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Teachers share instructional techniques with each other at building meetings and school improvement days. They are presenters for each other as well as staff at other schools. Members of the Wasmer staff are committee members on district curriculum teams that help us keep up to date with the latest resources for teaching.

Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.

Each year, parents sign a parent compact, monthly newsletters reinforce guidelines for learning, and parent / teacher conferences are mandatory. If parents do not come to us, we go to them. The PTA meets monthly to support academic programs at Wasmer, make suggestions for further growth, and provide activities for family fun at school. A newsletter from the principal goes home each month in English and Spanish, students have take home folders and planners that are signed daily by parents. Connect - ed calls are made to notify parents of important events or schedule changes. Parents are welcomed and invited to visit school, eat with their children, or volunteer in the classroom.

Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.

Artist in residence programs have given students the opportunity to learn about the community. Local organizations provide enrichment activities that help students make connections to the community. Students periodically perform at community centers such as the Generation Center. We partner with a local bank that provides student of the month rewards each month. Parents are encouraged to participate in school activities such as book fairs, literacy nights, conferences.

Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.

In the past 16 years I have been a principal at Wasmer Elementary School, I have experienced the change of moving to a new building, full day kindergarten, technology advances, new curriculum, emphasis on assessment results, AYP and NeSA. Academic and societal changes have greatly influenced the change process. Managing Change by McRel and Robert Marzano detail aspects that I believe are important. First of all there needs to be a demand for change. Implementation of agreed upon strategies interacts with monitoring and evaluation. The outcomes need to matter to all stakeholders. With collective efficacy and use of available assets, change can happen with success.

What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?

Our goals in the past 4 years have been to meet AYP expectations. Unfortunately, it is unreasonable to think that 100% of our students can meet proficiency this year. Our goal is to maintain our level of achievement and provide the best learning opportunities that we can for student success. We specifically want to target our writing instruction so that we are aligned with common core standards. Secondly, we want to continue to build our purposeful community. Student and teacher attitudes have greatly improved with the implementation of purposeful community. We believe a welcoming environment conducive to learning is the key to success.

What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?

The climate and culture of a school sets the stage for a safe and productive learning environment. Respect and rapport with students and staff as well as each other are strong indicators of achievement success. We have that atmosphere at Wasmer. Substitutes are always very positive about their experience at Wasmer. Presenters are often amazed at the behavior of our students. Staff welcome newcomers be they students or adults. There exists a sense of comfort and acceptance as you walk in the front door. Combine this atmosphere with high expectations, accountability, and consistency for staff and students, and you have the ingredients for success.

Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.

The program that has made the greatest impact on student achievement is RtI. Using data to determine needed intervention has enabled us to target those students who need supplemental help. It has also provided opportunities for teachers to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all the students. Using DIBELS at the universal screening for reading in kindergarten, first, and second grades has given us the ability to pinpoint deficiencies early and work to correct them. Maintaining high expectations for students and staff with accountability and consistency ensure student success.

Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.

The Title I program is a school wide program that blends completely with regular education. Funding is provided for special education, SpED paraeducators, learning facilitator, regular education para educators as well as ELL paraeducators. The RtI chair person, Migrant coordinator, and social worker also work within the realm of Title I. Since 43% of our students are ELL, interpreters, paraeducators and classroom ELL teachers are provided through Title I funding. Programs for intervention or extended learning such as Reading Together and after school support also align with Title 1 programs. Title I and regular education are so enmeshed that it is difficult to separate one program from another.

Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.

Principals in the Grand Island Public Schools are given opportunities to learn directly from the authors of research-based strategies. Such people as Ken O’Connor, Rick Wormlie, Robert Marzano, Diana Browning Wright, and McRel Associates along with others have provided valuable information and learning strategies that are shared with the staff. Seven professional development days are included in the district calendar for training. Professional development is based on district goals and school needs. At Wasmer School, we take these learning opportunities and turn them into best practices for student academic growth. Learning facilitators, coaches, and mentors support implementation with individual teachers and small groups differentiating for need. Work with the formative assessment process over the last several years also solidifies implementation. We know these strategies are implemented because they are part of the school improvement plan. Teachers share instructional techniques with each other at building meetings and school improvement days. They are presenters for each other as well as staff at other schools. Members of the Wasmer staff are committee members on district curriculum teams that help us keep up to date with the latest resources for teaching. School wide programs are established to motivate students and increase their ability to learn by promoting independent learning. Collegiality and collaboration at Wasmer are the strongest ways to measure the success of professional development implementation.

Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.

Data determines our next steps. Each year we look at the data retrieved from norm referenced, standardized assessments, state assessments, district assessments, and classroom observations. After analyzing the data, needed areas of improvement are determined. Then research- based strategies are used to provide improvement in instruction and learning. Periodically staff discussions are held to determine if the prescribed strategies are working based on student performance. Adjustments are made if the results indicate that the need is not being met.

Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.

Our school culture is based on a purposeful community. We have done many things over the past several years to create the environment we have today. The most important element of what we do at Wasmer is create relationships. Staff, parents, and students are known as the Wasmer family. We have implemented a variety of activities over the past years that have strengthened the collegiality of our staff. We come together as a staff to reach out to those students who need that extra attention they may not get from their families. We work together to develop good character by promoting caring, achievement, responsibility and safety. Staff work together to set high expectations for the students then help them achieve those expectations. Three words appropriately describe the success of our staff and students: expectation, consistency, and accountability.

• Category 2

  Selected in 2013

• Grades: k - 5
  School Setting: urban
  Town Population: 50,000
  Student Enrollment: 363
  Student Demographics:
  

  Black/African American: 6%
  White/Caucasian: 30%
  Hispanic: 58%
  Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
  Asian: 1%
  Native American: 2%
  Other: 3%
  

  Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15
  % Reduced Lunch: 85.7%
  % ELL Learners: 39.9%
  Founded: 2000
• PRINCIPAL:
  Betty Desaire
• CONTACT:
  318 S Clark St.
  Grand Island, NE 68801
  308-385-5920
  bdesaire@gips.org