Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Middle School topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sixth and seventh grade academy reports modest gains and stresses culture-building after staffing changes
Summary
Principal Hunter Alexander told the board the sixth/seventh grade academy serves 556 students, has 31 teachers, and posted a 24.9% state report card score (D); he highlighted culture-building, team structures and modest ELA gains while noting concentrated behavior incidents and limited math growth.
Hunter Alexander presented the sixth and seventh grade academy’s effectiveness report, telling the board the site serves 556 students with 31 teachers and highlighted a year of culture work tied to instructional supports.
Alexander said the academy’s core approach is to “build belonging on purpose,” grouping students into four teams (Alpha, Delta, Zulu and Echo) and aligning subject-area teachers so interventions and parent contact occur in smaller learning communities. He said the site has four administrators (three new this year), two counselors, and three behavioral health aides on site through a partnership with Green Country.
The presenter gave a snapshot of academic measures: the school’s state report card was cited at 24.9 percent (a D rating). Alexander said the academy saw modest growth in ELA — about a 10 percent gain in sixth grade from mid- to end-of-year benchmarks — and a smaller gain in seventh-grade ELA. He described math growth as limited, noting sixth grade did not achieve the gains hoped for and that staffing and curricular adjustments have been made to address math performance.
Alexander also addressed behavior and school climate. He said roughly 80 percent of students had zero behavior incidents, and that a small group of students accounts for the majority of disciplinary events; the administration has emphasized protecting instructional time and consistency in behavior responses. He described incentive programs, the “Kick It Up” attendance campaign and extracurricular offerings that he said helped improve engagement.
Board members praised leadership and emphasized the importance of sustained support; no formal vote related to school operations or budget changes occurred during the report.
Alexander closed by summarizing next steps: continued instructional coaching, targeted math strategies, and maintaining systems that support teacher retention and student belonging.
