US/Global 
CAN
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Evidence of Excellence
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Evidence of Excellence
Moline Elementary School
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
DEMOGRAPHICS
Moline Elementary School, serving K–5 students in the Riverview Gardens School District, is dedicated to ensuring all Trailblazers achieve high levels of learning. Moline is committed to continuous improvement, data-driven instruction, and strong partnerships with families, embodying the belief that all means all.
295 Students
- 100% free and reduced lunch
- 12.5% students with special needs
Moline Elementary School's CHALLENGE
Like many other schools facing systemic challenges, Moline Elementary School’s journey toward improvement began from a place of struggle. Designated as a Targeted School in Missouri and ranked among the lowest-performing in the state, by 2022 the school was under a district mandate to improve student outcomes. However, Moline lacked the foundational knowledge to effectively implement the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® process, making meaningful progress difficult.
Moline serves a predominantly Black student population—learners that have been historically disadvantaged across the country—and Principal Amber White faced the daunting task of reviving a faculty used to the status quo. Professional development and district initiatives changed often, lacking a foundation in evidence-based practices. Persistent underperformance had become the norm. While the school’s climate was positive, Moline’s culture lacked high expectations for teaching and learning with students continuing to perform below grade level.
Following Covid, existing academic challenges at the school only deepened after being away from in-person learning for nearly a full year.
IMPLEMENTATION
“Our PLC journey truly gained momentum when we shifted to a shared vision. What began as a simple conference takeaway from our collective experience at the PLC at Work Conference became the heartbeat of our school. ‘Together, Everyone Achieves Mastery’ is more than a theme—it’s our daily commitment to collaboration, high expectations, and ensuring success for every student.”
During the 2022–2023 school year, Moline Elementary began its Priority Schools in a PLC at Work® journey with the guidance of job-embedded coaching by Kristi S. Langley. While this initial year was primarily focused on professional development for teachers, a schoolwide literacy block (the first attempt at a systemic intervention) was also implemented.
A pivotal shift occurred during the summer of 2023. Amber and her guiding coalition attended a PLC at Work Institute in June, which transformed their understanding of the PLC process. This conference, coupled with ongoing support from district-level principal coach Clara Sale-Davis, provided the foundation for a more focused approach to PLC implementation.
Returning with renewed enthusiasm and a solidified vision, the team dove into The Big Book of Tools for Collaborative Teams by William M. Ferriter, Mike Mattos, and Rob J. Meyer, utilizing its guidance to develop school processes, documents, and collaborative structures. Adding two content coaches, Dr. Taylar B. Wenzel for English language arts (ELA) and Dr. Brian Buckhalter for math, along with new job-embedded coaching from Michael McWilliams, further strengthened the school’s capacity for growth.
The 2023–2024 school year saw the implementation of learning cycle calendars in math and ELA. While grades 3–5 received specialized ELA coaching to enhance their understanding of priority standards and effective instructional strategies, K–2 concentrated on bolstering early literacy skills.
In math, a structured system for Tier 2 intervention emerged, ensuring timely assessment and support within a 10-day timeframe. Motivated by The 15-Day Challenge by Maria Nielsen, the guiding coalition developed a structured process for learning cycles in math, including quick checks and data trackers.
The school’s commitment to continuous improvement led them to an RTI at WorkTM Institute in March 2024, further refining their approach to intervention. Amber, inspired by the conference, began utilizing Training Teacher Leaders in a PLC at Work® by Jasmine K. Kullar to guide her efforts and further develop teacher leaders.
As Moline Elementary entered its third year of implementation of Priority Schools in a PLC at Work in 2024–2025, the focus shifted to refining intervention systems and leading a true Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention model, which maximized resources and staggered intervention times and collaboration among teachers and support staff.
RESULTS
Early literacy prociency rates: The percentage of students who struggle in early literacy has decreased from 75% to 37%, while proficiency has increased from 16.3% to 51.5%.
Reading prociency: Students scoring Below Basic have decreased from 62.4% in 2022–2023 to 41.4% in 2024–2025, while proficiency has increased from 15.5% to 28.8%.
Math prociency: Students scoring Below Basic have decreased from 67.1% to 51.8%, while profi ciency has increased from 12.6% to 21.2%.
Student attendance: Attendance has increased by 8–10% annually since 2022–2023.
Awards:
- Beating the Odds ELA Award (2022–2023)
- Beating the Odds Math Award (2023–2024)
- 6th Statewide in Mathematics Growth (2023–2024)
While some teams are still progressing in their data analysis and planning, the overall shift from compliance to commitment is evident, and the school’s data-driven culture is taking root. Moline Elementary is well on its way to creating a schoolwide system that provides the extra time and support needed for all students to reach high levels of learning.
Star Early Literacy Proficiency Rate (District Benchmark)
Percent of students at or above the district benchmark on the Star Early Literacy assessment. Uses the most recent score in the given district screening window.
Why Priority Schools in a PLC at Work?
As an educator, you are an integral part of students’ lives. Your time with each child will impact their future, no matter what school or district you serve. Schools labeled as low-performing or high-priority struggle with many challenges, but we can help your staff work together to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of student success.
