POINTS of PRIDE: Greene County Elementary School

Leadership Team at Greene County with Principal Scott Johnson

Proud Kindergarten Student

Greene County Elementary School is located in Jefferson, Iowa, led enthusiastically by Principal Scott Johnson along with the help of a very capable leadership team provided by the Teacher Leadership and Compensation grant as well as a reading interventionist.  In Mr. Johnson’s words, “We are a bucket-filling school where positive behaviors are encouraged and supported.”  According to the Greene County Community Schools website, “the mission of their schools in partnership with their communities is to provide all students with the foundation for lifelong learning built by developing individual and social responsibilities of students, encouraging them to make productive use of time, technology, and resources, actively engaging them through diverse instructional strategies, and encouraging them to be critical thinkers.”

TAG showcase of projects

The TLC grant has enabled Greene County Elementary School to have one full time and a part time instructional coach.  The focus for this year has been moving teachers towards common formative assessments and the identification of anchor skills.  Their model classrooms allow for observations but also include a reflection time, a key component necessary for others to take what is learned and apply it to their own classrooms.  Building consistency in Professional Learning Communities began with a large group traveling to Minnesota last summer for training.  Every Wednesday there is an early out and PLCs meet weekly for a minimum of one hour.  Additional meetings are held with grade levels for a minimum of one hour weekly to address grade level concerns. 

Demographics:

Enrollment – 450, grades PreK-3

Free and Reduced Lunch – 54%

Kindergarten teacher Ann Ostendorf

Developing reading habits

The Daily Five (C.A.F.E.) is used to frame classroom instruction across the building.  According to its website, “the Daily Five is a framework for structuring literacy time so students develop lifelong habits of reading, writing, and working independently.”  This framework “enables teachers to choose individualized goals, assign strategies, monitor progress, and provide just-in-time instruction to meet the needs of every student.” There is also the Math Daily 3 that is a “framework for structuring math time so students develop deep conceptual understanding and mathematical proficiency.” It allows student choice including “Math by Myself, Math Writing, and Math with Someone.”   This framework assists teachers in “producing highly engaged students who develop a love of math.” (2015)  At Greene County Elementary, their math program is Everyday Math and just-in-time interventions are provided on a consistent basis to move students forward in their learning journey.

Greene County Elementary is focused on continuous improvement as evidenced by book studies on MINDSET and THE ART OF COACHING.  A district goal is differentiation and the focus is always on growing as effective educators.  With a strong Teacher Leadership and Compensation Grant, their school is moving forward in the development of critical thinkers prepared for the 21^st Century.

REFERENCES:

Greene County Community School District - http://www.jefferson-

scranton.k12.ia.us/pages/GCCSD/Design_Resources/Our_Mission473

THE DAILY FIVE - https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5 (from 2015 THE DAILY

CAFÉ)

MATH DAILY 3 - https://www.thedailycafe.com/math-daily-3 (from 2015 THE

DAILY CAFÉ)