{"id":5002,"date":"2020-02-11T21:45:13","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T21:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/2020\/02\/11\/bright-spots-monroe\/"},"modified":"2022-09-27T19:49:27","modified_gmt":"2022-09-27T19:49:27","slug":"bright-spots-monroe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/bright-spots-monroe\/","title":{"rendered":"MAKING PROFICIENCY A DISTRICT CONSTANT"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]FEBRUARY 2020 \\\\ MONROE COUNTY<\/p>\n

A clear handle on fractions is the goal for fourth-grade math students one January morning at Gamaliel Elementary, a small school perched near the Tennessee border in Monroe County. Teacher Shelly Buck asks her students to concentrate and visualize: \u201cMake up one-fourth in your head,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you were to visually picture one-fourth, is it more or less than one half?\u201d She asks students to think and be prepared to take a position or to agree or disagree with classmates who volunteer an answer.<\/p>\n

When it comes to math, schools across Monroe County routinely turn numbers into concepts before they plow through problems with paper and pencil. This same morning, across the county at Joe Harrison Carter Elementary, fourth graders are covering almost the same math standard. Their teacher, Shelly Scott, has handed out small colored tiles allowing students to line up equivalent fractions on their desks.<\/p>\n

Students here know their teachers will find several approaches to important math concepts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey teach math in different ways,\u201d explained Gamaliel fifth-grader Aurora Logan, 10. She said the various perspectives help. \u201cIf we don\u2019t understand, they\u2019ll teach us other ways,\u201d she said. \u201cOn fractions, she taught us one way to do it but ended up teaching us a different way that was easier for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the better part of a decade, Monroe County has been focused on not only exposing students to academic standards, but making sure students master important concepts. Schools identify the most essential learning goals for extra emphasis. For all standards, however, all three elementary schools have tailored training, ongoing classroom assessment, data analysis, and student report cards to move toward ensuring that all students meet all standards.<\/p>\n

As it happens, fractions are a big deal for teachers and administrators, who are constantly aware of moving increasing numbers of students to mastery and proficiency.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image style=”shadow” alignment=”center” image=”9954″][vc_column_text]MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS Superintendent Amy Thompson, right, listens as fourth-grade teacher Shelly Buck and students at Gamaliel Elementary discuss equivalent fractions.\u00a0<\/i><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]”We know exactly what we’re looking for,” said Tompkinsville Elementary fifth-grade teacher Chelsey Murphy. \u00a0Teachers design assessments to constantly monitor what students know and determine when to circle back, reinforce, or move ahead. \u201cWe don’t get data and put it aside,” Murphy said. “We use it with our kids and think about whether they are missing things because we need to go back over concepts or whether people are making simple math mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visits to classrooms and administrators at all three Monroe County elementary schools showed a common approach to knowing how well individual students are meeting expectations and ways that plans are adjusted each week to make sure any weak points are getting extra attention. (The same data monitoring allows students who exceed expectations to tackle more challenging material.)<\/p>\n

The results jump out. Monroe County was named a \u201cbright spot district\u201d in a statewide analysis of student performance by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky in partnership with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.<\/p>\n

The 2019 study, examining state test results from 2012-17, used local socioeconomic data to establish a predicted level of performance. The report identified 12 districts that significantly exceeded those expectations based on overall average test scores in at least one of the years studied. In addition, the study only identified districts where less-advantaged students showed steady progress over the span including a better-than-expected outcome in 2017.<\/p>\n

Monroe County\u2019s elementary math scores showed unexpectedly high-level performance by students across the district, according to the UK report. The district was the only one in the state to qualify the study\u2019s \u201cbright spot\u201d status over all six years. Both overall scores and performance by students from low-income families exceeded the study\u2019s predicted level. By 2017, the report found that three-fourths of all students reached proficient or better in elementary math, with students from low-income families achieving at the same level.<\/p>\n

Leaders of the district point to events and connections that go back two decades to explain the strong outcomes. In the 1990s, achievement was mediocre. District officials requested a scholastic audit from the state to better understand where schools were falling short. The results described many shortcomings. Teachers, principals, and district leaders responded by making improvements.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey left us a 100-page document that said, ‘You think you\u2019re teaching the standards, but you\u2019re not,\u2019 \u201d recalled Christie Biggerstaff, a Gamaliel elementary teacher at the time who has since become an elementary principal and is now the district\u2019s instructional supervisor. \u201cWe really had a hard time with that because we thought we were.\u201d Biggerstaff remembered that Monroe teachers were working hard but lacked strategies to ensure student understanding and teacher focus.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\n

