Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast - Week 35: Performance Target Review and Reflection

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

Happy Friday!As we wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible dedication, passion, and resilience of our staff. Throughout the year, you have gone above and beyond to create positive learning experiences for our students, and this week, it has been heartening to see so many businesses, families, and community members step up to show their appreciation. Your work matters, not just this week but every single day, and the impact you have on the lives of our students is both profound and lasting. Thank you for everything you do.Now, as we turn our attention to Week 35 and our Performance Target Review, we have much to reflect upon. While our goal of reducing discipline referrals by 10% proved to be a challenge, and our attendance is slightly less than what we were shooting for, the information we have gathered throughout the year provides valuable insights into our practices and areas for growth. By examining these results closely, we can better understand the impact of our efforts, refine our strategies, and identify opportunities to further strengthen the culture of accountability and support across our schools. The progress we did see this year is a testament to your commitment to maintaining high expectations and investing in the success of every student. We will carry these lessons forward as we plan for a stronger and more focused year ahead.Discipline ReferralsOne of our district goals for this school year was to reduce discipline referrals by 10% from the previous year. After reviewing the data, we recognize that we will not reach that goal. In FY24, there were a total of 1,205 discipline incidents reported. In FY25, that number rose to 1,444—an increase of approximately 20%, rather than the desired decrease.While this outcome may initially seem discouraging, several key factors and points of progress should be acknowledged:* Implementation of the No Cell Phone Policy: This year marked the first time we fully enforced a no cell phone policy, a proactive step that aligns with what will become state law next year. While the transition brought a notable increase in Personal Electronic Device (PED) violations (from 15 in FY24 to 116 in FY25), this increase reflects our consistent enforcement of an entirely new behavioral expectation, which is one that ultimately protects instructional time and supports student focus.* Improved Clarity and Reporting: The rise in total referrals is likely influenced by increased staff consistency in reporting, particularly in categories like Tardies (99 in FY25 vs. 10 in FY24) and PEDs. These numbers do not necessarily signal worse behavior but rather better alignment to policy enforcement and a stronger culture of accountability.* Reduction in Major Incidents: Some of the more serious infractions showed improvement. Fighting incidents decreased from 36 in FY24 to 30 in FY25, and harassment-related reports dropped from 42 to 32. These are meaningful steps forward and likely reflect the positive effects of our early interventions and behavior support frameworks.* Consistency in Key Areas: Despite the overall increase, other categories remained stable. Tobacco/e-cigarette violations stayed nearly the same (62 vs. 61), and bus-related incidents increased only slightly from 278 to 318, despite the growth in ridership and route coverage. The same goes for overall assignments of ISS and OSS consequences.While the raw totals did not meet our reduction goal, our data shows we are moving toward a more structured, intentional, and proactive discipline system. Our next steps will include refining supports for Tier I and Tier II behaviors, continuing restorative practices, and reinforcing student ownership and understanding of expectations.What Next?While the raw totals did not meet our reduction goal, our data shows we are moving toward a more structured, intentional, and proactive discipline system. Our next steps will include refining supports for Tier I and Tier II behaviors, continuing restorative practices, and reinforcing student ownership and understanding of expectations.As we look ahead to setting a new goal for next year, we encourage all staff to begin considering strategies such as:* Establishing grade-level or building-wide “reset weeks” focused on reteaching behavioral expectations after breaks or periods of transition.* Expanding the use of positive behavior reinforcement systems, such as point-based incentives, positive behavior recognition, or classroom goal tracking.* Embedding executive functioning and personal growth learning into daily instruction, especially during advisory, intervention, or other meeting times.* Continued use of behavior intervention teams at each building, composed of counselors, administrators, and lead teachers, to identify at-risk students early and provide layered support.* Enhancing student voice and agency, allowing students to help co-create norms, participate in peer mediation, or serve as ambassadors for positive school culture.Discipline is not just about reducing numbers, it is about shaping culture. And with each policy we enforce, each expectation we clarify, and each student we support, we get closer to schools where growth and accountability go hand in hand.We invite you to share your ideas, concerns, and solutions to help us improve student behavior across all campuses by participating in this Thought Exchange. Your insight will help guide our next steps and shape a stronger, more supportive environment for every learner.Attendance Update: Closing the GapOne of our goals for the 2024–2025 school year was to reach a district-wide attendance rate of 93.5%. For much of the year, we were on track to meet that target, until the flu hit us hard. Despite the setback, we still made some gains. As of May 2, our district stands at 92.94%, up slightly from 92.76% the year before. This improvement, while modest, is not without meaning. It reflects intentional efforts, stronger communication with families, a growing sense of connection, and consistent messaging about the importance of being here every day. Still, there is more to learn from the data.When we look deeper at building and grade-level trends, a more complete story unfolds. Some of our strongest improvements came from students in transition years, suggesting that our efforts to support 9th-grade orientation and senior-year engagement are paying off. On the other hand, several early elementary grades and middle school cohorts experienced slight declines, reminding us that attendance is fragile and must be nurtured continually.The year-over-year numbers also tell us that cohort tracking, watching the same group of students as they move through the system, can help us identify patterns that might be missed when comparing grades in isolation. That lens will be even more important moving forward, especially as we seek to balance high expectations with meaningful support.Highlights and Findings:* The district average improved slightly from 92.76% in FY24 to 92.94% in FY25, though still short of the 93.5% target.Click here to view the full report.