• Category 3

    Selected in 2022

  • Grades: pre k - pre k
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 4
    Student Enrollment: 274
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 5%
    White/Caucasian: 92%
    Hispanic: 3%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 2%
    Founded: 1908
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Karen Cupples
  • CONTACT:
    6715 Hickory Valley Road
    Heiskell, TN 37754
    865-494-7959
    kcupples@acs.ac
Fairview Elementary School
Heiskell, TN
"When children feel and see that, they perform better!"
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
Fairview Elementary has high expectations for all students. Through high-quality professional development as well as meeting weekly for professional learning communities, staff are continuously analyzing formative and informative assessments and fine-tuning lessons to help meet the needs of all students. The last two years students have taken ownership of their academic data by incorporating data notebooks as well as having individual conferences with students about their learning goals. We focus on the 4 R’s- Relationships, Rigor, Relevance, and Restorative Practices! Developing positive relationships with students and families are important to us! We have a supportive community and PTO that help meet the needs of our students. We provide educational experiences in the classroom that are academically, intellectually, and personally challenging to each individual student and engage students in active learning by relating it to their interests and making connections to the real-world.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
One of the biggest factors that promoted change in our school was when our district implemented a weekly early-day out for students. This enabled our staff to collaborate together on a weekly basis to focus on analyzing data and fine-tuning lessons to help meet the needs of all students. Teachers focus on incorporating a variety of teaching methods to engage all students in learning. They also incorporate a short “brain break” when they see students have reached a point they need a quick, structured break involving physical movement. This break helps reduce student stress, anxiety, and frustration that can sometimes occur in a classroom. Another factor in the positive change was when we started implementing Restorative Practice circles in our school. This is a time all students get a chance to share their feelings on a topic and is used to build relationships, increase a sense of equality among students, and can be used to address conflict, and to increase social/emotional skills.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
The funding provided by ESEA has enabled our school to provide extra support to all students by increasing the time for our instructional coach to be at FES to provide high support and training to our staff. The funds have also been used to purchase needed supplies and materials for more student support in ELA and reading to help meet challenging state academic standards. A few examples of materials recently purchased were hands-on manipulatives for math support in grades K-2 as well as more leveled readers for ELA support in grades 3-5. Some of the funds have been used to purchase materials used in Response to Intervention to provide appropriate tier work for these students to best meet their academic or behavioral needs.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
Teachers participated in Foundational Skills training. This training provided alignment with our beliefs about how students learn to read and write. Teachers were provided with instructional materials to put their knowledge into practice with their students. They were able to observe, discuss, and adjust teaching strategies to align with the training. Colleague collaboration made a big impact on the refinement of teaching skills necessary to implement the program effectively. The outcome was favorable in every aspect; student performance, use of materials given, pacing, and most importantly, student mastery. Teachers reported data that was consistent with improved student reading scores in comparison to other programs we tried in the past. New teachers were given additional professional development throughout the year. New Teacher Institute allows them to observe other classrooms, problem solve issues, and receive training in new curriculum and behavior management.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
Improvement requires a cultural shift and that requires changes in mindsets, norms, and attitudes and is as difficult and uncertain as it is essential. As our staff has changed over the years, we have to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world that incorporates more and more technology. The current staff has been able to rise to the challenge of constantly changing technology and gaps in learning due to Covid. This staff has a sense of urgency with a data-based mindset that is constantly searching for new ways to engage and advance our students. They have embraced technology and new curriculum all at the same time without hesitation. This driven type of attitude has only propelled us to a higher level of teaching and learning. Outside influences are accepted but not used as an excuse to know better and do better. We have high expectations for all students and will explore every avenue until we can tap into our students' learning style.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
Parents in our community are very instrumental in our school’s success. Our parents are very involved in providing extra materials for classrooms and volunteering in classrooms. Our PTO meets monthly to decide how to best support Fairview Elementary’s teachers and students. They hold community events and fundraisers. Everyone working together sends a strong message to students that we truly are here for them and their success and happiness are our number one priority. Students see parents and teachers working together making Fairview a safe and caring school. When children feel and see that, they perform better! We’ve also had community members help care for our school grounds. An eagle scout provided us with a new swing for our playground. Our outdoor classroom has developed into a unique area for learning due to many community members helping to build and make it a good alternative to the indoor classroom.
Stats
  • Category 3

    Selected in 2022

  • Grades: pre k - pre k
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 4
    Student Enrollment: 274
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 5%
    White/Caucasian: 92%
    Hispanic: 3%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 2%
    Founded: 1908
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Karen Cupples
  • CONTACT:
    6715 Hickory Valley Road
    Heiskell, TN 37754
    865-494-7959
    kcupples@acs.ac