Second Street School update: instruction, PBIS digital rewards and $1,000 per grade allocation

The board received an extended report on Second Street School on April 27 detailing instructional changes, assessment linkages, student and staff recognitions, and funding targeted to student opportunities.

Sam, the presenter for Second Street, described instructional work to align unit internalization and learning intentions across classrooms, ongoing PLC cycles using PDSA (plan, do, study, act), and plans for coaching cycles with CTL. The school is using I-Ready data to track mastery and to link student performance to district goals focused on economically disadvantaged students and novice-reduction cohorts.

On school climate, the presenter said the staff impact survey improved across multiple measures, reporting a 47-point increase overall with leadership and professional learning showing large gains. Sam said this was one of the highest six-year trends for Second Street.

The school described a new PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) digital rewards platform and a digital Pride store. The presenter said third grade had already issued about 3,500 points in the first two weeks and the school plans to let students spend points weekly to avoid inventory depletion.

Funding and opportunities: The presenter said approximately $40,000 is available in activity funds districtwide for student opportunities. The school committee approved an initial allocation of $1,000 to kick off the year for every grade level; the presenter estimated the schoolwide fundraiser provides about $15,000 annually and bank interest contributes roughly $4,000, leaving about $20,000 to be directed back to students in various ways.

Recognitions and student accomplishments: the board recognized multiple student competitors and winners from state contests and the KY School Boards Association banner contest, naming Noah Williams as the banner winner celebrating Frankfort High School's centennial. The meeting also featured a short video and remarks from eighth-grader Tani Cleveland, who was introduced as an ambassador for the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Commission's Better Without It program; a line from the video provided by the student said, "It's okay to distance yourself." Several students were also named as governor's school selects and one student was accepted to the governor's school for the arts.

What to watch: the school will continue aligning I-Ready results to CIP goals and complete coaching cycles this spring; family engagement and parent cafes are scheduled districtwide. The presenter asked the board to note several upcoming events and the final testing windows under recent state testing rules.

Quotes from the meeting
- Principal (reading a nomination): "Miss Starky provides excellent instruction in a safe and caring environment. She sets clear expectations and holds her students 100% accountable."
- Eighth-grader Tani Cleveland (video): "It's okay to distance yourself."