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Susie King Taylor Community School reports strong I-Ready gains and steady enrollment, board asks about instructional practice
Summary
Susie King Taylor Community School told the board it raised reading growth from 65% to 83% (mid-year to spring), improved math outcomes with Ignite interventions, maintained 94% attendance and held nearly $1 million in reserves; board members asked about standards-based grading, Chromebook use and alignment to GMAS.
Dr. Genny Smith, director of Susie King Taylor Community School, presented the school’s annual report to the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education on April 8, highlighting strong interim growth on I-Ready assessments, consistent enrollment and financial stability.
Dr. Smith said reading progress rose from 65% at mid-year to 83% in the spring assessment window and credited standards-based grading, targeted interventions and a place-based model that includes regular field experiences funded in the school budget. She described Ignite interventions at the second-grade level that showed a roughly 20% difference in progress compared with a classroom not using the program.
Operational metrics reported by Dr. Smith included a stable scholar population of 300 (planning for 320 next year), 94% attendance, 97% free-and-reduced-price-eligible scholars, about 20% of students with IEPs, and nearly $1 million in reserves. Dr. Smith also said human-resources checklists and required evaluations were up to date and the school had no audit findings.
Board members asked how the school boosted math performance and probed the classroom technology policy. Dr. Smith said leadership emphasized increased rigor in math and collaborative planning across grade bands, and that the school has moved to standards-based grading with district support. The presenter added that teachers were asked to limit routine Chromebook use this year and instead prioritize pencil-and-paper work to better surface student misunderstandings; Chromebooks remain available for assessments and where instruction requires them.
Board members reiterated that future charter reporting will increasingly align with state GMAS comparisons and the district’s new evaluation tools; staff said reports are being realigned to that rubric and more GMAS data will appear in subsequent presentations. The board took no formal action on the Susie King Taylor report during this meeting.
