by Melissa Glee-Woodard
Principal, November/December 2010

Four years ago I began my journey as the principal of Lewisdale Elementary School, which is located two miles from Washington, D.C., in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Lewisdale is a Title I school where 80 percent of the students are Hispanic and 84 percent of the students receive free or reduced-price lunch. When I began my tenure, Lewisdale was listed as one of the schools on Maryland’s school improvement list for failing to make adequate yearly progress for several years.

During my tenure, we have made strong academic gains and adequate yearly progress. Our overall reading scores have climbed from 53.1 percent to 83.8 percent proficient; fifth-grade reading scores rose from 49.5 percent to 89 per­cent proficient. And our overall math scores went from 60.8 percent to 86.5 percent proficient, while third-grade students rose from 57.5 percent to 88.1 percent proficient in math. Lewisdale achieved academic transformation through shared responsibility among faculty and staff, parents, and students.

Faculty and Staff

In 2006, I entered a building that had dedicated teachers and staff members who needed a clear vision, increased accountability, and shared respon­sibility. This transformation began through the establishment of a clear mission and vision that was shared with all stakeholders. The second step was to ensure that good teachers became great teachers through pro­fessional development. We no longer use staff meetings for housekeeping issues. Instead, we aim to use the time to conduct professional develop­ment sessions based on the needs of our building.

Staff meetings are also a time to share data. We no longer keep data in the dark. It is shared with all staff members and displayed throughout the building. Data charts appear in the cafeteria and hallways. Kindergarten teachers are aware of fifth-grade data.

Adequate yearly progress is no lon­ger seen as an issue for intermediate teachers only; it is now considered a schoolwide matter. We firmly believe that preparation for state assessments begins in pre-K. In addition, we use the principles of professional learning communities.

Staff members use data to drive instruction; establish goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely; and monitor student progress. Staff members also had to change their attitudes about the students in our building. Excuses were no longer accepted based on the background of our students—I often closed the door to have courageous conversations with teachers who were not performing satisfactorily. Once you set the tone in your building of, “We are about the business of teach­ing,” staff members begin to share your vision.

Parents

A critical part of our change occurred by getting parents on board with the vision and mission of the school. We have strong parental involvement at our school and our climate survey reports that more than 90 percent of parents have a positive perception of the school. Our quarterly instruc­tional nights are often standing room only—a combined result of our par­ents being hungry for information on how they can assist their children and of incentives we give to students to encourage their parents to attend.

In addition, we had to make sure that our parents understood the importance of assessment data. We currently conduct quarterly data sessions with our parents, provid­ing them with their child’s reading and math assessment data during individual parent data conferences. We not only give them their child’s assessment results, but we also provide a detailed explanation of the implica­tions of the results and strategies to ensure that their student meets the standards we have set for all children.

Students

The final group that shares responsibili­ty is the students. Our students are able to clearly articulate their assessment scores, the mission of the school, and the standards we have set for them. We conduct quarterly assessment assem­blies with our students during which we give them individual data sheets. We show them how well each class and grade level has performed and we talk about their personal growth. We also ask students to list academic goals and strategies on their data sheets. For the first time, students are displaying healthy levels of academic competition and they are excited about learning. I believe that half of our struggle deals with motivation. You can have outstanding teachers who deliver qual­ity instruction, but you also must be able to motivate your students.

Through a clearly articulated vision, transparent data, and shared responsi­bility, Lewisdale has been able to main­tain high academic standards. Shared responsibility is seen in all classrooms and throughout the community.

Melissa Glee-Woodard is principal of Lewisdale Elementary School in Hyattsville, Maryland.

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