• Category 2

    Selected in 2014

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 133,358
    Student Enrollment: 457
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 45%
    White/Caucasian: 38.9%
    Hispanic: 5.9%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 2%
    Asian: 1.8%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 6.4%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 46.2%
    % ELL Learners: 4.4%
    Founded: 1974
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Kelly Brown
  • CONTACT:
    120 Piney Grove Road
    Columbia, SC 29210
    803-476-4710
    kcbrown@lexrich5.org
Leaphart Elementary School
Columbia, SC
Title I funds have also allowed for us to hire additional math interventionists so we could double the amount of students who are receiving individualized support in the classroom. As a result, student achievement has increased.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Teachers, administrators, and staff do an excellent job of engaging families in meaningful ways. Some of the many volunteer programs include: Bridging the Gap, Parent Power, Connections (business partner luncheon), Real Men Read, Pancakes for Parents, and Grits for Grandparents. Bridging the Gap is a monthly opportunity for families to come to the school to learn various strategies to connect school to home. Parent Power is a conference-style evening where parents can attend sessions of their choice. Topics range from parenting techniques to automotive care to technology in the home. This event takes place twice per year. Real Men Read is a yearly event where men from the community visit the school to read with students. Content area family nights take place six times a year at Leaphart Elementary, including a Literacy night, Math Family night, Fine Arts night, and an Engineering night. Community and families are invited to celebrate students at each monthly PTO event.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
At Leaphart Elementary we have initiated a myriad of activities to strengthen the ties to our community. Some of the many events include Bridging the Gap parenting classes, business connections luncheon, and Carolina Panthers Fuel Up to Play 60 event. The one event that has had the most impact to ties to the community is our annual Real Men Read event. Over 100 men from the community volunteered their time to come and read to our students on a November morning. The men were assigned to various classrooms in the school. In some classrooms up to four men were reading to small groups at the same time. This event brings in men from the community and shows our students that men value literacy.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
The philosophy of the leadership team at Leaphart Elementary is continual improvement each day. Whether it is analyzing instructional data or analyzing discipline data, our stakeholders are striving to do better than we have in the past. It is this constant sense of urgency and attention to details that has allowed the school to improve. It is our shared belief that if we are not growing with the changes that occur, we are remaining stagnant, which ultimately leaves our school and our students behind. Consistent efforts to grow and push towards the uncomfortable makes each person reach his or her personal goals. It is the belief of all faculty members to inspire, challenge, and empower students. Teachers deserve to work in an atmosphere in which they are inspired to do their very best each and every day. They deserve to be challenged in their professional thinking and to take risks in a supportive environment daily.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
We have two main goals at Leaphart for the next school year. The first goal is to continue growing and integrating our engineering program. Students actively participate in design challenges, Missions, Lego Robotics and Project Lead the Way. Next school year our staff will continue to receive professional development that aligns with the teaching and integration of engineering. This year teachers are participating in depth professional development on the implementation of Project Lead the Way. This program will be utilized starting next year, in addition to the integration of engineering across all content areas.
The second goal for the next school year is to increase reading achievement across all grade levels. At Leaphart Elementary our classroom teachers, along with our reading interventionists, strive to implement quality researched based reading instruction. We strive to continue to grow readers at all grade levels and increase student achievement in this content area.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
Building a positive school culture has been the fuel behind Leaphart’s success. LES has become a school that has a staff that knows & believes in the vision of the school. Positive school culture was drastically improved through a commitment to enhance communication, appreciate the efforts of all stakeholders, a laser-like focus on teaching and learning, and value each student as an individual with varying backgrounds and needs. When staff, parents, students, and community members feel appreciated for even the smallest things, replication of positive behaviors and attitudes follows, enhancing the culture for all. A laser-like focus on teaching and learning gives Leaphart a shared vision for all in understanding the expectations for the caliber of lessons provided for students and for the effort and work put forth by students. With the increased understanding and use of Data Teams, our staff members began to truly understand the different needs in the classroom.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
