POINTS of PRIDE: Wayne CSD at Corydon

Admins-Snyder, Daughton, Sinclair

For the past 15 years, the Wayne Community School District in Corydon has been a huge advocate for Capturing Kids Hearts (composed by the Flippen Group) - a program similar to Character Counts.  This district focuses on developing relationships through social contracts with students and creating student responsibility by redirecting behaviors through questions like - "What are you supposed to be doing?  Are you doing it?"  The staff makes every effort to meet and greet at the door and to be visible in the hallways.   This program is part of their culture and serves as a driving force.  It has created a difference in how staff and students alike respond to one another.  They hold
one another accountable and in the words of the Admin team, it has been "life-changing."  As a result of this positive culture, behavioral referrals are down and academic performance is up. The statement that goes along with Capturing Kids Hearts is: "If you have a child's heart, you have his head." 

District Demographics (spring 2015):
Enrollment - 520
Free and Reduced lunch - 50% (with 59% at the elementary)

Wayne Community School District focuses on education of the whole child.  Second Chance Reading is provided to all non-proficient readers in grades 7-12.  There are Title I services as the elementary level through the use of leveled books and benchmark testing.  A Professional Development Leadership Team plan out the PD held biweekly through an early out with plan for full day PD.  The focus has been on the Characteristics of Effective Instruction, and peer review as well as collaboration time is used to monitor the implementation of quality instructional practices.  The elementary teachers are working with the AEA on how to measure learning deficits using the FAST/Iowa TIER screener.  They use this data to set up interventions.  They have also focused on an intervention plan and diagnostic testing with daily interventions in the area of math.  All programs are focused on ways that make their mission statement come to life:   "To provide students with the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge needed to succeed beyond the structure of their school system..."

Wayne CSD has a strong PTA program at the elementary level.  The Kids Helping Kid Mentoring Program provides high school students as mentors to elementary students.  Biannual Community Service projects are scheduled as students show the community how they value their contribution to their education.  Projects include planting trees, cleaning neighborhoods, and clearing walkways.  An ad is placed in the paper for the community to provide input on projects.  They are proud of the strong community support.  The building of an athletic complex, a county-wide career fair, an all elementary track meet, and a Farm Safety Day are some of the activities with full support of community members. 

Concurrent classes are provided in collaboration with Indian Hills.  Wayne CSD has a strong Career and Technical Ed program including industrial tech, Ag, Business, FCCLA, FBLA, FCS, and Health Occupations.  They have implemented the Iowa Teacher Leadership and Compensation Program with the services of two instructional coaches at each building.  They have a tech coach, a TLC coordinator, Model Teachers, and a PD Leadership Team.

Wayne Community School District has been named one of the 2015 Top Work Places by the DesMoines Register, proving that this is a school district where staff loves to work, a place providing a quality education for all.