• Category 2

    Selected in 2023

  • Grades: k - 3
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 13,577
    Student Enrollment: 457
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 42%
    White/Caucasian: 44%
    Hispanic: 9%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 4%
    Native American: 1%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:14
    % Reduced Lunch: 46%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 1952
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Cynthia McNatt
  • CONTACT:
    121 South School Lane
    Smyrna, DE 19977
    302-653-8588
    cynthia.mcnatt@smyrna.k12.de.us
Smyrna Elementary School
Smyrna, DE
Teachers have changed their perspective from “Why aren’t the students getting it?” to “What do I need to do to make sure the students understand?”
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
We measure our school success by the love and compassion we show our students. The academic growth is a by-product of our approach to meeting the needs of all our students. We made it our mission to create learning environments to allow all students the ability to attain success. We made sure to address all of the students' needs both emotionally and academically. Through responsive classrooms we cultivated an environment where students felt comfortable sharing their ideas. We also modeled and practiced how students can have discourse of ideas, which enabled them to communicate and work together better. These practices then transferred to content areas. Students' conversations are more impactful during lessons because students are bouncing their ideas off one another and learning from each other’s thinking. As students started to work together and experience growth in content areas they were more interested in engaging in new content.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
The greatest contributing factor to our school’s success is our teachers’ ability to adapt to the always evolving educational landscape. Teachers dove deep into student data to adjust groupings. Our staff no longer views the 22 students in their room as their kids, they now view the hundred plus students in their grade level as their kids. They adapted the instruction to target the weakness for each group of students. This practice enabled all students to get meaningful instruction for their specific needs. All students were always growing and moving forward, because they were engaged in lessons and activities specifically designed for areas that then needed to grow in. Students were no longer sitting through whole group lessons covering content they had already proven to be proficient in. This evolution was not an easy task but the amazing teachers in our building are always up to the challenge of making uncomfortable changes to benefit student achievement.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
Our funding will be utilized in upgrading our classroom technology. We will outfit our third grade classrooms with smart boards. This interactive tool will enable us to increase student engagement. It will allow teachers easier access to build prior knowledge and provide additional experiences. Teachers will be able to utilize the Smartboard software to create and enhance our schools curriculum. The exposure and access to this technology will provide them unique opportunities to interact with the content that will be displayed during state testing. Smartboards are a fantastic tool to simulate the technology students are expected to execute on their standardized state assessments.

4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
In our professional learning communities we implemented the practice of annotating lessons. We also implemented student work analysis. Teachers are now reflecting on student work as well as how their teaching practices influence student growth. In addition to student work analysis we used our professional learning communities to examine formative and summative data. This data analysis practice enabled us to identify specific areas of need for individual students. This led us to adjustments in our scope and sequence to meet students’ needs. We realized that in order to really improve student achievement we had to address the whole student. We needed to address the emotional and social needs of our student body. The implementation of restorative practices and responsive classroom strategies allowed our students to communicate their needs as well as empathize with the needs of their peers.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
The culture shift in our school was another contributing factor for our success. The teachers were able to change the perspective from “why aren’t the students getting it” to “what do I need to do to make sure the students understand”. This change in perspective goes hand in hand with the belief that students today do not receive or process information the same way they did in previous years. The current students that we service need instruction delivered in short concise intervals partnered with meaningful practice in the content area.
There was also a cultural shift in student learning. We changed the way students communicated with each other, which allowed them to share ideas without fear of being wrong. We also dedicated time to having our students understand and empathize with their fellow classmates' viewpoints and backgrounds. This was accomplished through our restorative and responsive classroom activities.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
Through our parent teacher organization (PTO) we have been able to provide unique opportunities for our students. This partnership has provided special opportunities for our students through assemblies and specialized after school events. Smyrna School District is a tight knit district that values education and family. Our community provides an overwhelming amount of support to our school through a variety of events and donation drives (clothes, food, school supplies, etc.). This enables our students to thrive in a safe and positive learning environment. Where not only are their academic needs met, but also their social/emotional well being is prioritized.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2023

  • Grades: k - 3
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 13,577
    Student Enrollment: 457
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 42%
    White/Caucasian: 44%
    Hispanic: 9%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 4%
    Native American: 1%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:14
    % Reduced Lunch: 46%
    % ELL Learners: 5%
    Founded: 1952
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Cynthia McNatt
  • CONTACT:
    121 South School Lane
    Smyrna, DE 19977
    302-653-8588
    cynthia.mcnatt@smyrna.k12.de.us