• Category 2

    Selected in 2013

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 277,000
    Student Enrollment: 328
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 88%
    White/Caucasian: 3%
    Hispanic: 5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:20
    % Reduced Lunch: 97%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 1952
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Tavy Fields
  • CONTACT:
    600 West Terrell Street
    Greensboro, NC 27406
    336-370-8295
    fieldst@gcsnc.com
Calvin Wiley Elementary School
Greensboro, NC
Teachers are able to provide instruction with the brain in mind and tailor their lessons using gender based strategies.Our staff receives intense training on how to plan lessons, activities and learning experiences that are geared towards males or females.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
We believe in having “Parents in the Process” and nurturing the home-school connection to increase our students’ achievement. We hold forums that provide parents with updates on the latest teaching and learning information. We also conduct smaller, teacher led sessions where parents get to experience what their students are learning. The teachers take them through various lessons and provide them with strategies that can be used at home. Wiley hosts several “Coffee and Curriculum with the Principal” sessions for the purpose of providing parents with curriculum information and a forum for questions and answers. We encourage parents to participate in learning by giving them access to our classrooms. Many parents come in to work with small groups, read with students, and volunteer during guided reading. Wiley has an on-site Parent Liaison who is the bridge between parents and the school. The liaison has a Parent Resource Center which houses computers for parent use, GED classes, and learning materials.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
During the summer the administration "walked" the community in order to build ties to Wiley's surrounding neighborhoods.We were able to connect with community members, businesses, agencies and residents.Our entire staff also went out to visit students who live in the Smith Homes housing area, our primary feeder, in order to foster relationships.Our business and community partners such as United Way, Lincoln Financial, Evonik, City of Greensboro (Caldcleugh), Lorillard, Proctor & Gamble and others are a part of our strategic planning. Wiley is in constant communication with these stakeholders and we keep them abreast of our academic focuses so that the resources they provide will match our needs. They provide us with volunteers, financial support and incentives for students.Our minority male initiative focuses on increasing achievement among males and true mentorship.This initiative is funded through United Way and Communities in Schools.Each male in grades 2nd-5th has a dedicated mentor.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
We will sustain our achievement growth through the replication of strategies that have proven effective in our work with students. Visible Learning by J. Hattie is a source that we use to guage the effectiveness of our strategies. We engage in constant analysis of our practices by asking the questions: Does this practice have a direct correlation to student achievement? What data supports the notion that this practice is improving student achievement? We rate our instructional leadership by four categories: Lucky, Learning, Losing, or Leading. Categories center around our level of understanding of our data based results and the likelihood of replication. Based upon our analysis we eliminate ineffective practices and maintain effective ones.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
Wiley’s instructional practices are innovative and have yielded student achievement growth.Our Single Gender classes in grades 2nd – 5th are a model for brain-based learning practices and instructional strategies.Teachers are able to provide instruction with the brain in mind and tailor their lessons using gender based strategies.Our staff receives intense training on how to plan lessons, activities and learning experiences that are geared towards males or females.Wiley works to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to succeed by addressing the individualized needs of each student.Teachers incorporate music and chants in the classroom in order to help students access the content.The school-wide focus on Embodied Cognition and Resiliency has revolutionized the way our teachers approach instruction. Every lesson presented is infused with body and brain connections to increase the acquisition of knowledge. We engage in effective practices that yield high student achievement.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
We use funds to pay for addtional teacher and teacher assistant positions. We conduct guided reading daily and our teacher assistants as well as elective teachers push-in to all classes during this time. This allows a teacher to have one to two additional instructors working with small, leveled groups. The additional teacher positions we purchase allow us to have single gender classes in grade 2nd - 5th. We provide our teachers with professional development through Title I funds in the form of training, substitutes for 1/2 day planning sessions and consultants. The remainder of our funds support parent activities and are used for parent curriculum materials and parent workshops.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Single Gender training provides teachers with gender based teaching strategies that attributed to significant achievement when combined with our gender based classes. Our staff works closely with Learning Focused consultants to better understand how to unpack standards, provide vocabulary instruction, utilize learning maps/graphic organizers, promote higher order thinking, and deliver multiple approaches to learning. Our teachers participated in teacher led workshops about how to promote student engagement through songs, chants, creative curriculum, and student activities. Guided Reading training with ERG allows our teachers to be observed by content experts, see model guided reading lessons, and receive coaching feedback. We also understand that quality instruction and learning cannot occur without effective classroom management. Resiliency and Embodied Cognition professional development, with Horacio Sanchez, focuses on establishing student social comfort and movement based learning
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Teachers engage in bi-weekly data meetings.Dialog during these meetings centers around Cause and Effect data.We analyze pre-assessments, post assessments, common assessments, DIBELS/TRC, county Interim Assessments, etc. Teachers look for the cause of the data and drill the results down to the practices that caused the results. We then strategize concerning next steps and what can be done to remediate students or accelerate them. Wiley utilizes a data room that contains data cards for each student. Teachers update these cards consistently and they are placed into a graphic display that provides a visual of students' level within each class.We also require that each teacher use a bulletin board outside of their classroom to display student data.Teachers use displays inside their classrooms. We also utilize student growth folders that allow students to track their own progress and set goals.Teachers and administration conference with students in order to help them analyze their results.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Our major cultural focus is to build teacher leadership. The Wiley administration firmly believes in shared leadership and we desired to build our teacher capacity. Teachers can share their expertise through staff led professional development sessions which occurly monthly. We believe in praising our staff members oftern. Staff send out weekly "Shout Outs" which are statements of praise and thank you to other staff members. We also have an Eagle of the Month award which is selected by staff members and awarded to a staff member who exudes excellence in everything they do.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2013

  • Grades: pre k - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 277,000
    Student Enrollment: 328
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 88%
    White/Caucasian: 3%
    Hispanic: 5%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:20
    % Reduced Lunch: 97%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 1952
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Tavy Fields
  • CONTACT:
    600 West Terrell Street
    Greensboro, NC 27406
    336-370-8295
    fieldst@gcsnc.com