• Category 1

    Selected in 2025

  • Grades: k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 794
    Student Enrollment: 84
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 98%
    Hispanic: 1%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 1%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:12
    % Reduced Lunch: 37%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1920
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Jenifer Hosman
  • CONTACT:
    400 Church Avenue
    Hebron, ND 58638
    701-878-4442
    jenifer.hosman@k12.nd.us
Hebron Elementary School
Hebron, ND
1. What key actions or strategies have been most instrumental to your school’s success?
The adults in our building have committed to working together to do what is best for kids at every turn. When making decisions we ask ourselves, what is best for the kids?

Our administration has worked hard to create a positive climate and culture. Our school is a positive place to teach in and that trickles down to the students. We support our teachers in every way possible so that they can focus on the most important task, the students. We maintain positive learning environments by removing distractions.

Our staff has an attitude of collective responsibility. Grade placement isn't the end all be all. We send kids to the most qualified adult in the building to get the instruction that they need.

Our staff reflects upon our data and makes changes accordingly. We analyze each student and make necessary moves to set students up for success.

Our staff is dedicated to our adopted curriculum and we teach it with fidelity. New staff is trained and supported as well.

2. What significant challenges did your school face during your improvement efforts, and how did you address them?
Learning to trust one another was scary for some at the start but time and action has shown each staff member that we will follow through with what we have agreed to. We needed to know with certainty that we were all moving in the same direction with the same goals.

There have been a small number of staff that needed to move on to a better fit school and that has happened in all instances. Sometimes a person doesn't fit with what Hebron Elementary School is doing and that is okay. They move on and so do we. We stay the course.


3. How did professional development contribute to your school’s improvement efforts?
Several staff members have attended RTI at Work and have adopted some key concepts from that. We believe that all students can learn at high levels. We have an attitude of collective responsibility. We support our teachers with help from the administration, the counselor, the Title I and Special Ed departments. We work together to do what is best for students.

Our staff knows their grade level state standards and uses our school board adopted curriculum to consistently carry out instruction. We are not afraid to ask one another for help. We know what to do when a student is struggling and we find the most appropriate adult on campus to help that student.
4. In what ways did family and/or community partnerships support your school’s success?
We have an open door policy with our families. Everyone is welcome at school all the time. We have several Title I family events throughout the year which are well attended. We post on social media several times a week so that our community can see what is happening in our schools. We have an excellent partnership with our community newspaper and several photos and articles are published weekly.

We have worked hard at building relationships with all stakeholders and we now enjoy the benefits of such an outstanding relationship between school and community.
5. How has ESEA funding (e.g., Title I, II, III) been strategically used to support student achievement?
ESEA funding has been used for several trainings for our teachers. Our entire staff, K-6, Title I, Special Education, and elementary principal are completely trained on Daily 5, our framework for reading instruction. K, 1st, and 2nd and our elementary principal are trained in LETRS. Most of our staff has attended RTI at Work. We use some funding to pay for a fulltime aide in kindergarten. The research shows that early and consistent reading instruction is hugely beneficial. We have used funding to get books into the hands of students. Our superintendent has seen to it that all training, curriculum, materials, etc can be provided for the professionals in our building to utilize with the students.
6. What advice would you give to a school just beginning its improvement journey?
Understand what your goals are. Come together as a staff to identify how to meet those goals. Gain consensus amongst the staff and start working. It may seem like it isn't working but be willing to see the missteps and make corrections. Don't throw in the towel. It takes a very long time (3-5 years) of work to see that things can be just as you imagined them to be. Keep working. We learned at RTI at Work that it is not a sprint, but more of a marathon. We have fiound this to be true. We still struggle, we still make mistakes but we keep our eye on the goal and we constantly monitor and adjust. Everyone has to "use an oar on the boat you are rowing," and everyone needs to row at the same time, in the same direction. Those who are not rowing need support or they need to get off the boat so that the rest can continue successfully on the journey.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2025

  • Grades: k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 794
    Student Enrollment: 84
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 98%
    Hispanic: 1%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 1%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:12
    % Reduced Lunch: 37%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1920
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Jenifer Hosman
  • CONTACT:
    400 Church Avenue
    Hebron, ND 58638
    701-878-4442
    jenifer.hosman@k12.nd.us