• Category 1

    Selected in 2020

  • Grades: 3 - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 7,861
    Student Enrollment: 435
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 35%
    White/Caucasian: 26%
    Hispanic: 31%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 7%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:24
    % Reduced Lunch: 65%
    % ELL Learners: 27%
    Founded: 1922
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Carol Leveillee
  • CONTACT:
    1 Swain Road
    Seaford, DE 19973
    302-629-9213
    carol.leveillee@seaford.k12.de.us
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Seaford, DE
At FDES we are “Better together,” “Fred Strong,” and “Best Day Ever.”'

Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Family and community engagement has been a constant focus for FDES in recent years, so much so that a committee formed to try to help bolster support from stakeholders outside of the school setting. One successful way that our school has found to increase parent and community engagement is to make our students the focus of attention when it comes to events and opportunities for families and community members to attend. Whether events are district-level events or school-level events, the FDES team ensures that students are a part of the planning and process. We feature their academic work, visual and performing art work, and many opportunities for students to showcase their growth and abilities.

Events like “One Book, One Fred” bring the whole school building together for a shared purpose of reading the same book, which can then be reinforced at home. At the culmination of the event, families and community members are invited to join in the celebration of activities that are centered on the theme of the book selected for that year. We also utilize YouTube to engage students and families during periods of time when school is not in session. With initiatives like “Tucked in Tuesdays,” “Mystery Reader,” and “The Case of the Missing Bluejay,” students and families can work together to access fun academic tasks that feature educators from our school either online or in person.

Our English Language Learners department hosts an annual “Culture Night,” where we invite all students and families to come for a night of celebrating unique cultures and backgrounds, all while learning and embracing our community values. We invite parents to visit the school often, even during school hours, for other events such as achievement assemblies, the annual school-wide barbecue, field-day, or just to stop by and each lunch with their child. Weekly communication is sent home every Tuesday, as well as quarterly newsletters from the principal and frequent website updates. Our school also has an active Facebook account, as well as a Twitter account run by the principal and two instagram accounts run by the special content area teachers to help promote some of the work being done in the visual arts and physical education.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
The leadership model utilized at FDES is one of ample opportunities and various subgroups. The School Leadership Team (SLT) is led by the principal and associate principal. The SLT is a group of 11 individuals, comprised of various stakeholders who represent each of the following areas: administration, grade-level teams, special education, special content areas, student services, and paraprofessionals. These peer leaders not only represent other staff from their designated subgroup, but also serve as leaders of other smaller subgroups and committees that plan and monitor various events and programs within our school. Decisions regarding staff and school policies are often reviewed by the SLT and adjusted when appropriate.

The leadership philosophy at FDES relies heavily on open communication and opportunities for frequent feedback from school staff, parents and guardians, and students. Mid-year and end-year “chalk talks” provide an open forum for all staff to give feedback on a variety of school-wide policies and programs. As well, annual surveys are distributed to students and parents to also provide feedback and suggestions. All of the results of these various surveys are compiled and reviewed by the SLT to assess and determine necessary changes or upgrades to current practices. The principal also provides periodic times for designated “principal talks” which allow face-to-face time for any staff member to address concerns or bring suggestions to help improve our school.

Students are also given opportunities for leadership through various school responsibilities such as student ambassadors and safety patrol. These students help ensure the safety of other students, while also providing feedback from a student perspective by representing each homeroom.

What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Top 2 goals for the coming year:
To survive and move past the current hybrid model that we're operating under each day.
To continue to show growth in all aspects of our teaching and learning.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
.
At FDES, students are welcomed every morning with a smile and warm greeting. The morning hustle and bustle is filled with the FDES family greeting one another with special handshakes, high fives, fist bumps, hugs, heartfelt conversations, and special FDES sayings like “Better together,” “Fred Strong,” and “Best Day Ever.” Our Principal spends every morning personally greeting each student that walks through the front doors. As you stroll through the halls you see teachers standing at their classroom doors, checking in with each and every student as they enter. Students fill our hallways as they pick up breakfast and share stories with one another. They are filled with excitement for the activities and learning that will occur throughout their day. At FDES, we take pride in building relationships among our students and staff. Building relationships is necessary to create an environment where students are ready to learn. Whether it is by making a connection with a common interest, providing praise or encouragement for a job well done, or offering a listening ear, as a school community we are committed to fostering positive and everlasting relationships with one another. It is not uncommon to see staff members attending community events involving students, adults pitching in to help co-workers with any tasks needing done, or student peers helping a friend.

Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
Over the past five years, the FDES team has worked to create, maintain, and finetune a model of proactive behavioral response. The model encompasses the whole school with the central hub being an area consisting of six small office spaces in our school known as the “Reflection Suite.” The pivotal objective of the Reflection Suite is to provide every student with the proactive services required to help minimize unwanted behavioral responses, allowing for increased time in the academic setting with minimal distractions and optimal opportunity for success.

The Reflection Suite is maintained by the Student Behavioral Interventionist (SBI), the administrative team, and the school counselor. The different rooms are utilized to allow privacy and a comfortable space for students. Some of the services provided in the suite include, but are not limited to: (a) counseling sessions with the school counselor or outside professionals, (b) spaces where students can relax and take breaks during times of frustration, anger, or sadness, (c) quiet study areas, free of distractions, (d) the “Peace Bridge” for guided conflict resolution, and (e) a conference room to discuss student behavior and create proactive plans for individual success.

