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There is one common at Dworshak Elementary - Success for every child. From the custodial staff to the instructional staff, from the principal to the food service staff, we all share the same vision. We as a staff, have high expectations for ourselves and commit to Shared Leadership and continuous Professional Development. We hold our students to high standards for behavior and academics.

Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.

At Dworshak, we are committed to engaging parents in all aspects of the school. We have a Back to School Night in which we invite parents and their children to visit the school and meet the teachers. School to Home communications create positive relationships that have an impact on student learning. All Home-School communication is in the student’s home language. We seek to enhance school-to-home partnerships by providing a parent-school compact. The compact outlines shared responsibility for student achievement and is signed by parents and school staff. Our Parents as Volunteers Program encourages parents to volunteer in the classrooms and help tutor students in reading and math. Our Parent University provides training for parents on curriculum and instructional strategies. This training teaches parents how to work with their students at home. Our parent trainings include: Math Night, Reading Night, Reading Intervention Night, Breakfast Club Reading Instruction, PLATO and Reading Mastery Training. Parent Involvement activities that are effectively planned and implemented have resulted in great benefits to our students, our parents and our teachers.

What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?

Our staff works to ensure that our culture of learning is evident throughout the school. There is one common at Dworshak Elementary - Success for every child. From the custodial staff to the instructional staff, from the principal to the food service staff, we all share the same vision. We as a staff, have high expectations for ourselves and commit to Shared Leadership and continuous Professional Development. We hold our students to high standards for behavior and academics. Our Professional Learning Communities collaborate weekly to review data and make decisions that will create opportunities for continued student success. Our Para-Professionals are a vital part of the instructional staff. Our food service personnel, custodial staff and volunteers are part of our support staff reaching for a common goal and helping us to maintain a system that helps everyone be successful. Schoolwide commitment and dedication where every person shares the same vision and is willing to go the extra mile to meet the needs of the students is the single most factor that allows our students to be successful.

Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement.

The diversity of our students continues to increase. We realize that not one size fits all. To maximize learning for everyone, we need to use methods that allow us to accommodate learning. Through Differentiated Instruction and small group instruction, we are able to match the students readiness levels and how they learn to appropriate instructional approaches. All of our teachers use Differentiated Instruction because it allows them to be flexible in their teaching and gives them the opportunities to adjust the curriculum and presentation of information to their students by making it meaningful and accommodating individual learning needs. Our Newcomer Center staff also uses Differentiated Instruction with the New Arrival students. The Newcomer Center introduces students to the English language by focusing on survival language skills as well as an introduction to reading and math. The instruction is given in small groups by a highly qualified teacher and Para-Professionals that are trained in Second Language Acquisition techniques and ESL teaching methods. By focusing on appropriate instruction, we are able to engage students in meaningful ways that increase learning and help maximize growth.

Explain how Title I funds have supported your improvement efforts.

With Title 1 funds, we implemented a Reading Lab that combines Para-Professionals and teachers working side by side to increase student performance. The Reading Lab allows us to provide staff for small group instruction with interventions for both reading and math. We have also implemented a Breakfast Club where struggling readers are encouraged to attend for extra reading support. Parents of students attending the Breakfast Club are trained on strategies so they can work with their students at home. Title 1 funds are used for a 4 week After School Program. The program targets fluency, comprehension, accuracy and vocabulary. Title 1 funds support us in our efforts to give Second Language Learners a jump start through our Newcomer Center. Without funding from Title 1, we would not be able to create the many opportunities for all of our students to obtain a high quality education.

Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.

We have a team-based approach where teachers work in Professional Learning Communities to ensure that every child is learning. Our Professional Learning Communities collaborate once a week to review data from formative and summative assessments. Brainstorming of best practices and strategies for struggling students are discussed and plans are written. Plans for challenging the advanced students are also discussed. The PLCs also review the grade level standards and select the standard that will be taught the following week. They will decide how to teach and assess the standard. They will also decide how to reteach if the standard is not mastered. Because we want all of our students learning at a high level, closing the achievement gap is our top priority. Using data driven decisions to help us identify student needs as well as teaching needs is key. Collaboration and continuously reviewing data is a major factor in our success.

• Category 1

  Selected in 2012

• Grades: k - 3
  School Setting: rural
  Town Population: 10,000
  Student Enrollment: 597
  Student Demographics:
  

  Black/African American: 0%
  White/Caucasian: 51%
  Hispanic: 38%
  Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
  Asian: 0%
  Native American: 1%
  Other: 10%
  

  Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:23
  % Reduced Lunch: 69%
  % ELL Learners: 26%
  Founded: 1960
• PRINCIPAL:
  Irma Bushman
• CONTACT:
  102 E 19th St
  Burley, ID 83318
  2088786615
  busirma@cassiaschools.org