Case Study: Targeted School Improvement Efforts Produce Significant Achievement Gains in One Academic Year

Nestled in the town of Wichita Falls, Texas, Kirby Middle School started the 2018-2019 school year with less-than-ideal news: an ‘F’ rating from the state, placing them in improvement required status. With a large population of at-risk students, high teacher turnover rates, and low student scores, the school was suddenly faced with the possibility of a state takeover.

The years following were met with the COVID-19 pandemic, causing massive disruptions to Kirby’s school improvement efforts. School leaders pushed forward anyway, conducting a thorough needs assessment and putting forth their “2022-2023 Campus Improvement Plan.” The plan specified six primary priorities, including providing teachers with job-embedded support in implementing interventions proven to close achievement gaps, and four school goals, including “recruit, retain, and support teachers and principals” and “build a foundation of literacy and numeracy.”

To effectively meet the school’s needs, goals, and priorities to turn the school around, Kirby partnered with engage2learn (e2L) to provide support in implementing individualized coaching for leaders and teachers across the school on evidence-based interventions proven to improve academic scores.

Read the case study to learn how just a few months of intentional support from e2L led to improved student outcomes and saved the school from a state takeover!

“It means a lot to me for this school to be successful. It means a lot to me for these kids to be successful. Having students work through the Buerk rubrics is what allows me to identify the needs, classify my kids’ areas of understanding, and be able to specifically target certain areas with certain students.” 

Aaron Rask
6th Grade Math Teacher
Kirby Middle School

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