Student understanding and teacher focus have grown dramatically over a two-decade improvement drive, leaders say.<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]\u201cAt that point we were excuse driven, and we had to get over that\u201d Biggerstaff said. The steps toward improving classroom performance required change, and also showed results. \u201cIt forced us to work together on things like curriculum pacing and developing good assessments. We got better and better, and we\u2019ve never looked back. Once you know you\u2019re doing the right things for kids, you never want to let that go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other former teachers have risen to building leadership and, some, to district positions, producing a leadership team with first-hand involvement in a 20-year focus on school improvement. The team-building and relationship emphasis that have worked for adults are also a priority in engaging students and families, according to Superintendent Amy Thompson. The 23-year Monroe educator and native rose from special-education teacher to high school assistant principal to middle school principal to central office positions before being tapped as superintendent six years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe focus heavily on creating a relationship with our students, parents, and community. We want students to achieve at the highest levels possible, and we work endlessly to do just that \u2014 to remove barriers for kids,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cThat leads us to our instructional practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecting with students is a prerequisite for the learning focus that drives the school routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the first two or three weeks of school, I tell all of our employees to get to know your kids that you have in your classrooms, that are in your hallways, riding your bus, eating lunch in your lunchroom \u2014 get to know those children,\u201d Thompson explained. \u201cKnow their favorite color, their middle name, their hobby, what they love to read, their favorite subject in school. Let them know that you care about them as a person. If you get to teach some math or reading in the first two or three weeks of school that\u2019s OK, but what I\u2019m really concerned about is that we get to know our kids. If they know that you took time to get to know them, they will knock down walls to learn for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, Monroe leaders expect teachers combine their knowledge of individual students with an awareness of academic standards, becoming experts on where students stand and a plan to reach school goals.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\n

If (students) know that you took time to get to know them, they will knock down walls to learn for you.<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Amy Thompson, superintendent<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]\u201cWe do hold high expectations,\u201d said Heather Geralds, the Tompkinsville Elementary principal. \u201cWe want them to know they can learn. Not every kid likes math, but that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t learn to do well in math.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three elementary schools plan and train together and regularly administer common assessments to pinpoint individual strengths and needs. Student assignments to intervention time, where previous content can be reviewed or retaught, change weekly depending on teachers\u2019 decisions about pupils\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n

Schools strive to create an atmosphere where understanding important concepts matters more than making a high grade on the first try. Teachers encourage students to be honest about where they stand, which also helps deliver interventions, said Megan Roper, assistant principal at Gamaliel Elementary. \u201cThey\u2019re comfortable asking for help \u2014 they\u2019ll say, \u2018I don\u2019t get this,\u2019 or \u2018I didn\u2019t get it right.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Administrators also monitor which students are in good shape, who is close to the expectation line, and who is behind. With an eye toward the school calendar, they offer input on plans for classes or individual students.<\/p>\n

Jeff Blythe, principal at Joe Harrison Carter Elementary, described a January data meeting with central office leaders. Looking at current performance, they brainstormed strategies to implement leading to Spring Break. After that, he said, only 30 instructional days remain to close gaps or work with students to help them move forward. \u201cThe good thing,\u201d he said, \u201cis that every year at this time is when their performance starts jumping.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kynley Gee, a fifth grader at Carter Elementary, said that the combination of different approaches to math (\u201cthe rotations and hands-on really help\u201d), the supportive drive of teachers (\u201cthey make it feel like home\u201d) and encouragement to have a growth mindset (\u201cI thought I couldn\u2019t at first, but now I know I can\u201d) have combined to make her a confident math student.<\/p>\n

Fifth graders at Tompkinsville Elementary express a similar sentiment:<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing my teacher is there to help every step of the way, I\u2019ve gone from a zero to a 7 or 8 [out of 10],\u201d explained Bree-Ann McClendon, 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe different techniques they give will show us how to remember everything,\u201d added Eli Davis, 10. \u201cThe teachers teach us real well.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image style=”shadow” alignment=”center” image=”9953″][vc_column_text]SHELLY SCOTT, A FOURTH-GRADE teacher at Joe Harrison Carter Elementary in Monroe County, describes equivalent fractions with students in her class. TOP PHOTO: Students in Scott’s class use fraction tiles to practice concepts and discuss math ideas.<\/i><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fdfaa6″ css=”.vc_custom_1571600588466{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\"\"USING DATA TO FIND BRIGHT SPOTS DISTRICTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last August, the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Kentucky examined statewide student test results and local socioeconomic factors in search of \u201cbetter than expected\u201d district-level performance. The report was designed to identify school districts worthy of a closer look. Results highlighted \u00a0proficiency by all students, high achievement by students who qualified for free- or reduced-price meals, and improved performance over a six-year period. The study found 12 \u201cexemplar\u201d districts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSince school districts are likely to reflect the underlying economic conditions of their surrounding communities, the socioeconomic characteristics of Kentucky\u2019s school districts are as diverse as the state itself,\u201d the report<\/a> found. \u201cThis is evidenced by the percentages of less\u2010advantaged students in the Oldham and Owsley County School Districts, which are, respectively, 22 and 89 percent. Likewise, the average per-pupil expenditures in the top quartile of districts is one\u2010third higher than those in the bottom quartile \u2014 $13,380 compared to $10,140.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report, produced in partnership with the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, is \u201cbest viewed as a statistical sieve designed to narrow the list of candidate districts worthy of closer examination,\u201d it noted.<\/p>\n