Every student visit is logged in an online form, which includes name, purpose of visit, date, and duration, which is coded to allow for quick and easy data sorting. Our mission has been to avoid in and out of school suspensions and other behavioral consequences by identifying what proactive services rather than reactive responses are needed. The data that is tracked and available allows for all stake-holders to have a snapshot of each student and how we have attempted to meet their unique needs.

The staff at FDES have received numerous forms of training and professional development regarding trauma-informed response to behavior. This goes along with the goal of being proactive and preventative. In addition, teachers and other staff working directly with students received in-house training from the administrative team and school counselor, providing them with suggestions of tiered interventions that can be done in the classroom (including a mandatory chill-out area designated for each learning space). When these interventions are not successful, the FDES staff is asked to then reach out to the administrative team and/or counselor to determine if services are needed in the Reflection Suite. Overall, this practice has seen an increase in structure and options for responding to student behavioral concerns and mental health needs.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
The professional culture consists of four main components at FDES. The first component is focused on informal and formal observations. Based on teachers' observed skills and strategies, professional development training and coaching is planned. This training occurs during faculty meetings, grade level PLCs, or in-class coaching. The second component is differentiated faculty meetings. During this monthly time, staff learning needs can be differentiated. For example, if a group of teachers need a refresher on Number of the Day, this training occurs while other teachers have other training and tasks to accomplish. The third component is creating a place where teachers and staff want to learn and work each day. This is accomplished in several ways. Appreciation days are planned for all key stakeholders throughout the year: nutrition, custodial, para-educators, secretaries, nurse, teachers, students, and bus drivers all have a special day or week of appreciation. In addition to this, periodic "just because" notes and small treats are left in mailboxes or the teachers' lounge. National appreciation days are celebrated during February and March each year. Staff receive postcards and Remind app words of encouragement several times a year. Excellent "rise to the top" teaching strategies are highlighted in the weekly Friday Focus. Hero awards are given out at faculty meetings to two staff members. Often, teachers and staff are highlighted on various social media platforms utilized by our school. During PLC and faculty meetings, staff get to know the other staff that they work with each day. Staff support one another in various ways throughout the year. The fourth component is lifelong learning opportunities for our staff. Teachers attend all in-school as well as district professional development. Teachers and staff are also selected to represent the school in conferences and workshops. In the last five years, staff has attended science workshops, inclusion conferences, Get Your Teach On, comprehensive studies at the University of Virginia, Bookworms training at University of Delaware, Stetson training, ELL training provided by the University of Delaware, and the Delaware Association of School Leaders conference, and various SMARTER related trainings. Every FDES staff member is placed in a “Good to Great” trio which pairs educators of varying degrees of experience to help promote best practices and professional growth. A district-wide initiative pairs mentors with novice educators, allowing observation with feedback and assistance in completing tasks and practices associated with that staff member’s area of roles and responsibilities.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
The primary contributing factor at FDES for engaging and motivating students while supporting them academically, socially, and emotionally is our Positive Behavior Support (PBS) program. The PBS program is multifaceted and tiered in its approach. At its base level, the PBS system tracks students’ daily behavior with data collection and goal setting that is individualized to each student based on their recent performance from the previous quarter. This data is shared between professional staff, students, and parents or guardians when helping to determine student growth and necessary interventions. Furthermore, this data is used when recognizing students quarterly for their behavioral and academic growth at our PBS achievement assemblies. Students also have the opportunity to attend quarterly events where their individual achievements are celebrated.

To recognize students’ daily adherence to school-wide expectations, any member of the school’s staff as well as bus drivers can issue character slips, which are a form of on-the-spot positive recognition for exemplary behavior and academic achievement. When a student receives a character slip, they can take it to the office and deposit it into the bin for their grade level, and then they receive a sticker to wear for the rest of the day. Periodically, a raffle occurs and some of the character slips are drawn randomly, with the student whose name appears on the slip receiving various forms of prizes or opportunities to be part of a special event. Additionally, positive office referrals can be written for students who further surpass behavioral and academic expectations, resulting in a phone call home using the special M&M phone and their signature being added to the wall of fame. Both of these systems are utilized frequently by all staff for all students to help promote and reinforce positive choices and achievements.

To help teach students the school-wide expectations, homeroom teachers, the school counselor, and the administrative team utilize “Cool Tools” lessons and town meetings. The lessons are mini social and behavioral lessons tailored to our school and taught during the first few weeks of school. They can be revisited when behavioral data suggests that a refresher is necessary. During town meetings, the administrative team and school counselor provide more in-depth character lessons, while also addressing areas of whole-school achievement or reminders of expectations. YouTube lessons, including digital book studies recorded by our students and staff, are another way that we efficiently provide engagement opportunities for all students to access and respond to the social, emotional, and academic content being taught.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2020

  • Grades: 3 - 5
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 7,861
    Student Enrollment: 435
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 35%
    White/Caucasian: 26%
    Hispanic: 31%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 7%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:24
    % Reduced Lunch: 65%
    % ELL Learners: 27%
    Founded: 1922
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Carol Leveillee
  • CONTACT:
    1 Swain Road
    Seaford, DE 19973
    302-629-9213
    carol.leveillee@seaford.k12.de.us