East Washington Academy officials tout literacy gains and attendance incentives

At the Muncie Community Schools board meeting, representatives from East Washington Academy described improvements in student behavior, a modest rise in attendance and a multi‑pronged effort to boost early literacy.

"Behavior in particular is looking great so far this school year," Mr. Shroyer, representing East Washington Academy, said, noting the building’s proactive behavior coach and staff presence in hallways. He told the board the school has stabilized the number of recurring behavior incidents and is working to keep students in class.

The presentation said attendance is approximately 92.5 percent this year—about 2 percentage points higher than the same time last year—and highlighted attendance incentives including monthly raffles, bike prizes and an on‑site incentive room staffed by support personnel.

Assistant principal Tory Hernandez described a range of literacy strategies and interventions aimed at early grades. Hernandez said the school uses targeted, teacher‑led activities and an "I read three" intervention plan that will place struggling students into three daily reading cohorts. School leaders reported that after the second administration last year the metric discussed in the presentation reached 78 percent, and that internal projections put second‑administration performance this year in the mid‑ to upper‑70s.

The presentation also emphasized community outreach and extracurricular opportunities—family nights, a school YouTube channel for short principal updates and a long list of clubs and activities—as part of a strategy to increase engagement and attendance.

The board invited the girls basketball team to the dais for recognition; presenters noted the team’s multi‑year winning streak and thanked coaches and staff for their support. The presentation closed with offers from the board for continued support as the school works toward its assessment targets.