• Category 2

    Selected in 2016

  • Grades: 1 - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 25
    Student Enrollment: 350
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 1%
    White/Caucasian: 30%
    Hispanic: 68%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0.1%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:22
    % Reduced Lunch: 78%
    % ELL Learners: 6%
    Founded: 1951
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Misti Fernandez
  • CONTACT:
    505 Alta Vista Street
    Carlsbad, NM 88220
    575-234-3314
    misti.fernandez@carlsbad.k12.nm.us
Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School
Carlsbad, NM
Relationships! Kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
The JSS Parent Teacher Council hosts family involvement events and monthly activities to engage parents and community. JSS has an open door policy and welcomes everyone to come and be a part of the school community. Parents are also provided monthly calendar of events and newsletters to keep them informed. We also utilize several online communication tools such as Remind 101, Class Dojo, and our school webpage to keep parents involved.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
JSS has worked hard to establish a strong and involved Parent Teacher Council Team (PTA). The JSS PTA is very involved and provides monthly parent/student planned activities. JSS also involves the community to participate in events throughout the academic year.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
Relationships!!
Kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. JSS has 73% of lower social economic students that you have to build strong and positive relationships of trust and respect in order to reach them.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Continue to strive to close the achievement gap from the highest performing students to the lowest performing students.

Continue to be an inviting and collaborative school for all stakeholders and provide purposeful daily instruction in all classrooms.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
Using data to drive instruction has been a key to success at JSS.
Developing and cultivating positive relationships with our parents, students and staff has been a contributing factor to our success as well.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
Response to Intervention (RtI), a dedicated time each day where instruction is differentiated in a small group setting to provide intensive interventions. We celebrate our differences and provide a caring, collaborative culture among our diverse student population.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
JSS has a full time Reading Interventionist to support instruction. Title I also provides classroom materials and programs to support instruction as well. We were able to use Title I funds to purchase our Guided Reading library and hands on learning activities.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Our district provides opportunities for research based instructional PD throughout the school year. Being involved in the Results Driven Accountability (RDA) group of NM also provides JSS staff with ample opportunities for PD to improve instruction and student achievement. JSS has participated in Capturing Kids Hearts, Kagan, & Ruby Payne trainings that have moved us along the road to success.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Data is reviewed at weekly grade level PLC meetings and guides daily instruction. Data is posted in classrooms and around the school. Classroom teachers host "status of the class" with each scholar weekly to encourage student progress.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
JSS is purposefully inviting to students, parents and the community. We have implemented the Invitational Education philosophy and practice the 5 P's. We also have implemented Capturing Kids Hearts which has helped us develop school wide procedures that make a difference in our positive school culture.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2016

  • Grades: 1 - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 25
    Student Enrollment: 350
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 1%
    White/Caucasian: 30%
    Hispanic: 68%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0.1%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:22
    % Reduced Lunch: 78%
    % ELL Learners: 6%
    Founded: 1951
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Misti Fernandez
  • CONTACT:
    505 Alta Vista Street
    Carlsbad, NM 88220
    575-234-3314
    misti.fernandez@carlsbad.k12.nm.us