• Category 1

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: k - 3
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 9
    Student Enrollment: 625
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 2%
    White/Caucasian: 67%
    Hispanic: 28%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17.4
    % Reduced Lunch: 46%
    % ELL Learners: 3.9%
    Founded: 1954
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Misti Wildasin
  • CONTACT:
    116 N Berlin Avenue
    New Oxford, PA 17350
    717-624-2157
    wildasinm@cvcolonials.org
New Oxford Elementary School
New Oxford, PA
Take time to celebrate accomplishments and recognize all those involved.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Title I parent nights were held three times a year. These included theme nights with a storyteller, therapy dogs, and Q & A sessions with parents. Reading specialists present information for parents on how they can help their child with reading at home. Books are provided for students.
Special parent visitation days are scheduled for parents to visit their child’s classroom as well as parent - teacher conferences, concerts, Fun Nights, door decorating, orientations, and celebrations throughout the year.
Parent volunteers are utilized daily at NOE. We had approximately 75 consistent volunteers last year.
We have a strong PTO which provides numerous opportunities for students including field trips, technology purchases, playground upgrades, and a back to school social held at the start of the year.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
With the help of our PTO we have a "Race For Education" fundraiser that involves parents and the community on several levels. Since it is a fundraiser that requires students to write letters and ask for donations toward their race day, this increases community awareness of our educational programs being funded. We then invite families and community members to join us for the run which allows faculty, staff and administration the opportunity to talk with parents and business people who are invested in or want to know more about the Conewago Valley School District. The positive relationships and support which has resulted from this event has been wonderful. It has increased trust, volunteerism, and donations.
Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
First, weaknesses must be identified through data and a team approach for resolving these should be implemented. Increasing student learning has to be the focal point. Allowing others to lead in areas of their expertise while sharing with colleagues is the catalyst for successful. Implementing a more rigorous curriculum, efficient schedules, and interventions that have carry over into the classroom are 3 important academic factors that must work together seamlessly.
Next, successful change must be accompanied by an environment where teachers feel safe, are empowered by teaching, and enjoy coming work. This energy is reciprocal for students. These factors are not created overnight, nor are they accomplished under one single leadership style. Leaders sometimes have to be as flexible and creative as we ask our teachers to be.
Lastly, take time to celebrate accomplishments and recognize all those involved.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
We struggle with the summer slide. Our at risk students lose a lot of information over the summer months and our specialist work hard in the first 6 weeks to get them back to the point in which they left. We hope to create a summer reading program that will increase the amount of reading and decrease the summer slide.
While our math scores are good, the intervention time for struggling students is not sufficient. We must find a way to schedule small group tier 1 and tier 2 for math skills.
What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
There is no single most important factor. The above things happen because our teachers, administrators, and school board care about our kids and want the best for them. This creates an educational environment that teachers and kids want to be a part of.
To replicate our data team and the communication between teachers and reading specialists would be a top priority. Our at risk students are getting the tiered instruction they need by teachers, aides, and specialists. The progress monitoring is shared and discussed to insure proper instruction.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
In 2015-2016 we had our reading specialist working with 5.6% of our 3rd graders each day during a Target Time in a Guided Reading format. Instructional aides worked with 20.8% of 3rd graders using Soar or Quick Reads. First and Second grade was using a more intense format called Reading Room.
In 2016-2017, we implemented the Reading Room concept into 3rd grade where reading specialist and instructional aide would see lowest students on a rotating basis each day or every other depending on time and need. The aides provided intervention Soar for comprehension and the specialist used a modified guided reading to include QAR and responses to PSSA like questions.
Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Title I parent nights are held three times each year. Some of the activities we have provided are magician, storyteller, therapy dogs, and simple Q & A sessions with parents. During each of these nights, reading specialists present information to parents on how they can help their children at home. We also provide books to students and reading materials to parents to assist their children. Title 1 reading specialists allowed students to borrow books for home reading at their appropriate reading level.
The salaries of our reading specialist are also by Title I funds.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Using a portion of the faculty meeting as a platform for scheduled professional development by grade levels, individual teachers (ESL teacher presents each month), or administration.
A building technology team offers workshops during inservice and 8:00 sessions.
PLC Plus - Reading specialists offer 1 session a month / grade level of in-depth knowledge concerning a focus area we have for the year. (ex. QAR)
On of our reading specialist provides a 30 minute session in each 3rd grade classroom 1/week to develop Close Reading. This serves as PD for the teachers as well.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
New Oxford Elementary School's Title I provided opportunities for all children to achieve. Every student was assessed using district reading and writing benchmarks, AIMSWeb, and Fountas and Pinnell leveled readers. WIDA test results from ESL students and teacher input was also used. Students who consistently scored low across these assessments were scheduled to receive a reading intervention. These interventions were provided to all who were identified. The frequency of the interventions was also determined by student data. Those who showed the greatest deficit received the more frequent intervention. Weekly progress monitoring of the children took place and data was used at monthly meetings to determine whether students should continue intervention, exit intervention and if other students needed to be moved into intervention.

Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
The school climate at NOE is one in which students understand their role as respectful citizens and learners. This concept is presented to them as their job, just as adults have jobs.
Administrators and Teachers model respect for students and each other.
We utilize the Core Essentials program that is based off of three overarching points; Treat others right, make smart decisions, and maximize your potential. Pledge Tickets are rewarded for these and drawn for prizes.
Special assemblies are also held throughout the year to promote Core Essentials, to recognize good school attendance, and celebrate meeting school reading goals.
Teachers lead PD and are given the opportunity to share successful pedagogy.
Teachers are encouraged to take risks. Failure is recognized as growth.
Kids First - Always. If there is a decision to be made, we always keep our students’ interests first.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: k - 3
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 9
    Student Enrollment: 625
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 2%
    White/Caucasian: 67%
    Hispanic: 28%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 3%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:17.4
    % Reduced Lunch: 46%
    % ELL Learners: 3.9%
    Founded: 1954
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Misti Wildasin
  • CONTACT:
    116 N Berlin Avenue
    New Oxford, PA 17350
    717-624-2157
    wildasinm@cvcolonials.org