Latia Academy credits data chats, wellness and new curriculum for double-digit gains

The principal of Latia Academy of Excellence said the school's turnaround rests on a set of coordinated practices that include daily morning routines, targeted data chats, professional learning communities and investments in teacher support.

"My vision when I became principal ... was to empower our teachers," said Miss Robbie Tate, principal of Latia Academy (TK-8), describing steps to give teachers time, resources and coaching so they could focus on student learning. Teachers at Latia said the curriculum adoption (Amplify), AVID strategies and a focus on academic language helped students approach assessments with familiar language and structure.

Sixth-grade teacher Denman Mays described brief "data chats" with students and frequent formative checks as a core technique: "We will meet with students for three to five minutes to review individualized data," she said, and added that Saturday school and after-school tutoring are used to target students still below grade level.

Student Mia Owens said test preparation included reviewing notes and practicing test-taking strategies; she told the program she tried to "stay calm and get enough sleep the nights before testing." Leaders said the school also expanded extracurricular offerings, introduced morning announcements to set expectations and built wellness programming to support students' social and emotional needs.

Next steps: Latia leaders said they will continue Saturday school and targeted tutoring, refine instruction for students still below grade level and expand family and community engagement to sustain gains. The segment presented school practices and results; no policy action or board vote was recorded on the show.