Spotlight on High Standards and Teacher Support
East Millsboro Elementary School
About half of East Millsboro students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, about 40 percent are minorities (and immigrants), and about 12 percent have disabilities. In spite of what may seem like challenging demographics, in 2005 every single 3rd and 5th grader met or exceeded state reading standards. And the school's low-income students outperform the rest of the state on every state testing measure.
The school has seen tremendous results by implementing high expectations for each student, aligning lesson plans and using a careful review of achievement data to support students where they need it. The school provides ongoing opportunities for team leadership, professional development and targeted assistance for students who need it. The district has provided important training, and the principal is responsive to teacher requests for supplies and technology.
How does it work?
- Paraprofessionals and other adults take over classrooms before school ends, so teacher teams have 45 minutes at the end of one day per week in addition to the additional 30 minutes every day. "Professional learning communities" of teachers at each grade level, plus specialists and special education experts, use the extra planning time to compare state test scores with student grades, to ensure their teaching is aligned. With this information, they develop assignments for students and identify students who need extra help, such as tutoring during breakfast or and afterschool math program.
- The grade-level teams of teachers also develop the school's curriculum maps, which outline what they will teaching each month. The maps help teachers coordinate their lessons across disciplines (helping social studies and science teachers i incorporate writing into their lessons, for example).
- State testing data is broken out by student and classroom, which provides teachers the opportunity to see what lessons are effective and which students need the most help. While the data is used to track student progress through the year, the principal does not use the information punitively, but rather to identify areas where teachers can improve as a team.
What are the results?
- East Millsboro students' scores continue to improve, and East Millsboro's low-income students outperform the rest of Delaware on every measure: math, reading, writing, social studies and science.
- In 2005, 100 percent of 3rd and 5th graders met or exceeded state reading standards.
- In just five years, the percentage of 3rd graders meeting or exceeding state standards in math has gone from just above 70 percent up to 98 percent. And in writing, only about 50 percent were meeting state standards five years ago, and today it is over 90 percent are.
How does Vision 2015 address high standards and teacher support?
Vision 2015 recommends:
- making our standards challenging—and supporting each student to make sure they can meet these standards.
- measuring student progress over time, in order to make sure students are on track to meet standards, and providing them the resources they need to meet them.
- aligning content-based teaching tools with classroom-based coaching, so teachers get the support they need to deliver high-quality instruction to every student.
- providing professional development and support to teachers based on their needs and students' needs.
Where can I learn more?