Several districts highlighted in the report will be profiled in this on-going Bright Spots blog. The blog provides a classroom-level view of promising practices and trends in student learning across Kentucky.<\/p>\n

The visit to Monroe County showed a district that re-examined its approaches to students, teaching and learning and implemented a cycle of ongoing improvement that still continues. \u00a0The district has incorporated many strategies commonly used in Kentucky schools, but tailored them to meet its own view of student needs and priorities for identifying and addressing student progress.<\/p>\n

In Monroe County, several priorities emerged:<\/p>\n

\\\\ Prioritizing relationships with students, families, and among district staff are essential to maximizing performance;<\/p>\n

\\\\ Building teachers’ and administrators’ capacity to use and discuss data fuels strategic conversations and decisions;<\/p>\n

\\\\ Seeing mastery of standards as the ultimate classroom goal, driving approaches to assessment, interventions, and how teachers create learning experiences.<\/p>\n

\\\\ Cultivating teacher expertise within and across schools to provide classroom-level coaching, deliver relevant professional development and grow future leaders.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#fafbb9″ css=”.vc_custom_1571600560552{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}”][vc_column_text]Each month, the BRIGHT SPOTS blog showcases impressive learning in Kentucky schools.<\/em><\/p>\n

READ OTHER STORIES IN OUR SERIES ON DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED IN UK’S ‘BRIGHT SPOTS’ REPORT<\/b><\/p>\n

\\\\ A RENEWED APPROACH<\/strong> at Robertson County<\/a><\/p>\n

\\\\ AN ONGOING CHALLENGE\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>at Jenkins Independent<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner background_color=”#f9f9ea” css=”.vc_custom_1571600575469{padding-top: 5% !important;padding-right: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;padding-left: 5% !important;}”][vc_column_text]ABOUT MONROE COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0\\\\<\/p>\n

ENROLLMENT: 820 at three P-5 schools \u2014 Gamaliel Elementary, Joe Harrison Carter Elementary, and Tompkinsville Elementary
\nKEY DEMOGRAPHICS
\nRACE: 12.2% minority across all elementary schools
\nINCOME: 71.1% eligible for free\/reduced price meals across all three schools<\/p>\n

DATA NOTES
\n\\\\<\/strong>\u00a0On 2019 K-PREP state tests, Monroe County far outpaced state averages and showed minimal achievement gaps based on family economic status. On the state reading test, 84.8 percent of Monroe County elementary students considered non-economically disadvantaged scored proficient or better. Among Monroe students whose family income qualified for free- or reduced-price meals, 82.7 percent scored proficient or better. (For comparison, the state’s proficient-or-better level for non-economically disadvantaged elementary students was 69.8 percent. For students who qualified for reduced-price meals, the rate was 45.8 percent.)<\/p>\n

In math, 75.1 percent of Monroe County students labeled economically disadvantaged scored proficient or better, more than double the state rate of 35.6 percent. Meanwhile, 82.8 percent of non-economically disadvantaged Monroe students reached proficient status. The state rate for that group was 63.1 percent.<\/p>\n

\\\\<\/strong>\u00a0Monroe County boasts two of the 37 elementary schools statewide that reached five-star status in the first year of the state’s new school accountability system \u2014 Tompkinsville and Gamaliel.<\/p>\n

\\\\<\/strong>\u00a0Gamaliel Elementary was recognized in 2018 as a National ESEA Distinguished School for its record of reducing achievement gaps. (ESEA is the flagship federal program supporting public schools.) In 2019, Gamaliel accomplished the rare feat of seeing students who qualified for free- or reduced-price meals (three-fourths of the school’s population) outperform peers. On the state math test, 83.9 percent of students considered economically disadvantaged scored proficient or better while 83.3 percent of non-economically disadvantaged students reached or exceeded proficient status. In reading, 85.1 percent of economically disadvantaged students hit the proficient bar compared to 83.3 percent of non-economically disadvantaged pupils.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FEBRUARY 2020 \\\\ MONROE COUNTY
\nA clear handle on fractions is the goal for fourth-grade math students one January morning at Gamaliel Elementary, a small school perched near the Tennessee border in Monroe County. Teacher Shelly Buck asks her students to concentrate and visualize: \u201cMake up one-fourth in your head,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you were to visually picture one-fourth, is it more or less than one half?\u201d She asks students to think and be prepared to take a position or to agree or disagree with classmates …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"passster_activate_protection":false,"passster_protect_child_pages":"","passster_protection_type":"password","passster_password":"","passster_activate_overwrite_defaults":"","passster_headline":"","passster_instruction":"","passster_placeholder":"","passster_button":"","passster_id":"","passster_activate_misc_settings":"","passster_redirect_url":"","passster_hide":"no","passster_area_shortcode":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bright-spots"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5911,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5002\/revisions\/5911"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prichard-backup.com\/July\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}