Rheel Updates

At Island Montessori, we believe every child has the potential to grow, succeed, and make a meaningful impact on the world around them. As a Montessori school, we value academic achievement alongside independence, curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, and a love of learning.

Today, we want to share important information about our school's academic performance, the areas where we recognize a need for improvement, and the steps we are taking to support continued student success.

For the 2025–2026 school year, Island Montessori Charter School received a School Performance Grade of D and an overall academic growth designation of Not Met from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

As a result, our school has been identified as a Low-Performing School and a Continually Low-Performing Charter School.

We recognize the significance of these designations and take them seriously. Our students deserve strong academic outcomes, and we are committed to making the necessary improvements.

We also know that improvement is possible because we have done it before. During the 2023–2024 school year, Island Montessori received a performance grade of D. Through the dedication of our staff and students, we improved to a C in 2024–2025, meeting expected academic growth in mathematics and exceeding expected growth in reading.

Our previous progress shows that improvement is possible. Our most recent results also remind us that we need to make that progress more consistent.

Although the state requires us to share these results and develop an improvement plan, this work goes beyond a requirement. Helping students make meaningful academic progress is a responsibility we embrace every year as our staff and students work toward growth. As a school, we are responsible for providing the instruction, support, and consistency that help make that growth possible.

Our goal is sustained growth, with effective teaching practices that support students across classrooms and grade levels.

At Island Montessori, learning extends beyond what an End-of-Grade assessment can measure. Students build knowledge alongside independence, curiosity, and responsibility.

Hands-on math materials help students understand why calculations work. Reading, research, and writing strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and the ability to explain ideas with evidence. Collaborative projects give students opportunities to apply these skills while developing confidence and leadership.

Teachers use student work, classroom observations, and assessments to identify progress and guide additional support or challenge. Together, these provide a fuller picture of each child’s learning.

We believe academic achievement and Montessori education go hand in hand. We are proud of who our students are becoming and committed to helping that learning translate into stronger, sustained state achievement outcomes.

• Increasing Attendance

In the state of North Carolina, school attendance has been raised as a concern state wide. In the 25-26 school year, 1 out of 4 students in the state of North Carolina were considered chronically absent, meaning they missed up to or more than 20 days of school. At Island Montessori, 10% of our students were considered chronically absent. We are working to help strengthen our guidelines, communication, and follow up with families We are also working on some incentives for students and for parents of students who are present or who have shown improvement in their attendance.

• Increase Math Performance School Wide

Our 2025–2026 results identified mathematics as an important area for improvement.

While our students met expected academic growth in mathematics, overall mathematics proficiency remains below where we want it to be.

This year, we are placing additional emphasis on:

• Building strong foundational math skills and number sense.

• Increasing opportunities for mathematical reasoning and problem solving.

• Helping students apply their mathematical understanding to new situations.

• Strengthening alignment between Montessori lessons, classroom materials, and North Carolina academic standards.

• Using student work and assessment data to identify where additional support is needed.

Our goal is not simply to prepare students for a test. It is to help students become confident, capable mathematical thinkers.

• Increase Family Communication and Connection

We believe that meaningful school improvement requires a strong partnership between families and educators.

Throughout the year, we will continue sharing information about student learning, academic priorities, and ways families can support foundational skills at home.

We are also working to strengthen communication about attendance, student progress, and opportunities for additional academic support.

Our goal is to ensure families feel informed, connected, and confident in the work happening at Island Montessori.

• Supporting Continued Growth in Reading

While reading proficiency is higher than mathematics proficiency at Island Montessori, continued growth in reading remains a priority. We want to build on our students’ strengths while supporting those who need additional instruction.

Our focus includes strengthening foundational reading skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and opportunities to discuss and write about texts. Teachers use classroom observations, student work, and assessment results to guide instruction and provide support or additional challenge as needed.

We also want to nurture a love of reading. Families can support this by reading together, encouraging independent reading, and talking about books their children enjoy. Our goal is for every student to become a more confident, capable, and engaged reader each year.

Our staff and leadership team have reviewed schoolwide and grade-level performance data, identified priority areas for improvement, and established measurable academic goals.

Throughout the school year, we are continuing this work through:

• Individual teacher data meetings and instructional observations.

• Regular review of student achievement and growth data.

• Vertical planning to strengthen curriculum alignment across grade levels.

• More intentional opportunities for problem solving and mathematical reasoning.

• Targeted instructional support based on individual student needs.

• Ongoing School Improvement Team meetings and implementation of our school improvement plan.

We will use assessment results and classroom evidence throughout the year to monitor progress and adjust our strategies rather than waiting until the end of the school year.

The button below will take you to our drafted School Improvement Plan.

The proficiency targets in our plan are annual benchmarks within a longer-term commitment. We aim to meet and build beyond these targets, steadily increasing the percentage of students meeting grade-level expectations. We will review progress each year and set goals that continue moving us forward.

You are welcome and encouraged to review and submit feedback based on the plan. The document is very comprehensive based on what is required by the state. If you have any questions, please reach out to me or Kelly Henrikson.

We know that improving academic performance requires commitment, consistency, and collaboration.

One year’s results matter, but they do not define a child’s potential or determine their long-term success. We are proud of the many Island Montessori alumni who have gone on to succeed in high school and beyond, building on the knowledge, independence, and confidence they developed here.

Their success is an encouraging reminder of what is possible as we work to strengthen academic outcomes for today’s students.

We also recognize that we have important work ahead of us.

Our commitment is to approach this work with transparency, purpose, and a continued belief in what our students can accomplish.

We can celebrate everything that makes Island Montessori special while continuing to raise expectations and strengthen state performance outcomes for every child.

Thank you for your continued partnership, trust, and support. Stay connected—we look forward to sharing our progress, celebrating successes, and continuing this work together.