The Alachua County School Board passed step two in the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Elementary turnaround plan at its Tuesday meeting.
The northeast Gainesville elementary school received the grade of “D” for both the 2022-2023 and the 2023-2024 school years. Less than 4% of all Florida schools received a “D” grade in the 2023-24 school year.
Rawlings’ grades place it in a “Tier 2” status, labeling it a target of additional support and improvement.
Only 16% of all students at Rawlings Elementary demonstrated on-grade level English language arts achievement and above for the 2023-24 school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
The first step of the turnaround plan, passed Aug. 21, identified staff turnover, lack of foundational skills and attendance problems as the causes of low performance and achievement levels.
The current plan states all assurances outlined in step one have been addressed, including the assignment of effective leadership and instructional personnel, ensuring compliance with state academic standards and implementing a professional learning plan to increase leadership and teacher quality.
Nearly 46% of Rawlings Elementary teachers were “inexperienced,” or had taught for less than four years during the 2022-23 school year. The number of inexperienced teachers was nearly 13% higher than the statewide average, according to the FLDOE.
One of the solutions recommended in the first step was for Rawlings Elementary to participate in the FLDOE Year-round School Pilot Program, which started on July 16 to reduce learning loss over the summer.
Step two of the turnaround plan passed with a 4-1 vote Tuesday, with District 3 board member Sarah Rockwell in dissent.
In step two’s findings of the 2023-24 school year, the implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports led to a 28% reduction in out-of-school suspensions.
Attendance strategies employed a family liaison to foster family connections and emphasize student attendance.
Rawlings recorded a 16% decrease in the number of students who were absent for 10% or more of the school days the past school year. It will continue the family liaison program for the 2024-25 school year.
To increase accountability for continued assurances, Rawlings will also continue multiple partnerships with current staff and state departments.
It conducts weekly collaborative planning meetings with school staff and leadership. The sessions, organized by grade level, are facilitated by school administration alongside district coaches.
The school board will maintain a partnership with the state’s Bureau of School Improvement. BSI will visit Rawlings every two weeks, prioritizing activities such as data analysis, classroom observations and strategic action planning.
The State Regional Literacy Director will provide monthly school visits and specialized professional learning sessions aimed at building the skills and knowledge of the teaching staff. The SRLD will also have monthly meetings with the district leadership team.
Rawlings must raise the school’s grade to a “C” or higher by the 2024-25 school year to exit turnaround status.
Contact Sara-James Ranta at sranta@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sarajamesranta.
Sara-James Ranta is a third-year journalism major, minoring in sociology of social justice and policy. Previously, she served as a general assignment reporter for The Alligator's university desk.