* Mena High School led the way, increasing from 92.63% to 94.06%, with significant growth in:* 11th grade: 91.23% to 94.51%* 12th grade: 92.49% to 94.07%* 9th grade (new to high school): 92.22% to 94.40%* Polk County Virtual Academy (PCVA) continued to post strong high school attendance:* 11th grade: 97.89%* 12th grade: 94.84%* 9th grade: 96.03%* Middle school attendance declined slightly, dropping from 93.50% to 92.86%* 8th grade fell from 93.21% to 92.35%* 7th grade declined from 94.07% to 93.32%* Early elementary cohorts saw mixed results:* This year’s 2nd graders dropped from 92.41% to 92.10%* This year’s 3rd graders slipped from 93.21% to 93.15%* 5th grade improved slightly from 92.08% to 92.34%* District-wide cohort tracking revealed promising upward trends in key groups, especially high school students, suggesting that targeted transition support and culture-building efforts are making a difference.These data points reflect what many of us already feel: progress is happening, but it takes time, and it takes all of us. As we look ahead to next year, we will continue to explore ways to reinforce routines, improve communication, and intervene early when patterns emerge. With focus and unity, we can ensure more students are present, engaged, and on the path to success.Cohorts to Watch Next YearAs we look at this year’s attendance data, it is clear that some student groups will need extra attention and support as they move forward. While the overall attendance rate improved slightly, some specific cohorts experienced declines that could carry over into next year if not addressed.One group to keep an eye on is this year’s third graders, who will be moving into fourth grade next year. Under the LEARNS Act, all students are expected to be reading on grade level by the end of the third grade. For those who are not, the law requires targeted interventions to help them catch up. This year’s third-grade group saw a slight drop in attendance, from 93.21 percent to 93.15 percent. While that may not seem like a big change, for students who are already struggling to reach reading proficiency, every missed day is a missed opportunity. Next year, these students may need more intensive reading instruction, extended learning opportunities, and additional support, especially during the first semester, to close those gaps and stay on track.This year’s eighth graders, who will enter high school as freshmen next year, also saw a drop in attendance, moving from 94.07 percent to 92.35 percent. The transition to high school can be challenging for some students, and a dip in attendance may signal potential disengagement. Next year, we will need to focus on strong onboarding programs, peer mentoring, and more consistent monitoring to keep these students connected and engaged as they adjust to a new environment.Monitoring these cohorts closely next year will be essential. By focusing on targeted interventions, clear communication, and strategic support, we can help these students regain ground, build stronger attendance habits, and stay on a positive trajectory. For those third graders approaching the reading benchmark, what we do now will not only affect their reading proficiency but could shape their entire academic path moving forward.ClosingEarlier this week, we celebrated School Nurse Appreciation Day, recognizing the incredible dedication and compassion of our school nurses — Becky Richardson, Jackie Lee, Janette Bernard, and Bobbi Landon. Every day, they provide essential care, support, and comfort to our students, helping to keep them healthy, safe, and ready to learn. We are grateful for their unwavering commitment to the well-being of our school community. Thank you for all you do!May 22nd is the last day of school for our students, and May 23rd is our last in-service day for the year. As in years past, we will assemble at around 10 am in the PAC to recognize achievements, career milestones, and to give special recognition to our retirees. If you are reaching a years-of-service (1, 5, 10, 15, etc.) milestone this year or if you have made any significant achievements, we ask you to fill out this form. Your response will ensure you receive the recognition you deserve for your years of dedicated service. Also, Christ’s Community Fellowship will feed us again this year with a bar-b-que lunch right after the ceremony. We very much appreciate that!We also want to take a moment to recognize the exceptional efforts of our student-athletes and coaches. Congratulations to our softball and baseball teams for outstanding seasons, showcasing skill, perseverance, and teamwork. Our soccer teams are still in contention for a deep playoff run, and we are cheering them on as they continue to compete with determination and heart. Reflecting on the year in athletics, Athletic Director Craig Bentley noted, “The 2024–2025 athletics season has been one of the most successful in recent years, with multiple teams earning championship or runner-up titles in their respective conferences and tournaments. The vast majority of our teams qualified for postseason play, and there were numerous outstanding individual achievements as well.”Beyond athletics, this has been a year of growth, challenge, and progress across all areas of our district. As we wrap up these final weeks, let us continue to focus on finishing strong, celebrating the achievements we have made, and learning from the challenges we faced. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our students and to one another.It was a good week of accomplishment at Mena Public Schools.At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.Keep the #menareads posts and videos coming and have a good weekend! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bearcatwrap.substack.com

