In his 10 years as principal at Riverside Elementary, Scott Walter has been at the helm of integrating the Plan, Do, Study, Act model for improvement into all of the school’s processes. Teachers work in 10-15 day learning cycles, at the end of which students are asked for input on what teaching strategies are working for them. Their feedback is seamlessly integrated into the teachers’ next learning cycle lesson plans. Grade level teams monitor reading and math proficiency using formative assessments to improve teaching and target student needs. Since 2009-2010, the school has seen an 82.7 percent increase in the number of students performing at the 70th percentile or higher on the Reading MAP test. Walter also works to maintain high staff morale by introducing bi-yearly employee engagement surveys, followed by one-on-one check-ins. This system has resulted in a fundamental culture shift in the school, with staff feeling engaged, appreciated, and listened to. Walter counts community outreach as another one of his accomplishments as a principal, focusing on engaging local seniors as volunteers with the school’s afterschool tutoring program, pen pal program and Readers’ Café program, where students get to connect with a caring adult as they build their reading skills over a six-week period. Walter holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master in Administrative Leadership from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.