• Category 1

    Selected in 2019

  • Grades: k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 7,089
    Student Enrollment: 293
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 16%
    Hispanic: 81%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 2%
    Other: 1%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:21
    % Reduced Lunch: 99%
    % ELL Learners: 21%
    Founded: 1976
  • PRINCIPAL:
    E. Renee Sanchez
  • CONTACT:
    520 North Main Street
    Belen, NM 87002
    505-966-6927
    sanchezre9788@gmail.com
Gil Sanchez Elementary School
Belen, NM
All leaders need to work from their core values and must believe that all students have the capacity to reach their goals.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Partnerships are developed to engage parents, staff, students and community to ensure all students are successful. Growing a successful environment takes trustful relationships, hard work, and persistence from all stakeholders. Teachers are expected to connect with all students and families by setting goals and making positive phone calls home as well.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Gil Sanchez Elementary School has an annual Family Fall Festival that provides families, students, staff, and community a day fun with a free dinner, games, and music for everyone. GSE has also developed partnerships with local businesses and community members to support the basic needs of our students academically and socially. We also have partnerships with New Mexico State University and The University of New Mexico. They provide programs to our school that help build student character and health awareness. We have ongoing partnerships with St. Vincent de Paul, Business Women of Valencia County, and other local businesses that provide school supplies and food for families every year. These partnerships continue to strengthen the positive culture at our school.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
We work under the belief that all children have capacity. The vision is to grow a successful environment by giving every child hope, confidence, and the desire to learn. We have set high expectations and support systems to ensure all teachers align their instruction to meet the needs of every child.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
The top two goals for 2020-2021 are to increase student proficiency and to continue our commitment in developing partnerships with community and parents. The goal is to ensure all students reach their potential and are successful socially and academically.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
All leaders need to work from their core values and must believe that all students have the capacity to reach their goals. Adult behaviors and critical actions must be aligned into a student-centered learning system.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
Grade-Level Orientations: All parents and students are expected to attend an orientation at the beginning of every school year. The goal is to ensure parents, students, and staff know the expectations and goals for the year. The principal begins by orienting parents with site goals, purpose, and expectations for the year. The parents then go to the classrooms so the teachers can present classroom goals. The students close by sharing individual goals with their parents. Commitments toward goals are made by staff, students and parents. Progress toward goals are reviewed during student-led parent conferences. Adjustments are made as needed to ensure all students are making progress toward their individual goals. Grade-level orientations have helped us engage parents to support student achievement. We believe students and parents will produce what we expect. This critical action supports the belief that all children have capacity!
Explain how ESEA federal funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Funds are used to support student intervention plans and parent engagement. For example, funds are used to continuously support the needs of students by purchasing resources that connect with interventions. Parent engagement meetings, professional development, motivational resources, family events and supplies are also used from ESEA funds for improvement efforts.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Professional development builds from research and the expertise of all staff. The growth of high functioning teams and embedded professional development has had the most impact.. We have developed a culture of feedback, reflection, and collaborative teams to review qualitative and quantitative data every week. We now have the majority of our students proficient with our ground zero group, students that have experienced this system for 4 years, at 67% proficient. The projected goal will be above 80% because these students continue to perform sustainable results. The majority of the students at GSE are now proficient regardless of ability.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Gil Sanchez Elementary has developed a culture of data-guided instruction. Student achievement data is reviewed during collaborative work sessions with grade level teams and support staff. The CORE Leadership Team goes through a root-cause analysis process and goes into a deep level process of looking at the root-cause of student outcomes. Goals are set and are documented into a 90-Day plan that is reviewed quarterly. All staff are committed to critical actions to ensure all are making progress towards individual and site goals.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Gil Sanchez Elementary has developed a student-centered culture working under the belief that all children have capacity. We have developed a standard-aligned system that commits to high functioning collaborative teams. Each team meets every week to review student work, assignments and grade-level standards to ensure all students reach their potential. All students are expected to reach grade level standards. GSE staff has experienced the school transformation process and has sustained continuous improvement. We have developed a culture of standard aligned instruction and high functioning teams that focus on student performance.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2019

  • Grades: k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 7,089
    Student Enrollment: 293
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 16%
    Hispanic: 81%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 2%
    Other: 1%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:21
    % Reduced Lunch: 99%
    % ELL Learners: 21%
    Founded: 1976
  • PRINCIPAL:
    E. Renee Sanchez
  • CONTACT:
    520 North Main Street
    Belen, NM 87002
    505-966-6927
    sanchezre9788@gmail.com