Welcome to the week 35 wrap up entitled Performance Target Review and Reflection. We did not reach our stated performance targets this year, but there are bright spots to build upon and guide us to a better result next year. Happy Friday. As we wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible dedication, passion, and resilience of our staff. Throughout the year you've gone above and beyond to create positive learning experiences for our students and this week it has been heartening to see so many businesses, families, and community members step up to show their appreciation. Your work matters not just this week but every single day and the impact you have on lives of our students is both profound and lasting. Thank you for everything you

do. Now as we turn our attention to week 35 and our performance target review we have much to reflect upon. While our goal of reducing discipline referrals by 10% proved to be a challenge and our attendance is slightly less than what we were shooting for, the information we have gathered throughout the year provides us valuable insights into our practices and areas for growth. By examining these results closely, we can better understand the impact of our efforts, refine our strategies, and identify opportunities to further understand the impact of our efforts, refine our strategies, and identify opportunities to further strengthen the culture of accountability and support across our schools.

The progress we did see this year is a testament to your commitment to maintaining high expectations and investing in the success of every student. We will carry these lessons forward as we plan for a stronger and more focused year ahead. Discipline Referrals One of our district goals for this school year was to reduce discipline referrals by 10% from the previous year. After reviewing the data, we recognize that we will not reach that goal. In fiscal year 24, there were a total of 1,205 discipline incidents reported. In fiscal year 25, that's this year, that number

rose to 1,444, an increase of approximately 20 percent rather than the desired decrease. There are links to the raw data in the text. While this outcome may initially seem discouraging, there are key factors and points of progress that should be acknowledged. First, the implementation of the no cell phone policy. This year marked the first time we fully enforced a no cell phone policy, a proactive step that aligns with what will become state law next year. While the transition brought a notable increase in personal electronic device or PED violations, with there being 15 last year and 116 this year,

this increase reflects our consistent enforcement of an entirely new behavioral expectation, which is one that ultimately protects instructional time and supports student focus. Another point is improved clarity in reporting. The rise in total referrals is likely influenced by increased staff consistency in reporting, particularly in categories like TARDYs, which

were 99 this year, versus 10 last year, and, again, PEDs. These numbers do not necessarily signal worse behavior, but rather better alignment to policy enforcement and a stronger culture of accountability. Another point, reduction in major incidents. Some of the more serious infractions showed improvement. Fighting incidents decreased from 36 last year to 30 this year, and harassment related reports dropped from 42 to 32.

