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Newark Middle School highlights heavy reading/math gaps and launches "Motivate" after-school interventions
Summary
Principal Vincent Gonzalez and teacher Shan Fuller told the board Newark Middle School saw large gaps on i-Ready diagnostics and will launch a targeted after-school “Motivate” program in January that starts with small groups of five and an expanded i-Ready intervention track.
Newark Middle School leaders reported to the Newark Unified School District board that diagnostic testing shows substantial reading and math deficits and outlined a targeted, tiered plan to boost student outcomes.
"Big things are happening at Newark Middle School," Principal Vincent Gonzalez said as he summarized winter i-Ready results for the board. Gonzalez reported 978 students enrolled, 927 tested, and that 352 students (about 38 percent) were three or more grade levels below in reading; in math, 280 students (about 32 percent) were three or more grade levels below. Gonzalez said the school's strategy rests on four core pillars—structure, trust, accountability and academic progress—and emphasized family and teacher engagement as essential to improvement.
Teacher Shan Fuller described how the school uses i-Ready diagnostics, daily interventions and a flexible intervention/enrichment period to move students in and out of small-group instruction. "We are currently administering the second diagnostic and seeing massive gains in reading and math," Fuller said, and explained that the school's intervention model tracks cohorts and adjusts placement based on ongoing assessments.
School leaders outlined "Motivate," an after-school initiative to start in mid‑January aimed at students two or more years behind grade level. The program will pair teachers with groups of five students for one focused intervention session and provide a second-day larger i-Ready session for roughly 15 students. Gonzalez told the board the plan initially anticipates about 20 groups of five, staffed by volunteer teachers from the site.
The presentation also highlighted a specific student case: Juliana Garcia, a sixth grader who has been speaking English about 20 months and posted notable i-Ready gains (Gonzalez said Juliana's math score rose 26 points and her reading went up 100 points between diagnostics). The board and members of the public praised Juliana and the school's staff for their work.
Board members asked operational questions about capacity and outreach. Gonzalez said the district will make personal phone calls to families to invite participation and have parents sign a commitment form; Fuller confirmed staffing plans that rely on site teachers and existing instructional leaders. Several trustees urged continuing to monitor site data and to report back next year with progress measures.
The board acknowledged the Spotlight as a model for site-driven intervention work and encouraged staff to maintain detailed progress reporting to the board and community.
