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Rucker Elementary principal highlights 'ohana' theme, cites early literacy and math gains
Summary
Rucker Elementary’s principal presented the school’s year-in-review, reporting new TK and extensive-needs classes, growth in i-Ready and ELA measures, expanded interventions for early grades, and priorities on writing and math instruction.
Rucker Elementary’s principal presented the school’s annual report to the Gilroy Unified School District board, saying the campus embraced an “ohana” theme this year that emphasizes belonging and community support. The principal described additions to the campus — transitional kindergarten and extensive support needs classes — and highlighted extracurricular offerings including a chess club of 30–40 students.
Academic data were a focal point. The principal said i-Ready results showed the share of students at or above grade level in English language arts rose from 7% to 26%, while math students at or above grade level grew from 3% to 24%. The school reported reducing the proportion of students “far below” grade level in ELA from 19% to 13% and in math from 16% to 9%.
“We added additional intervention in our kindergarten and first grade classes,” the principal said, noting two intervention educators pushed into primary classrooms and that individualized meetings with students contributed to measurable growth. The principal said those interventions will expand to second and third grades this year.
Writing remained a continuing emphasis. “We’re building units of study with teaching points from analysis of writing, which is a district focus this year as well,” the principal said, describing schoolwide calibration sessions and common formative assessments. The principal argued that practicing writing helps students use reading to identify grammar and structure that improve both skills.
On school culture, the principal said Rucker teaches Second Step social-emotional lessons daily, maintains a PBIS framework, and recognizes classes for attendance and positive behavior. When asked by Trustee Delbono whether the school administers the PBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory annually, the principal replied the site uses a PBIS committee and handbook to monitor fidelity but has not used the formal TFI tool in recent years.
The principal closed by listing priorities for the year — regular use of assessment results to guide instruction, strengthened writing instruction across grades, and enhanced math instruction with targeted interventions — and invited questions from the board.
