• Category 3

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: pre k - 4
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 174,360
    Student Enrollment: 487
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 14%
    White/Caucasian: 81%
    Hispanic: 3%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 2%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:21
    % Reduced Lunch: 23%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 2009
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Susan Foster
  • CONTACT:
    7700 E Willowwood St.
    Sioux Falls, SD 57110
    605-582-1500
    susan.foster@k12.sd.us
Fred Assam Elementary School
Sioux Falls, SD
Our business is the creation of learning environments that result in success.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Specific programs for families include:
* Teacher Assistance Team meetings - when a specific student is identified as needing extra assistance, his/her parents are involved with this meeting.
* Very active and involved Parent Teacher Association - fundraisers and supports teacher requests.
* Title I night in combination with Fall Carnival - very well attended!
* Parent volunteers - numerous parents and grandparents volunteer and mentor students in our building.
* District-wide Strategic Planning meetings - any community members are invited and encouraged to attend and participate.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Fred Assam Elementary promotes Acts of Kindness to strengthen ties to our community. Each month, students participate in a project that connects them to the community. We try to incorporate an educational component with each project, too. Just recently, we invited one of the Lost Boys of Sudan to share his journey to America with us. He told us about the need for schools in his village. Our school held a penny war to help raise money to support the Khor Wakow School Project so that schools can be built and boys and girls in the Southern Sudan can receive an education. Connections like this help our students realize a strong sense of empowerment and community value. Other projects include Cure Kids Cancer, the Humane Society, a Veterans Day program, and the Food Pantry.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
"Our business is the creation of learning environments that result in success."
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Our first goal is vertical alignment of writing from kindergarten through fourth grade.

Our second goal is math mastery of basic facts with a strong foundation of number sense.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
The single most important factor in the success of our school is the Walk to Read process. Our data shows that all students are growing. But after using this new process over the last four years, we have evidence that the gap between students is closing. 92 - 95% of our students are reaching benchmark at grade level by the end of fourth grade.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
We believe that our Walk to Read process has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement. Our schedule has been designed with 60 minute intervention sessions for each grade level. During this time, Reading Specialist,Title I, EL, and SPED teachers utilize push-in services to provide intense intervention with small groups of students. Data is used to make instruction decisions based on students' strengths and needs. The process allows students to move to new target areas as they gain in skill mastery.

The second area that has had a positive effect on student achievement is targeting Math through our Professional Learning Community time. Again, data is used to make instructional decisions based on students' needs. Teachers target specific skills and provide direct, explicit instruction, and practice with those students.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Title I funds are used to fund Title I teachers at our building who provide direct service to students in our Walk to Read process. In addition, Title I funds have been used to purchase the Orton Gillingham based SPIRE Curriculum.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Our District has teachers that serve on a Professional Development Team. The first priority is to get staff trained on new curriculum each year. Then, they tailor our in-service and professional learning to exactly what teachers are needing and asking for in our district. All teachers are able to earn continuing hours of professional development through a local university. Many staff choose to attend workshops and conferences out of district each year. We then tap into their learning to share within our district and teach others.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Fred Assam Elementary staff believe that we must collaborate and communicate to improve teaching and learning. We accomplish this through three major data digs (beginning, middle, end of year). Problem solving meetings by grade level are held every nine weeks. Teachers progress monitor students weekly who need strategic and intensive interventions. Data discussions include all students in each grade level so interventions can be applied for those already at benchmark or above. Grade level teachers engage in Professional Learning Communities each week to closely analyze assessments and monitor student learning. Collaboration among the staff occurs often to problem solve, share ideas, and drive instruction.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
We are known as Fred Assam Elementary, but many times referred to as Fred 'Awesome' School ~ and that's because everybody is a member of this wonderful family we have! Staff members go above and beyond to know all students by their names, make connections with them, and create a sense of belonging for each student and their family. High school coaches send over extra LYNX t-shirts, school supplies are donated, angel funds are given to help with bus passes and lunch accounts. If a child or family as specific needs, we work to ensure that all of their needs are met.

A new initiative in our District this year called The LYNX Way, is helping to create a cohesive environment for the seven schools in our District. We are: Respectful, Responsible, Kind, Safe, and Active Learners. All students throughout the District received The LYNX Way t-shirt and we promote this concept in every activity, event, and learning possible!

Stats
  • Category 3

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: pre k - 4
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 174,360
    Student Enrollment: 487
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 14%
    White/Caucasian: 81%
    Hispanic: 3%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 2%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:21
    % Reduced Lunch: 23%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 2009
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Susan Foster
  • CONTACT:
    7700 E Willowwood St.
    Sioux Falls, SD 57110
    605-582-1500
    susan.foster@k12.sd.us