These are meaningful steps forward and likely reflect the positive effects of our early interventions and behavioral support frameworks. The last point is consistency in key areas. Despite the overall increase, other categories remained stable. Tobacco or e-cigarette violations stayed nearly the same, 62 versus 61. and bus related incidents

increased only slightly from 278 to 318 despite the growth in ridership and route coverage. The same goes for overall assignments of ISS and OSS consequences. While the raw data totals did not meet our reduction goal, our data shows that we're moving toward a more structured, intentional, and proactive discipline system. Our next steps will include refining supports for tier one and tier two behaviors,

continuing restorative practices, and reinforcing student ownership and understanding of expectations. What next? While the raw totals did not meet our reduction goal, our data shows we are moving toward a more structured, intentional, and proactive discipline system. Our next steps will include refining, as mentioned, refining supports for tier 1 and tier 2 behaviors, continuing restorative practices and reinforcing student ownership of expectations. As we look ahead to setting a new goal for next year, we encourage all staff to begin considering strategies such as establishing grade level or building wide reset weeks, focused on reteaching behavioral expectations after breaks or periods of transition, expanding

the use of positive behavior reinforcement systems such as point-based incentives, positive behavior recognition, or classroom goal tracking, embedding executive functioning and personal growth learning into daily instruction, especially during advisory, intervention, or other meeting times, continued use of behavior intervention teams at each building, composed of counselors, administrators, and lead teachers to identify at-risk students early and provide layered support, and enhancing student voice and agency, allowing students to help co-create norms, participate in peer mediation, or serve as ambassadors for positive school culture. This one's not just about reducing numbers, it's about shaping culture. And with each policy we enforce,

each expectation we clarify, and each student we support, we get closer to schools where growth and each student we support. We get closer to schools where growth and accountability go hand in hand. We invite you to share your ideas, concerns, and solutions to help us improve student behavior across all campuses by participating in this thought exchange that's linked in the text. Your insight will help guide our next steps

and shape a stronger, more supportive environment for every learner. Attendance update closing the gap. One of our goals for this year was to reach a district-wide attendance rate of 93.5 percent. For much of the year we were on track to meet that target until the flu hit us hard. Despite the setback we still made some gains. As of May 2nd, our district stands at 92.94 percent, up slightly from 92.76 the year before. This improvement, while modest, is not without meaning. It reflects intentional efforts, stronger communication with families, a growing sense of connection, and a consistent message about the importance of being here every day.

Still, there's more to learn from the data. When we look deeper at building level and grade level trends, a more complete story unfolds. Some of our strongest improvements came from students in transition years suggesting that our efforts to support ninth grade orientation and senior year engagement are paying off. On the other hand, several early elementary grades and middle school cohorts experience slight declines, reminding us that attendance is fragile and must be nurtured continually. The year-over-year numbers also tell us that cohort tracking, watching the same group of students as they move through the system,

can help us identify patterns that might be missed when comparing grades in isolation. That lens will be even more important moving forward, especially as we seek to balance high expectations with meaningful support. There are some highlights in the text that I want to cover, but I won't go detail by detail. There's also a link to the raw data embedded in the text as well. Overall, the district average improved slightly, which I mentioned, but still short of the

target. MENA High School led the way, increasing attendance from 92.63 last year to 94.06 this year. I also list grades with particular growth. Polk County Virtual Academy or BCVA that's homebound instruction so the attendance is always high there not much to report. Middle school declined slightly dropping from 93.5 last year to 92.86 this year. You can see the grades in the text that had the most significant declines. Early elementary cohorts saw mixed results. This year, second graders dropped from 92.41 to 92.1. Third graders slipped from 93.2 to 93.15 and fifth grade improved slightly from 92.08 to 92.34. District-wide cohort tracking revealed promising upward trends in key groups, especially high school students,