Data Teams have sustained the initiative of making instructional decisions based on relevant and timely data. Teachers have focused this initiative in the areas of math and writing. The Data Team process is a series of five-steps that each Data Team facilitator walks their groups through monthly. Each Data Team leader along with the principal, assistant principal, and magnet lead teacher have been Data Team trained and have been equipped with the proper materials and resources to support this initiative. Data Teams implement data-driven decision making at the classroom practitioner level. Data Teams provide a framework for teachers to use in order to identify areas of student growth and collaboratively decide on the best instructional approach in response to those needs in our classrooms. This model allows grade level teams to break down the walls of individual practice and create instead professional teams of educators who continuously reflect on and improve their practice.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Title I funds at LES have been used for instructional activities, resources for all students on campus, parental involvement, & program improvement. We have been able to purchase a book for every child in our school that they can take home to their families. Classroom libraries have been filled with informational text and non-fiction selections. Literacy intervention kits and Lucy Caulkins curriculum have been purchased for reading interventionists.For math, Leaphart has purchased materials for Hands-On Equations as well as equipped every classroom with slates so that students can use them to display their answers in their thinking as well as provide an opportunity for teachers to give students immediate feedback. Title I funds have also allowed for us to hire additional math interventionists so we could double the amount of students who are receiving individualized support in the classroom. As a result, student achievement has increased.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
The teachers and staff have sufficient instructional time, material, & fiscal resources to support the purpose and direction of the school. Teachers are provided extended planning four times a year to meet with the ELA Specialist, Math Specialist, and Lead Engineering Teacher to plan for instruction. The professional development is designed to meet the needs of all staff. They are able to select from options of professional development to meet their needs and ultimately the needs of their students. Staff members participate in a continuous model for professional learning. Many teachers in the building take graduate courses to further their knowledge and skills. In addition, our professional development plan makes certain the needs of the teachers are met as they are given a choice for sessions to attend. Once teachers have made their choice, they attend several professional development sessions throughout the month to build capacity from within the building.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Formal and informal assessment data are used to drive instruction. Curriculum and instruction are monitored and adjusted in relation to the data that is available. Common assessment data are used to drive instruction. Teachers & administrators use Data Team meetings to ensure the needs of all students are being met. Our Response to Intervention (RtI) Team also meets once every three weeks to make certain the reading and writing goals are being adequately measured. LES establishes & maintains a clearly defined and comprehensive student assessment system. The teachers participate in data meetings after MAP scores are released. The staff also participates in Data Team meetings where students work is evaluated to create meaningful and purposeful lessons that meet the needs of all students in the classroom. Teachers and staff also participate in Student Assistance Team meetings and analyzing LES's data wall.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
The school culture at Leaphart Elementary is one where all stakeholders are valued & appreciated. Staff & teachers are constantly recognized for their hard work & dedication to their students. Staff members are eligible for recognition monthly through school and local business partnerships! The school culture is also enhanced by our Teacher Play program. LES is a PBIS school. PBIS is for all students and staff members. The community is also a vital part of Leaphart’s positive and contagious school culture. The Connections Program was established to continually bring community role models into the school. Businesses around the school are invited to Leaphart for a community luncheon. Involvement opportunities and needs are shared. Through the Connections luncheon, many new business partners were formed. These partners add to our school culture through participation in Real Men Read, expert speakers, student mentoring, volunteer time, and in being an advocate of Leaphart Elementary!
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2014

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 133,358
    Student Enrollment: 457
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 45%
    White/Caucasian: 38.9%
    Hispanic: 5.9%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 2%
    Asian: 1.8%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 6.4%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 46.2%
    % ELL Learners: 4.4%
    Founded: 1974
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Kelly Brown
  • CONTACT:
    120 Piney Grove Road
    Columbia, SC 29210
    803-476-4710
    kcbrown@lexrich5.org