Colorado school uses strategies from
Classroom Instruction that Works to improve
student achievement
In 2004, the teachers at North Valley Middle School (NVMS) in LaSalle, Colo., weren't sure what to do. They were experienced and knowledgeable, but their students weren't learning what they needed to learn—and their school was not making Annual Yearly Progress.
Faced with a high mobility rate among students, a high turnover rate among teachers, and a large number of English-language learners, NVMS teachers needed not just knowledge but also the strategies and tools to transfer that knowledge into better student achievement, according to Bj Stone, who was the district's director of curriculum and professional development at the time.
When the school received a three-year school improvement grant from the state, Stone turned to McREL to help NVMS teachers get focused on instructional strategies or, as she put it, "on student learning rather than on teaching."
School rallies behind CITW
In the first year, McREL Principal Consultant Cherie Lyons facilitated Classroom Instruction that Works and, Stone said, was instrumental in helping to build a school culture at NVMS around the use of research-based strategies. "She set a pace that allowed teachers to learn and apply what they were learning," she explained.
Teachers who had previously clustered together in grade-level or content-area groups rallied together around the work. CITW gave teachers a common vocabulary and a more systematized, consistent approach to teaching.
Former NVMS Principal Mel Sussman describes the difference in his staff as an "evolution." "A true professional learning community has been formed," he said, "with teachers embracing strategies and reaching out to each other to improve student achievement."
Teacher-directed success
From the beginning, the work at NVMS was teacher-directed. Each year, the teachers chose what they wanted to focus on and have made a conscious effort to build upon their previous work. Stone said, "When school improvement is done right—piece by piece, building effort upon effort, empowering teachers along the way—you can truly change the culture of a school and get to the heart of what it takes to increase achievement in the long term."
NVMS is well on its way to long-term success. From 2005 to 2007, the school has seen improvements in CSAP scores for reading (53% to 60% proficient), writing (27% to 33%), mathematics (44% to 46%), and, most notably, science (34% to 54%). In addition, teachers are convinced that the work they've done with McREL has raised expectations for teachers and students—and that this culture will endure whatever changes come their way.
Both Stone and Sussman were so inspired by their work with McREL that they have joined the organization.