• Category 1

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 44,769
    Student Enrollment: 357
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 9.5%
    White/Caucasian: 75.6%
    Hispanic: 7.9%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 2.2%
    Native American: 0.3%
    Other: 4.5%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 35%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 2012
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Kris Gallo
  • CONTACT:
    17 North Spring Street
    Concord, NH 03301
    603-225-0840
    kgallo@sau8.org
Christa McAuliffe School
Concord, NH
"The most impactful culture shift occurred through our PLC work."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
In 2018, our school was identified as a school on New Hampshire's Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) list for scoring in the bottom 5% on the NH-SAS state assessment in ELA for our special education cohort. In 2022, our school was removed from the ATSI list due to continued growth in ELA each year. Now in 2024, our students have achieved 75.96% proficiency in ELA on the state assessment.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
The Concord School District has worked diligently to provide an explicit and systematic literacy program for all students throughout our schools. Within grade level PLCs in grades K-5, teachers and special educators at Christa McAuliffe School unpacked literacy standards, identified priority standards, created common assessments, used data from those assessments to inform their instruction. They continue to work closely with our reading specialist, interventionists, and educational assistants to assess every student to ensure that all students' literacy work is tailored to their individual needs.

Our teachers and special educators have focused on aligning and integrating the NH-SAS modules into their lessons to help students prepare for the content and question types. Increasing familiarity with the assessment has helped our students to feel more comfortable and confident with the overall testing experience.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
The ESEA funding has supported both academic interventions for our students and professional development for our staff.

Depending on the amount of Title I funding each year, we employ three to five reading and math tutors. Students are grouped by similar needs, and tutors use assessment data and teacher input to tailor their instruction. These Tier 2 groups meet every day to accelerate students' growth.

In 2019, the eleven educators who attended the Solution Tree PLC training were able to participate because of available Title II funds.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
In 2019, eleven educators from our school attended a four-day 'PLCs at Work' Institute through Solution Tree. Learning from PLC experts, we began our sustained school improvement journey -- from developing our schoolwide Mission and Vision to using common assessment data to improve instruction.

In 2022, the administrative team participated in Teach United's professional development focused on the four domains of growth mindset, authentic engagement, personalization, and data-driven instruction. Next in 2023, a six-person teacher/special educator team completed the training, culminating in capstone projects showcasing evidence of their students' personal growth and engagement.

Today, this six-person team is working with each grade level PLC to share their expertise and to support the development of student activities targeting the four Teach United domains.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
The most impactful culture shift occurred through our PLC work. Eleven educators returned from the Solution Tree training energized to share our learning. Sadly, the work was cut short within its first year by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, due to its indisputable importance, the administrative team revitalized this work a couple years later.

Another significant culture shift occurred organically as educators grappled with ways to help their students feel more comfortable and confident with our state assessments. Over time, grade levels began to align and integrate the NH-SAS practice modules into their existing lessons throughout the school year. Teachers and special educators continue to collaborate with students to discuss the questions and to analyze students' mistakes.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
We are very fortunate that our Christa McAuliffe families are highly dedicated to their children's achievements in school. We collaborate with families around students' academic, behavioral, and social/emotional challenges and successes. Family members communicate with our educators, attend family conferences, volunteer within the school, and chaperone field trips to maximize all students' learning experiences.

Family and community members aided the development and refinement of our school's Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for schoolwide and targeted interventions. Community participation on these teams provided us with an important outside perspective. Our Parent Teacher Organization continuously fundraises to provide monies for all our school field trips!

Lastly, we have collaborated for numerous years with community mental health partners to provide both in-school and out-of-school wellness supports for staff, students and families.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2024

  • Grades: k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 44,769
    Student Enrollment: 357
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 9.5%
    White/Caucasian: 75.6%
    Hispanic: 7.9%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 2.2%
    Native American: 0.3%
    Other: 4.5%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 35%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 2012
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Kris Gallo
  • CONTACT:
    17 North Spring Street
    Concord, NH 03301
    603-225-0840
    kgallo@sau8.org