• Category 1

    Selected in 2013

  • Grades: k - 4
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 13,500
    Student Enrollment: 506
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 4%
    White/Caucasian: 84%
    Hispanic: 7%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 5%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18.5
    % Reduced Lunch: 32.2%
    % ELL Learners: 4%
    Founded: 1938
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Joy Darkes
  • CONTACT:
    250 Clay School Road
    Ephrata, PA 17522
    717-721-1100
    j_darkes@easdpa.org
Clay Elementary School
Ephrata, PA
Our building literacy coach is one of the major keys to the success of our students. She has the ability to work with teachers in formal and informal settings to develop lessons using best practices, co-teach with teachers to develop skills and help teachers analyze data to inform instruction.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Title I funds are used to engage parents in pre-school programs and reading initiatives. Throughout the past few years, we have worked to develop programs which provide information to parents through unique, outside the box activities. One of our most popular events is our Sports and Academics Meet Night. During this event, children participate in soccer, math, reading and writing activities on our district turf field. Students from the HS soccer team along with Title I staff and teachers provide activities for parents and children. Parents are given information on activities to complete with their children based on brain research in the area of physical activity and academics.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
We support the community through “Donation Days with a Twist.” By having these themed spirit days, we hope that it will help to teach students to give back to their community and the world, and to understand about the needs of others. Each donation day has a special theme that is shown by what wear and donate to each local charity. We have donated to the local food book, animal shelter, relief efforts throughout the world and local homeless shelters.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
School improvement needs to be a permanent part of your school culture and not an occasional event. Everyone must be part of creating a safe and positive school climate where student performance and achievement are top priorities. Through the use of data discussions, focused staff development and honest and reflect dialogue, school teams can create an environment that encourages risk taking and relational trust.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
1. All students will exit grade three reading on grade level.
2. All students will make at least one year of growth.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
There is not just one factor that makes Clay Elementary School a special place to work and learn! We have developed a culture which promotes high expectations for all students. We pride ourselves in fostering a child-centered school where we continually strive to meet individual student needs and nurture the development of the “whole child.”
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
At Clay Elementary School we have developed an atmosphere of “relational trust” among adults which has helped us to maintain and increase our student achievement scores. The relationships among teachers, staff, students, parents and community are respectful, positive and productive. The day to day social exchanges throughout our building demonstrate interpersonal respect for one another and these exchanges help us to support and encourage each other. The entire staff extends themselves beyond their regular duties to ensure that all students are academically, socially and emotionally ready to meet the challenges of every day school life.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
The majority of our Title I funds are used to employ high quality staff who support teachers in their instructional practices and provide staff development. Our building literacy coach is one of the major keys to the success of our students. She has the ability to work with teachers in formal and informal settings to develop lessons using best practices, co-teach with teachers to develop skills and help teachers analyze data to inform instruction.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
During the past four years we have focused our staff development on differentiation, engagement, extension and planning for the implementation of the common core standards. The one component of this four year plan that has a made the biggest impact on student learning at Clay is the use of questioning. Teachers were provided staff development on questioning and as a result are able to engage students in deeper, higher level conversations. Students are also challenged to create deeper level questions in their reading responses and in their writing pieces.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Teachers meet bi- weekly as grade level teams to discuss curriculum, assessment and instruction. They also meet bi-weekly with the building literacy coach. During these meetings, teachers discuss student specific data, make changes to student groupings, and evaluate the pacing of instruction and design lessons for implementation. The building literacy coach also works with teacher to analyze data and provide supports, as needed to improve instruction and raise student achievement.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Elementary schools are not successful by accident, it takes the continued support and true dedication of everyone in the building to reach high levels of academic performance and make a difference in the lives of our children. Not only do we strive for academic excellence, our school emphasizes a proactive approach to building a positive school climate through the use of a School Wide Positive Behavior System. We emphasize positive decision making by encouraging all children to be Clay Crickets CHAMPS by……Coming to school prepared and ready to learn; Having a positive attitude; Always telling the truth; Making good choices; Paying attention and following instructions; and Showing respect for people and property. Students receive "Clay Cricket Tickets" as positive reinforcement for modeling these behavior traits in the school setting.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2013

  • Grades: k - 4
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 13,500
    Student Enrollment: 506
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 4%
    White/Caucasian: 84%
    Hispanic: 7%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 5%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18.5
    % Reduced Lunch: 32.2%
    % ELL Learners: 4%
    Founded: 1938
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Joy Darkes
  • CONTACT:
    250 Clay School Road
    Ephrata, PA 17522
    717-721-1100
    j_darkes@easdpa.org