Lake Road Elementary was selected as the Southeast Region’s success story in the “Positive Focus” quarterly newsletter, published by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in cooperation with the University of Missouri Center for SW-PBS.
The winter publication highlights nine schools in the state that have experienced notable results applying the Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support system, which aims to create and maintain an effective learning environment.
“After a complete overhaul and implementation of our student expectations, handbook, lesson plans, provision of professional development with staff on effective practices, and the morning celebration, we have seen a complete turnaround,” said Principal Erica Weadon in the article. “Teachers are teaching and students are learning.”
Over the past six years, Lake Road’s attendance rate under DESE’s 90/90 rule—that 90 percent of students are attending school 90 percent of the time—has increased from 80.9 to 92 percent. Office referrals have decreased from 367 to 171. Missouri Assessment Program scores have gone up by 46.7 percentage points in communication arts and 22.2 points in math.
Lake Road, which serves approximately 200 students with an 89.9 percent free and reduced lunch rate, is currently working toward the final tier of SW-PBS, which recognizes schools that adopt the system with high quality fidelity at the universal (bronze), targeted (silver) and intensive (gold) levels.
“Our goals this year have been to maintain the improved climate and perfect our tier 1, 2 and 3 systems of support, continue to improve attendance and PLC (professional learning community) collaborative work, and build positive relationships with families and the community through family nights, Bright Futures, Club Day, Rotary Store and Three for Me,” Weadon stated.
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Cutline: Lt. Mike Pulliam of the Missouri State Highway Patrol visits with students (from left) Gracie Laughlin, Abigail Nguyen and Mason Hawkins through the Lunch Buddies program at Lake Road.