams use STAR benchmarks, district common formative assessments (CFAs) and daily “cool‑downs” connected to the new math series to monitor progress.

Teachers described intervention blocks (E&I and SGI) built into the daily schedule for remediation and extension. They said programs such as Reflex and Frax (math), Lalilo (K–2 reading) and Freckle are used to supplement instruction and personalize practice; the PLC process guides grouping decisions so staff can shift students between remediation and extension during the week. The presenters said collaboration has improved consistency across the K–4 buildings and supports data‑driven instructional choices.

In brief Q&A, board members asked whether the structures at East are representative across the district; teachers said all buildings use E&I but scheduling varies by building. One board member asked which programs best help students who struggle in third and fourth grade math; presenters recommended Reflex to build automaticity with math facts and Frax for fraction introduction. The presentation concluded with appreciation from the board for the work of teachers and a reminder that the PLC process centers on student learning.