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Athenian Academy credits data-driven instruction, pacing and leadership for turnaround to A rating
Summary
Athenian Academy of Technology and the Arts described a multi-year turnaround at a Pasco County School Board workshop, citing data systems, coaching and curriculum pacing that officials say raised ELA, math and science proficiencies substantially and improved teacher retention.
Athenian Academy of Technology and the Arts officials described a multi-year turnaround that they attribute to structured pacing, frequent data reviews and leadership continuity.
"We started there. We prepared a pacing manual...and as we were fixing it, the grades went up," said Jim Matthew, board chair for Athenian Academy, recounting the school's move from a D to sustained A ratings after leadership and operational changes. Principal Evan Markowitz told the board that the school improved ELA proficiency from 39% to 84%, math from 40% to 84%, and science from 41% to 89% since the turnaround years.
The school's approach combines Rosenshine-style instructional principles, Kagan cooperative learning, weekly progress monitoring and regular coaching. Dan Rashavi, the contracted financial administrator and CEO of the school's ESP, described a locally developed analytics program called GAINS that provides near-real-time, curriculum-based assessments used to identify gaps and guide remediation.
"We're doing measurable weekly assessments against last week's results," Rashavi said, describing how the analytics inform targeted instruction and remediation plans.
Administrators described operational alignment between fiscal decisions and instructional goals, monthly dashboard reviews by the board covering finances, curriculum pacing, academics and attendance, and an emphasis on building teacher capacity through ongoing coaching and summer training academies.
The school highlighted family and community engagement as part of its strategy: recurring events such as Reading Under the Stars, performing-arts participation in local festivals, and fundraising that supported new bleachers and a nascent sports program. Markowitz invited board members to visit classrooms and noted the school will perform at a Disney event on May 24.
Board members thanked the school's leaders for work with historically underperforming student populations. In response to questions about retention, Markowitz said turnover was as high as about 50% during the initial turnaround year but has stabilized in recent years at around 95% retention.
The school credited supportive oversight from district staff and the charter liaison for helping navigate compliance and contract requirements. The discussion ended with board praise and an offer for additional visits to observe classroom practice.
The board adjourned the workshop with no formal action on the spotlight report; the presentation was informational.