suggesting that targeted transitions and transition support and culture building efforts are making a difference. These data points reflect that many of us already feel progress is happening but it takes time and it takes all of us. As we look ahead to next year we will continue to explore ways to reinforce routines, improve communication and intervene early when patterns emerge. With focus and unity we can ensure more students are present, engaged, and on the path to success. There are cohorts to watch for next year. As we look at this year's attendance data, it's clear that some student groups will need extra attention and support as they move forward. While the overall attendance rate improved

slightly, some specific cohorts experienced declines that could carry over into next year if not addressed. One group to keep an eye on is this year's third graders in the fourth grade next year. Under the Learns Act, all students are expected to be on grade level by the end of third grade. For those who are not, the law requires targeted interventions to help catch them up. This year's third grade group saw a slight drop in attendance from 93.21 to 93.15 percent. While that may not seem like a big change for students who are already struggling to reach reading proficiency,

every missed day is missed opportunity. Next year these students may need more intensive reading instruction, extended learning opportunities, and additional support, especially during the first semester to close the gaps and stay on track. This year's eighth graders who will enter high school as freshmen next year also saw a drop in attendance moving from 94.07% to 92.35%. Transition to high school can be challenging for some students, and a dip in attendance may signal potential disengagement. Next year, we will need to focus on strong onboarding programs, peer mentoring, and more consistent monitoring to keep these students connected and engaged as they adjust to a new environment. Monitoring these cohorts closely next

year will be essential. By focusing on targeted interventions, clear communication, and strategic support, we can help these students regain ground, build stronger attendance habits, and stay on a positive trajectory. For those third graders approaching the reading benchmark, what we do now will not only affect their reading proficiency, but could shape their entire academic path moving forward. In closing, earlier this week we celebrated School Nurse Appreciation Day recognizing the incredible dedication and compassion of our school nurses. Becky Richardson, Jackie Lee, Jenna Bernard, and Bobby Landon. Every day they

provide essential care, support, and comfort to our students helping to keep them healthy, safe, and ready to learn. We are grateful for their unwavering commitment to the well-being of our students and school community. Thank you for all you do. May 22nd is the last day of school for our students and school community. Thank you for all you do. May 22nd is the last day of school for our students and May 23rd is our last in-service day for the year. As in years past, we will assemble around 10 a.m. in the pack to recognize achievements, career milestones, and to give special recognition to our retirees.

If you are reaching a years of service milestone that's 1, 5, 10, 15, etc. this year or if you have made significant achievements we ask that you fill out the form that's linked in the text. Your response will ensure you receive the recognition you deserve for your years of dedicated service or achievement. Also, Christ's Community Fellowship will feed us again this year with a barbecue lunch right after the ceremony and we very much appreciate that. We also want to take a moment to recognize the exceptional efforts of our student athletes and coaches. Congratulations to our softball and baseball teams for outstanding seasons showcasing

skill, perseverance, and teamwork. Our soccer teams are still in contention for a deep playoff run and we are cheering them on as they continue to compete with determination and heart. Reflecting on the year in athletics, athletic director Craig Bentley noted the 24-25 athletic season has been one of the most successful in recent years with multiple teams earning championships or runner-up titles in their respective conferences and tournaments. The vast majority of our teams qualified for postseason play and there were numerous outstanding individual achievements as well. Great season Bearcats.

Beyond athletics, this year has been a year of growth, challenge and progress across all areas of our district. As we wrap up these final weeks, let us continue to focus on finishing strong, celebrating the achievements we have made and learning from the challenges that we faced. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to our students and to one another. It was a good week of accomplishment at Mena Public Schools. At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared,

our staff is supported, and our community is confident. Keep the Mena Reads posts and videos coming and have a good weekend.