• Category 1

    Selected in 2016

  • Grades: k - 4
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 37
    Student Enrollment: 356
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 58%
    White/Caucasian: 23.9%
    Hispanic: 5.5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1%
    Asian: 3.4%
    Native American: 2.7%
    Other: 5.5%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:23
    % Reduced Lunch: 68%
    % ELL Learners: 4.7%
    Founded: 1920
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Dale Brown
  • CONTACT:
    901 Forest St
    Dover, DE 19904
    302-672-1900
    paige.morgan@capital.k12.de.us
Booker T. Washington Elementary School
Dover, DE
All students are considered our children, no matter the grade level. We believe in order for a school to improve, the staff must be invested and involved.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Part of increasing student engagement is ensuring that we have several opportunities for parents to be engaged each month and to eliminate any potential barriers. Some of these opportunities include: monthly PTO meetings and activities, weekly Alert Now Calls home to give parents a preview of events coming up each week, conducting regular home visits, Common Core Reading and Math Nights, quarterly award assemblies/research showcases, and an annual Vocabulary Parade. We also have several non-academic opportunities to engage families such as (Muffins for Moms, Danishes for Dad, fall/spring music ceremonies, Super Senator Day, parent conferences, two annual field days (fall and spring), a summer enrichment program (From Plant to Plate), and an annual Meet and Greet Bus Tour.






Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
We have strengthened community partnerships by providing several opportunities for the community to come into the school to participate in engaging activities. Families are invited to participate in quarterly award ceremonies/research showcases, along with annual events such as, a Vocabulary Parade, Common Core Night, Family Reading and Math Nights, our Black History program and Wax Museum. We also offer opportunities for families to enjoy non-instructional activities such as our Back to School BBQ, Grandparents Day lunch, Veteran's Day lunch, Muffins for Moms, and Danishes for Dads. Another activity that helped to truly strengthen connections with the community was our Extended Day program. At it's inception, we were able to offer this program to students building-wide to extend targeted instruction and enrichment opportunities for our children. Families came in and listened to their children share the work they did in the areas of ELA/Math, drama, culture, and dance.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
I truly believe that in order for a school to improve or change, the staff must be invested and involved with decisions that are being made. School improvement is also supported when all staff members take collective responsibility for student learning. Part of what has contributed to the success at Booker T. Washington is that all staff members have embraced the mindset of being not just a team, but a family. All students are considered our children, no matter the grade level or classroom that they are in. We all have the belief that we must work collaboratively to coordinate our efforts to meet the needs of all our students each and every day.


What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Our school's goals include:

-Ensuring that we maintain the progress that we have made with students academically and continuing to move forward. This is evident in our school motto "BTW-Best in the Word... and Getting Better." We are continuing to strive for excellence each and every day.

-To continue to enhance our implementation of technology to support student learning.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
One of the most important factors in the success of Booker T. Washington was the development of our growth mindset and culture. Every decision or goal that is established is tied to a culture of family and growth. We recognize that the only way to be successful is to rely on the combined efforts of the entire faculty and staff. We also recognize that as a family, we are continuously growing in our abilities. There is not only shared ownership for every child, but also shared ownership for ever staff member. We recognize that we are responsible for supporting one another to move and push forward.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
One of the biggest initiatives that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement was establishing a culture of having a growth mindset and shifting from the mindset of students being in "my class" to a school-wide belief that all students are "our children". This belief has permeated throughout the building and drives each and every decision that is made. Members of the entire staff have all worked in coordinated efforts to ensure that students' needs are being met across the board so that they can focus on academics. This collaborative effort was the driving force in all initiatives such as, the extended day program, team planning, statewide and district professional development, intervention/enrichment opportunities for students, and parent engagement activities.







Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Title One funds are utilized to provide Reading and Math intervention staff and supports, along with enrichment materials for our school.This funding allows us to have the support of a Reading Specialist who works directly with small groups of students, providing prescriptive and targeted reading interventions. It provides us with the support of 3 instructional paraprofessionals who each work with small groups of students both inside and outside of their regular instruction within the classrooms. Additionally, it provides us with the support of an Instructional Coach who provides ongoing, job-embedded professional development to all of our teachers and support staff. Many of our instructional programs and materials which are needed to target students' needs in the areas of phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary are all provided with Title One funding. Title One also provides additional supports related to instructional technology programs.

Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Some of the most critical professional development activities that we have utilized to improve student learning include: Professional Learning Communities, collaborative planning opportunities, opportunities for peer coaching and support through our resident expert program (teachers worked with other teachers to help with small group instruction or with new teacher mentoring), professional development centered around common core standards, piloting curriculum based, cross grade curricular activities, developing instructional units, professional development related to the Smarter Balanced assessments and looking at claims data, and engaging in state-level/district-level professional development opportunities.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
We utilize our Reading and Math data regularly through our Professional Learning Communities and teacher discussions to determine instructional implications, next steps, and how to target, support, and accelerate student learning. Teachers meet regularly with the instructional coach and district math specialist to analyze and interpret assessment data. They then take this information and work to create an action plan based on this information. We also utilize this data in the School Success Plan to ensure that instructional goals are developed, monitored, and met. This also includes utilizing a school-wide data wall to look across each grade level and make informed decisions.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Over the past 4 years, Mr. Brown the building-level administrator, has worked with the staff to ensure that Booker T. Washington operates not as a team, but as a family (including EVERYONE our custodians, mentors, child nutrition staff, parent volunteers). We spend most of our waking hours together working in a collaborative effort to ensure that our children are successful each and every day. The work that Mr. Brown has done over the past 4 years has been remarkable in bringing the staff together in their committed efforts and dedication to support our children. We also work to ensure that the needs of the whole child are being met. This includes working with our counselor, Family Crisis Therapist, nurse, Instructional Coach, school psychologist, case manager, etc. to ensure that we are meeting the students' needs. Overall, we have focused on developing a growth mindset utilizing our resident experts to support the success of ALL students across the building.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2016

  • Grades: k - 4
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 37
    Student Enrollment: 356
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 58%
    White/Caucasian: 23.9%
    Hispanic: 5.5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 1%
    Asian: 3.4%
    Native American: 2.7%
    Other: 5.5%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:23
    % Reduced Lunch: 68%
    % ELL Learners: 4.7%
    Founded: 1920
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Dale Brown
  • CONTACT:
    901 Forest St
    Dover, DE 19904
    302-672-1900
    paige.morgan@capital.k12.de.us