• Category 1

    Selected in 2022

  • Grades: pre k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 265
    Student Enrollment: 42
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 4%
    White/Caucasian: 2%
    Hispanic: 83%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 4%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 4%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:7
    % Reduced Lunch: 38%
    % ELL Learners: 2%
    Founded: 1923
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Monica Montoya
  • CONTACT:
    300 Park Ave.
    Wagon Mound, NM 87752
    575-666-3030
    monica.montoya@wm.k12.nm.us
Wagon Mound Elementary School
Wagon Mound, NM
"We fully believe that having high standards has enabled our students to set and achieve personal and academic goals."
1. Tell us about your school’s success.
For the past few years, Wagon Mound Elementary School has seen growth for our students in the areas of Reading and Math by ensuring quality instructional time with high quality educators. Our success is grounded in the commitment of our staff to our students and their learning. We take our students learning very seriously and hold all of our students to high standards. We fully believe that having high standards has enabled our students to set and achieve personal and academic goals.
2. Talk about the greatest contributing factor(s) that promoted positive change in your school.
The greatest contributing factors that have promoted positive change in our school is the practice of having an uninterrupted 90-minute reading block. Within that time, our teachers focus on spelling, phonemic awareness, grammar, writing and of course reading. In addition, ensuring quality instructional time with high quality educators has made a significant difference on students’ academic growth. Another factor for positive change in our school is having a full-time reading interventionist who has greatly helped our students make gains by providing small group and/or one on one instruction. Our schedule has allowed for math intervention services to be provided to students who may need remediation or extra support based on their short cycle assessment data. Teachers have been intentional in looking at their student’s data and making instructional decisions based on that data.
3. How has ESEA funding supported the school's success?
Wagon Mound Elementary is a Title I school which relies heavily on ESEA funding. Our funding is utilized to provide a reading intervention teacher, instructional materials, and professional development. Our Reading Interventionist has been in education for many years and has brought her expertise to our students who are in most need. On average, she works with 15-20 students per day and provides one on one direct instruction in reading to our students who are in most need. Instructional materials are purchased with ESEA funding so that teachers have many tools in their repitoir. Funding set aside for instructional materials beyond the adopted curriculum, ensures that our students are receiving differentiated instruction and activities that meet their needs.
4. What professional development activities were used to improve teaching and learning?
As a district we have made positive relationship building a priority for our professional learning. As such, we have implemented Capturing Kids Hearts. The strategies that staff have been trained in have been embraced and implemented fully, knowing that by creating positive relationships with students we are able to make more effective use of instructional time. The district has also had teachers trained in Kagan Cooperative Learning. In this professional development, teachers were taught how to utilize groups in a more effective way and how to structure group discussions so that all students are participating. Our teachers have all received professional development in the adopted curriculum, Into Reading and are in cohorts to receive training in LETRS, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. These professional development opportuinites have directly impacted our students and their academics.
5. Talk about the cultural shift leading up to your school's success.
The culture of our school has changed for the positive. Through interpersonal relationship building our students and staff have benefitted. This shift has had a great impact on our students; instructional time is not being lost because of classroom management issues. There are less disruptions and students embrace the every day procedures of their classrooms, including holding each other accountable for behavior, giving affirmations to their peers, and being engaged in their instruction.
6. How has community involvement strengthened your success?
We feel that creating a partnership between the community and school is of the utmost importance. Community involvement has strengthend our success because our students know that their families are invested in their success and education. We partner with the Mora County DWI program and Sheriffs office to give various presentations to students. Our school creates a welcoming atmosphere through other non-academic activities and invites all community members to participate. By inviting and including community members in our school activities, our students have flourished which is evident in their achievement. Community is so important for a child; they know they have the support of their family and their community. We feel by creating this bond, students will be able to give back to their community in the future.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2022

  • Grades: pre k - 6
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 265
    Student Enrollment: 42
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 4%
    White/Caucasian: 2%
    Hispanic: 83%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 4%
    Asian: 0%
    Native American: 4%
    Other: 0%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:7
    % Reduced Lunch: 38%
    % ELL Learners: 2%
    Founded: 1923
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Monica Montoya
  • CONTACT:
    300 Park Ave.
    Wagon Mound, NM 87752
    575-666-3030
    monica.montoya@wm.k12.nm.us