EducationNews.org

Michael F. Shaughnessy
Senior Columnist EducationNews.org
Eastern New Mexico University

1) Earlier this year your school system was awarded a major grant. I interviewed Kate Davis regarding this and that interview is posted at http://ednews.org/articles/24958/1/An-Interview-with-Kate-Davis-A-Major-Grant/Page1.html

How is the grant currently doing? Give us an update.

The grant continues to run smoothly.  As we observe each classroom, we see indications of growth, both in teacher practice and student performance. The classroom environments continue to improve as materials are purchased and put in place through thoughtful guidance from the literacy coaches and consultants. The interactions with students are more purposeful, and everyone is constantly aware of the goals of the project. In order to meet the goals of the project, we've "ramped up" the accountability, and changed the staff development a bit! We have created collaborative teams made up of 1 literacy consultant and 2 classroom teachers. These teams work together to model new strategies, look at data and plan instruction.

2) What problems have you encountered that perhaps you did not expect?

We were not only surprised, but also saddened that one of our private child care centers closed. This left us short a fabulous teacher, and students. Because of the rural location of the project, we have not been able to locate another site to fill Tender Care's shoes. The elementary school also went through some major changes, from staff to leadership. We feel like this was a mixed blessing because the new principal has become one of our strongest assets. The biggest surprise was the difficult behaviors in the children we encountered. Thanks to committed teachers and support staff, we are happy to report that the behaviors are under control, and the school year is off to a great start. I bet we'll see huge gains in our test scores. 

3) What has been the community and teaching staff reaction?

We had a successful Family Literacy night in conjunction with Reading First. It was the best turnout we've had, filling the cafeteria with parents and children. As the students entered, they got to choose a book. Their faces were a joy to watch as they selected a title that interested them. Then the students along with their parents happily went from room to room learning new read aloud strategies. The evening culminated with cookies and books, what a celebration of literacy!   We have grand plans to bring in local celebrities to help us celebrate heritage, culture and literacy in February. We'll keep you posted.  The teaching staff has been gracious and a joy to work with. They have allowed us 'outsiders' with big dreams and high expectations to assimilate into their system. They have taken direction from virtual strangers, and have welcomed us.

4) Is it too early to look at any data or research results?

It's never too early to look at data. The project met all goals and targets for year 1 with one exception. The target for knowledge of 19 upper case letters was 85% but only 84% of children had achieved it at the end of year 1. Not bad for year one!

5) As you approach the end of this year, what challenges do you face next year?

We want to fully implement outdoor literacy centers. We have purchased items to enhance the outdoor environment such as a playhouse that will change with the weekly theme, a water table, a science center, and a book wagon. We have also devoted time to training the teachers and their aides on how to make recess a literacy event. We are all excited about our new equipment, and want to make every moment one full of opportunities to develop oral language.

We are piloting a classroom new embedded professional development model with an emphasis on accountability for both the consultants and the teachers. The consultant has formed a team with 2 classroom teachers. They all work and learn together, with students achievement being the driving force.

6) How are the students reacting to the grant and the new instruction, if you will?

The children are clearly responding to the new curriculum and materials. Because the teachers have a budget for both classroom environment and books, their rooms are becoming flooded with developmentally appropriate materials. Those materials are carefully chosen with guidance from the consultants and the literacy coaches. We have been lucky enough to stand beside these young children and watch their little eyes light up as they engage in their daily learning activities. Young children learn every moment of the day, and we have witnessed that!It doesn't matter if they are listening to a story then making their own books, washing their hands while singing a silly song, playing in centers while writing.

7) What are the positives and negatives to receiving such a major grant?

A grant of this scale comes with the burden of a great responsibility. The goals set out by ERF are grandiose, so with that comes the fear of failure. Worry flits through our minds ….. what if we let down the community and more importantly the children? However, because ERF has entrusted Hearne ISD with this fabulous grant and opportunity, and we are confident in the fact that we have put in place key players such as consultants, literacy coaches and directors, we know that we are making change every day. Watching teachers and preschoolers grow and learn is worth the hard work.

8) What question have I neglected to ask ?

I'd like to tell you about some exciting things happening in Hearne. Through the grant we have been able to provide the private childcare and Head Start with a library. The children visit the library just like the public school children, of course on a smaller scale! We have also created a demonstration classroom. This classroom has been set up and is staffed twice a week by an outside specialist. All Hearne Pre-K teachers visit weekly to observe and co-teach with the specialist. We are also working on creating 3 training videos for purposes of sustainability after funding. Future employees of Hearne ISD will be able to view videos about Phonological Awareness, Oral Language and Concepts of Print. All in all, we're having a great year in Hearne!

Published February 9, 2009