2001 PPP Pearl Award Winners
March 05, 2008
2001 PPP Pearls
Dimension I. Providing Parenting Information
Every teacher and administrator at South Iron R-I has received training for involving parents. That's right- everyone. The Superintendent. The librarians. The coaches. The teachers. Everyone. And almost half of the staff participates in the home visiting program. Parents of PreK through high school students receive information and have their questions answered at the school's popular open house nights.
Honorable Mention: Kingston K-14, Cruise Elementary
Dimension II. Planning and Providing Parent Involvement Opportunities at School
How's this for hands-on science - five hundred and fifty parents, students, and teachers digging for fossils at the Smithville Elementary Science Night. Over the past three years they've seen dramatic growth in their Family Fall Festival and Holiday Festival. Parents also look forward to two family reading nights each year. But it's not just parents. A while back, each grade had over a hundred grandparents attend a special breakfast. The grandparents then went to the classrooms and participated in reading activities.
Honorable Mention: Windsor C-I, Freer Elementary
Dimension III. Building School-Community Partnerships
At Houston R-I it's difficult to tell just where school ends and community begins. For instance, Houston House, a local nursing home, partners with first graders, while the Senior Citizen Center has a partnership with the third grade. Not to be outdone, the American Legion has made allies of fourth and fifth grade students. The town's Citizens for Education Committee sponsors an Academic Awards assembly for the middle school and high school. The Durham Company paid for $2,000 worth of books for the school library. And folks from all over, including Senator Steelman, helped pay tribute to Houston's veterans as high school students silently watched community history unfold before their eyes.
Honorable Mention: Riverview Gardens, Moline Elementary
Dimension IV. Communicating with Parents about Performance and Assessment
Willard South Elementary makes use of PPP's A Parent's Guide to the MAP to help parents understand that test. Parents now go out of their way to provide nutritious meals during test time. Siblings and other students contribute moral support as fifth graders cheer on fourth graders at a pre-test rally. The school's Reading Recovery teachers keep parents informed about their child's academic performance prior to and throughout their participation in the program. The school uses Americorps Volunteers to supply individual tutoring. The team approach works. Willard South has moved from being the district's lowest scorer on the MMAT to becoming the leading performer on the MAP.
Honorable Mention: St. Louis Public Schools, Clark Elementary
Dimension V. Helping Parents Support Their Children's Learning
For the first time in four years, we have a tie. St. Louis Public School's Woodward Elementary created a "Raising Readers" program. Every month parents and children cozy up to breakfast and a book together. Each parent receives detailed information about their child's progress twice a year- guaranteed. If parents can't attend the regular parent/teacher conference, then the school will go the parent. The teacher, the principal or the parent liaison will arrange a home visit. The visit provides information about the child's progress. The visit lays a foundation for working together.
Across the state, at Springfield R-12, twenty-three Title I schools use PPP materials and teacher support to increase involvement and improve literacy. Bingham Elementary hosts a "Ride and Read" where kids and parents ride bikes while reading poems. At other schools parents and children make books together. McGregor Elementary established "The McGregor 500". Families mingle with local racecar drivers, then it's off to the races- the reading races. Springfield has just launched a web site with ideas on how parents can help their children at home.
Honorable Mention: Columbia Public Schools
Dimension VI. Obtaining Parent Input on Curriculum and Instruction, Discipline, and School Climate
Parents and community members serve on Plato R-V advisory boards. Their input is put into action. One change was the Introduction to Junior High program. Parents are now given a tour of the junior high and introduced to teachers. Thus, parents actively contribute to establishing high expectations in the building. There's another indicator that parents feel ownership in the school. Recently, the community overwhelmingly passed a bond issue to repair and update buildings.
Honorable Mention: Center 58, Center Elementary
Combining Strengths Across the Dimensions
There's no time for idle hands at Bolivar Primary. They're currently putting their Parent Lending Library resources on the web. With an e-mail, parents request a book or video. Their child carries it home the next day. Everyone's worked hard this year to give each teacher a class web page. Now parents get up-to-date information on each class. Are you a parent with limited computer skills? That's ok, just show up for the school's Thursday night computer lab lessons. No computer? The school cooperates with the local library to provide access.
Even before school began, Bolivar Primary staff visited all students who would be in the school's new reading program. It was a massive effort. Parents new to the district expressed surprise that anyone would make such an above-and beyond effort. That same dedication led teachers to put together a school-wide Bookbag Program and provide MAP information nights. The work pays off. This year, Bolivar Middle School placed number one in the state on the Science and Social Studies MAP tests. Families must really like what's going on because over 85% show up of their year end Celebration of Success. One Bolivar parent said this, "As a parent I appreciate all the staff does to promote academic excellence. I feel welcomed. I feel a part of my child's team."
