A large urban K-6 elementary school in El Paso, Texas, Pebble Hills has a strong focus on improving student achievement. Pebble Hills has an extremely diverse student population, 78% Hispanic, 4% African American, .8% Asian and 18% White. Close to 25% of the students are limited English proficient and taught in bilingual classrooms.

Pebble Hills, a traditional school with average student achievement, embarked on a major reform initiative of instructional and professional development practices in 1995 with dramatic results. The school staff examined its instructional practices, student achievement data and current research on effective professional development. The staff established a professional development model that includes research-based practices, mentoring, model lessons, coaching, and problem solving around specific problems of the practice of teaching and learning.

Two instructional specialists support teachers at Pebble Hills in their effort. The instructional leaders facilitate conversations about "behind the glass" model lessons, in which teachers are observed by others. Teachers participate in weekly 45-minute instructional meetings. A "Professional Development Center" also is located on campus where weekly meetings are held and professional journals, books, and videos are available for staff.

The most apparent evidence of the success of the professional development model is the continual climb over the past four years of grades 3-6 student achievement as assessed by the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. In addition, the campus developed a database of student assessments in literacy for its kindergarten through third grade students beginning with the 1998-99 school year. This charts the progress in literacy across time for K-3 students to assess program effectiveness and individual student progress in their primary grades.

Contact Information

Pebble Hills Elementary School
Dona Descamps, Principal
11145 Edgemere Blvd.
El Paso, Texas 79936
915-434-5600
915-591-9222 (fax)
descamps@aol.com

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