Students and teachers at Stella May Swartz Elementary School celebrate after learning their school had been designated a 2014 Blue Ribbon School.
Credit: Angeline Ross
In the fall of 2014, educators from more than 300 Blue Ribbon schools from around the nation met in the District of Columbia to talk about the hard work that led to their gains and national awards. We sat down to ask some of these educators about what other schools could learn from them.
Stella May Swartz Elementary School, a grade 2–4 school located in suburban Chicago, has a diverse student body of 160 students, 45 percent of whom are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. In 2012, 100 percent of the school’s third-grade students met or exceeded State standards in mathematics, and 91 percent met or exceeded State standards in reading on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. The school uses Title I funds for reading specialists, reading materials and professional development.
In 2011, nearby Salt Creek Primary, which serves pre-kindergarten through first grade students, and Swartz adopted a new reading and language arts program that provided teachers with a wealth of materials, allowing them to differentiate instruction according to students’ needs. The materials were more advanced but students were able to rise to the challenge. Teachers closely monitored students’ progress and used data to tailor interventions to their specific needs. The staff took a similar approach in mathematics.
Q. How do you promote teacher and leader effectiveness?
Angeline Ross, principal: Our teachers never say no and keep things positive—we are trying to teach that behavior to our students. Our teachers are always trying something new—we introduce at least one new strategy each year. One year it was guided reading; another year it was using smart boards. Our teachers are always brainstorming and problem solving because they care about more than just the kids in their grade levels. They care about all kids. I try to schedule common planning time for the teachers and they team teach. We also do a lot of professional development. I will go to a professional development workshop and bring information back to the school or bring in an outsider to the school.
Deborah Butman, fourth-grade teacher: It starts with the principal. She gets her hands dirty and is very collaborative, suggesting different ways to teach a specific piece. If the principal is willing to take risks and be open with teachers, teachers will be more open with each other and with the kids.
Ross: The principal needs to let teachers know what other teachers in the school are doing. Deb created a “Jeopardy” game for her students. I went to the second-grade teacher and took over for a few minutes so she could go see what Deb was doing. We are all in this together. It’s really important to let go of territory and share, share, share. Be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking.
Q. How do you engage the community in the school?
Ross: For students to succeed, it’s all about teamwork: teachers, principals, and the community working together. Local fireman and police officers come to the school to read to our students, eat lunch with our students, and play with students at recess. We also have a close relationship with the Hilton Hotel. They do a holiday card contest each year in which the students design the cover art. Staff from the hotel do planting at the school in the spring with second graders and provide a Career Day for the fourth graders, teaching them about six different careers and serving lunch with white linen napkins. As part of the Earth Savers Club, coins from the hotel fountain are used to buy mulch and benches for the school.
You also have to take care of emotional needs. Almost half of our students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. We started a breakfast program to feed our students which spread to the district. Our teachers put snow pants on the students and give them mittens. We found out that one student was sleeping on an air mattress at home that broke, so she was sleeping on the floor. The school counselor, teacher, and I talked to a local business and found a mattress company that was going out of business. Originally the company offered to sell the mattress to us at a discount, but later they called back and said they would give it to the student for free and that they would deliver it. It’s all about making the students’ world better.
You can find out more about Stella May Swartz Elementary School here.
