To: Asha Riley, Superintendent
From: Phillip Pearson, WHS Principal
Date: 12.11.2025
RE: WHS Board Report
School Improvement Plan
This fall, 9th and 10th graders enrolled in Algebra 1 and Geometry completed the first round of IXL diagnostic testing. Although we’re still learning to use the tool, it’s now possible for us to monitor the progress of those students across 6 mathematical skill groups: Numbers and operations, algebra and algebraic thinking, fractions, geometry, measurement, and statistics and probability. In general, we score highest in numbers and operations and algebraic thinking and lowest in fractions, measurement, and statistics. At this point, the 9th graders are slightly outscoring the 10th graders. Just before Thanksgiving, the math department spent half a day reviewing the diagnostic results and developing in-class responses. The next round of diagnostics is scheduled for March.
Recognition
Many things have occurred this fall that deserve recognition. I’ll highlight two here. First, last week, Shari Conditt received the Sandra Day O’Connor award for excellence in Civics teaching, and just this week was appointed to serve on the State Board of Education. Second, our football team won the 2A Academic State Championship, meaning that, as a group, our boys had the highest collective GPA of any 2A football program in the state. Although the boys would have loved to have made it to the state championship game, I consider this achievement to be of potentially higher importance in terms of lifelong impact. I can’t say it any better than Coach Flanagan, so I’ll just reproduce his message to our staff here:
WHS Staff, I just wanted to give all of you a huge shoutout and a thank you for making this academic state championship possible. Our varsity boys football team had a collective 3.46 GPA this fall and were named the 2A academic state champs. This, to me, seems like a small miracle. Being excellent in everything they do and not embracing mediocrity is something we preach daily to these boys. I know as teachers you see our boys in their best, but often also in their moments where growth is needed, both in the classroom and with their behavior. I have learned in my 2 years in this building that the commitment to learning and the patience and love for the students is something that the WHS staff goes above and beyond. I just want to encourage you as we roll into the last couple of weeks before Christmas break that you are making a difference, you are doing a great job and the students at Woodland High School are lucky to have all of you. Keep doing what you do. Keep being excellent. Keep loving on kids. We don’t always see the fruits of our labor. Hopefully, this Academic State Championship can be another “feather in your cap” for a job well done. It’s a great day to be a Beaver!
Upcoming Events
Christmas break is almost here, and the office decorations are going up. Next week will be the final week when the kids and the staff will be in the building for Camille Wilson, who is concluding a decades-long career of service to the Woodland community. She has been an absolute joy to work with and a pillar in our school community. We will miss her immensely! Looking further ahead, the academic semester will conclude on January 29th, and course forecasting for the 26-27 school year will get started in February.