• Category 3

    Selected in 2018

  • Grades: pre k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 875
    Student Enrollment: 120
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 2%
    Hispanic: 0%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 98%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1922
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Amber Celley
  • CONTACT:
    7080 8th Ave
    Cannon Ball, ND 58528
    701-854-3341
    amber.celley@k12.nd.us
Cannon Ball Elementary School
Cannon Ball, ND
The greatest positive effect on student achievement is hiring, evaluating and retaining high quality staff.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Cannon Ball Elementary hosts monthly community events. Monthly events include: back to school picnic, the fall carnival, community Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, toy bingo, turkey bingo, math night, reading night & spring play, spring art show, Thathanka (buffalo) Days, Christmas concert, spring concert and parent teacher conferences. We also have a home liaison who communicates with parents and makes home visits for any student needs. Cannon Ball Elementary has partnered with Avera- ECare to provide our students with access to a nurse for medical interventions. E-Care staff communicates with families regarding any medical needs of students. We also partner with Indian Health Services Mental Health to provided individual counseling to students. Through a partnership with NDSU Sioux County Extension/4-H students have opportunities to work in the community garden, engage in STEM activities, attend 4-H camps, and participate in leadership activities and school enrichment programs.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Cannon Ball Elementary staff have strengthened ties to the community by increasing staff involvement and presence in student and community activities. When staff increased their attendance at student and community events, they were able to communicate and build relationships with parents, community members and stakeholders. Student and teacher relationships strengthened as teacher dedication and support became more evident. Cannon Ball Elementary also hosts monthly parent activities. These activities are well attended by parents and members of the community. Monthly events include: back to school picnic, the fall carnival, community Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, toy bingo, turkey bingo, math night, reading night & spring play, spring art show, Thathanka (buffalo) Days, Christmas concert, spring concert and parent teacher conferences.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
Change in a school district relies on building strong relationships and providing an avenue for teachers to have a voice in the decision-making process via shared leadership. For our school district this means we have built and strengthened the following key relationships:
• Tribal Relations & the Tribal Education Consortium
• Teacher relationships with students
• Teachers relationships with other teachers
• Board Members
• Community members and parents
• State and Federal Agencies
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
In the 2019-2020 school year our goals are to complete the new Cannon Ball Elementary construction project and continue to improve student achievement. Our school is located on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Our district has limited access to property taxes and a majority of funding comes from federal Impact Aid monies. Our district applied for and received a competitive Impact Aid funded grant to construct a new elementary school. The new school will greatly improve the learning environment for our students. The construction of the new school will also fulfill an accreditation recommendation to explore options to ensure student and personnel are in a healthy, secure environment. Our School Improvement Grant (SIG) assisted our school in placing key foundational blocks in place to continue our goal of improving student achievement. We plan to implement student engagement strategies and develop our preschool program through innovative initiatives.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
The initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement is hiring, evaluating and retaining high quality staff. Hiring and retaining positive, productive staff who care about kids, want to work with them, are reflective, have a student-centered approach and are willing improve their practice has had the greatest positive effect on our students A federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) has provided the following supports to improve student achievement: an on-site consultant, a grant coordinator, funding for new curricular materials funding for high quality professional development and staff retreats with graduate credit opportunities. Staff professional development and staff retreats through SIG have provided teachers with training on implementing best teaching practices, curriculum alignment, data interpretation and improving our overall school culture and climate.
Explain how ESEA federal funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Federal funds are utilized to hire high quality staff, hire teacher aids, purchase curricular programs, purchase supplemental materials and provide high quality professional development to staff. Federal funds also ensure that our students have access to our summer school program and our after school program.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
The school district has provided professional development specific to implementing best teaching practices and curriculum alignment. We received an Apple Connect Ed Grant and staff received extensive training in implementing a 1:1 setting. Each student received and I-Pad and each classroom received an Apple TV and MacBook. Staff attend a Tribal Education Consortium Back-to-School professional development that focuses on implementing culturally sensitive teaching strategies and integrating culture into our schools. Staff members are being trained as Wowakia Teachers. The training focuses on mentoring staff in culturally aware teaching strategies. Staff have opportunities to attend state wide professional development opportunities through the North Dakota DPI, North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, Missouri River Education Cooperative and national conferences. Finally, staff have attended RTI at Work Conferences to strengthen our overall approach to RTI and student interventions.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Cannon Ball Elementary has monthly data team meetings. Our district data coordinator leads meetings and reports essential data (enrollment, demographics, student behavior, transient rates, attendance, and achievement, as measured by NWEA testing, AIMS testing, state assessment) to our staff. Data presented is utilized to determine interventions for students who were referred to the RTI process, determine curriculum needs and address any other student support initiatives. Our data coordinator is available to provide support to staff members to compile or interpret student data. He updates and maintains our school data boards that show student’s their individual achievement NWEA growth. Teachers also participate in common planning times. Common planning times have allowed time for teachers to interpret student assessment data, collaborate, and plan for interventions for key curricular knowledge and skills.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
The culture at Cannon Ball Elementary is a culture of collaboration and teamwork. To improve the school culture, the district ensures that we recruit, hire and retain high quality staff members. The school districts retains high quality staff by providing high quality professional development, teacher leadership opportunities, implementing shared leadership and offering competitive salary and benefits. We provide support to new teachers by providing each new staff member a mentor teacher. Another key impact on our school culture is the implementation of shared leadership. The school district utilizes shared leadership to ensure that all staff have a voice in the decision- making processes. Our school has bi-monthly leadership meetings that are led by teacher leaders to discuss school-wide initiatives. We have also improved the technology options for students and staff via an Apple Connect Ed grant. The grant provided the students with a 1:1 learning environment.
Stats
  • Category 3

    Selected in 2018

  • Grades: pre k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 875
    Student Enrollment: 120
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 0%
    White/Caucasian: 2%
    Hispanic: 0%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 98%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1922
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Amber Celley
  • CONTACT:
    7080 8th Ave
    Cannon Ball, ND 58528
    701-854-3341
    amber.celley@k12.nd.us