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Middle school staff report Tier 2 overhaul and surge in positive referrals at board meeting
Summary
New Glarus middle school leaders told the school board they redesigned Tier 2 interventions to improve equity and academic readiness and reported positive behavior referrals rose from four to 70 this year; they also announced an online eighth-grade geometry option and a planned executive-function pilot.
At a regular meeting of the New Glarus School District board, middle school principal Jeff Eler and members of his teaching team outlined a two-pronged school improvement plan aimed at strengthening Tier 2 academic supports and boosting student–staff connections.
Eler introduced the team and said the work began over the summer and continued through ongoing meetings to review data and set action steps. "We focused on revamping our Tier 2 system and processes at the middle school to ensure equity and best practice," Eler said, describing steps that included shared scheduling to guarantee student availability for Tier 2 supports and a district-aligned review of essential learning outcomes (ELOs).
Bailey Stats, a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher, detailed curriculum and assessment changes used to measure progress. The presenters cited report-card ELO proficiency numbers for recent years (the 2023–24 figure was reported at about 89.7%; 2024–25 was reported as roughly 82.87%) and said current-year report cards remain in process and are not yet final. "We revisited some ELOs and kept some and changed a few," Stats said, noting that common proficiency definitions and lesson development took place in professional-development time.
On behavior supports, the team said the school set a goal to increase positive staff referrals — a strategy intended to strengthen adult–student relationships. "We went from four [positive referrals] in 2024–25 to 70 this year," Eler reported, and the team plans to continue raising that number and to track one positive staff referral per student per month as an interim target. Staff conducted empathy interviews with students to clarify what students consider a meaningful connection; staff then shared findings and adjusted practices.
The presentation also covered acceleration options in mathematics. The district offered online eighth-grade geometry this year as one of three acceleration pathways; nine students completed the two-semester online option and will enter high school placed in Algebra II as freshmen. Staff said other acceleration choices include summer coursework or doubling up in freshman year, with scheduling trade-offs for students in music or other electives.
Looking ahead, presenters said they are developing 100-day plans and have identified Axiom Learning — an executive-function curriculum of short lessons — as a recommended pilot for next year, to be considered for formal approval at an upcoming board meeting. Eler closed the presentation by thanking his team and opening the floor for board questions.
The board did not take formal action on the middle school plan itself at the meeting; presenters were invited back with implementation plans and additional data later in the summer.
