Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MLK Elementary highlights progress; board approves course‑guide and curriculum updates
Summary
Principal Shannon Rocket told the board MLK Elementary is meeting benchmarks with daily tiered interventions, new reading and STEM work; the board approved high‑school course‑guide changes including added reading interventions and a pre‑algebra track to improve foundational math.
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Principal Shannon Rocket presented a school report describing classroom programs, partnerships, and assessment‑driven interventions that the school says are supporting grade‑level progress.
"We have a staff of about 32…and over 250 families," Principal Shannon Rocket said, noting the school uses Reading Mastery Transformations for early identification and daily progress monitoring. She described a multidisciplinary team approach that delivers tiered interventions (tier‑1 through tier‑3) and said pull‑out tier‑three supports occur multiple times daily for students who need intensive help. She identified Ashley Williams as the MDT coordinator responsible for tracking intervention data.
Trustees pressed staff about supports for tier‑one and tier‑two students and whether formative assessments align with state assessment formats. Principal Rocket said teachers use learning‑style inventories and classroom practices that incorporate assessment‑like questions, extended day practice for third graders and coding/STEM activities for early grades to build application skills.
Separately, the board approved staff report T1 to update the Benton Harbor High School course guide. Director Nichols described changes that follow state guidance for world‑language proficiency credit (novice high criteria) and added reading strategies courses and a pre‑algebra pathway to strengthen foundational math before Algebra I. The board discussed offering introductory CTE opportunities earlier to engage students in career pathways and asked staff to further develop feeder course plans and middle‑school articulation.
The board voted to approve the course‑guide changes by roll call. Trustees asked for follow‑up details on CTE alignment, teacher‑cadet opportunities, and monitoring plans for peer mediation and student support services so the board can better assess implementation.
