Kindergarteners learning to read before Christmas break.
Teachers taking ownership to support students.
Blytheville Primary School has taken full advantage of the Professional Learning Community cohort grant, which is transforming education in the school, according to Blytheville curriculum director Sally Cooke. Blytheville Primary is working with Solution Tree to change the culture and mindsets at the school.
Cooke told the Blytheville School Board Tuesday that Solution Tree Associate Diane Kerr recently spoke to the Rotary Club of Blytheville about the program.
“Kerr explained that a major part of the process is changing the culture of the school so that each person owns the process of ensuring learning for all students,” Cooke said. “Instead of focusing on teaching, teachers learn the standards deeply and work collaboratively to create lessons that focus on student learning. If a student does not progress, teachers take ownership collaboratively to support the students often sharing the responsibility to intervene because the students don’t belong to one teacher or one team; instead, student success is owned by every teacher and each seeks a way to best provide support until every child masters the learning targets.”
She said the mindset has changed at BPS, with staff no longer making excuses about the deficits students arrive with, their behavior or other issues.
“Instead their mindset is what do we need to do as teachers to ensure that every kid who walks through our door masters their learning,” Cooke said.
Though the other schools in the Blytheville School District did not get the grant, they are learning about the PLC at Work process and plan to apply for the grant, which would give them the kind of intensive support that BPS has received, according to Cooke.
The grants are due March 20 and the state expects to award them to 8-12 schools statewide.
“The leadership teams in each building are putting in a lot of work because we have seen evidence that this works with Blytheville students, and we know it provides a great foundation for new teachers who are still learning as they partner with veterans in collaborative settings.” Cooke said.