Social - February 2003

Elementary schools strive for excellence

By JEREMY ASHTON, LTN Staff Writer

February 28, 2003 - VALE — The banner immediately catches the eye of anyone who walks in the front door of Union Elementary School.

The sign boldly proclaims in large blue lettering that Union is one of “North Carolina’s 25 Most Improved K-8 Schools.”

Further west on Highway 27, the signs of success are just as prominent at North Brook Elementary. A similar banner hangs in the school with the words “North Carolina School of Excellence,” making North Brook the first Lincoln County school to receive that honor.

It may look like bragging, but the two west Lincoln schools have earned a little room to show off.

North Brook and Union were recognized in September and again this month for outstanding academic achievement by their third-, fourth- and fifth-graders on the state’s end-of-grade tests last school year.

Since North Carolina started using its ABCs accountability model in the 1996-97 school year, the two schools have been steadily increasing their test scores. According to teachers and administrators at both locations, that kind of progress doesn’t happen without help from every direction.

“We’re all in this together,” said Kay Howard, a third-grade teacher at North Brook.

Although students in grades 3-5 are the only ones taking the reading and math tests, teachers in the younger grades share in preparing students for the tests.

At North Brook, Kim Howell, a fourth-grade teacher, points to a “strong” group of kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade teachers who get students ready for what’s ahead.

The role K-2 teachers take at Union is a little more expanded, helping 3-5 teachers with small group sessions and after-school tutoring.

“Everybody is taking responsibility for the whole program,” said Union Principal Wanda Lutz. “I think they see the big picture here.”

Credit for the success of the two schools, however, extends beyond the faculty to the parents, many of whom take an active role in their children’s education.

“We only see them about 16 percent of the time and the parents the other 84,” said North Brook Principal Ricky Detter. “It takes the parents and the teachers working together to get you there.”

Both schools hold orientation sessions for parents at the beginning of the year and have frequent conferences to let them know what’s going on with their children, good or bad.

North Brook places a different spin on conferences, letting students lead them to show what they have accomplished.

Union teachers also use “time trackers” to communicate with parents, allowing them to make sure students are taking care of their homework each night.

“The overwhelming community support has been so beneficial in student achievement,” Howell said.

That community support comes from more than just parents. The new West Lincoln Branch Library, for example, has been crucial in promoting reading at North Book.

Rather than having to drive all the way into Lincolnton, parents can take their children to the branch library to check out books. The library helps encourage reading by having contests to see which class can read the most books.

Within the framework of the team concept for a successful school, the key player has to be involved — students.

North Brook and Union try to make learning fun with programs like Reading Counts that reward reading.

The faculties also try empowering their students by giving them responsibility. North Brook started a morning television broadcast anchored by fifth-graders that features reading activities. Meanwhile, Union teachers hold “classroom meetings” that allow students to give feedback and discuss any problems they might be having.

“We try to put back the responsibility of the learning on the students and parents,” said Amie Hallman, a fifth-grade teacher and school improvement chairwoman at Union. “They have to be a part of this for us to be successful.”

According to their EOG scores, 90.1 percent of North Brook’s students and 84 percent of Union’s students in the third, fourth and fifth grades last year could read and do math skills at their grade level.

While both schools have come a long way since the ABCs model was put in place, they’re still far from the goal outlined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 — having every student performing at grade level within 12 years.

Lutz said more resources and funding are necessary to meet that goal, but she has no doubt that Union’s staff will try to get there.

“We have seen over the last six years how children can do things we didn’t think they could do because we were pushing and raising the bar,” Lutz said.

That sentiment is echoed a couple miles to the west.

“All children can learn, and they learn at different paces,” Detter said. “With the things that we provide for them during the day and the parental support we have, we’ll get them there.”

—————

Staff Writer Jeremy Ashton can be reached at 704-735-3031 or jashton@ltnews.com.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

Terms and Conditions