A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Lora B. Peck Elementary School
Houston Independent School District
Houston, Texas

Background

A manicured lawn, a colorful array of fall flowers encircling the base of every tree, and brightly painted red doors greet visitors to Lora B. Peck Elementary in the southeast area of the Houston Independent School District. A warm and welcoming foyer adorned with soft, off-white leather sofas, fluffy pillows, end tables, green plants, collector?s items, and various trinkets immediately entice guests to find refuge in one of the sitting areas lining the main entry. One cannot help noticing the greetings, smiles, and hugs exchanged between the principal, staff, students, and parents who are hurriedly and purposefully moving about.

Visitors entering the Peck campus are immediately engrossed in the level of excitement and enthusiasm throughout the school. It is a school in which the staff, students, and school community work together and take pride in the school?s appearance. Peck is orderly, clean, and well maintained. The school maintains a surprisingly quiet atmosphere. As a general school rule, the children, wearing uniforms of red shirts and blue pants, walk to their next destination with crossed arms and closed mouths. As there are no indoor wings or hallways, the classroom doors open to outside courtyard areas. Some classrooms have the walls covered with lessons, rules, and schedules; all are vibrant and print rich with numerous displays of student work. In all classrooms, at every grade level, there is posted a "classroom managers" plan. One kindergarten class has a schedule that accounts for every minute of the day. The schedule contains more than six reading-related activities such as phonemic awareness, a language program, and letter investigation.

Glass cases display pictures of many parents and school partners in attendance at PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) meetings and more than 200 volunteers working during the "Peck Beautification Day" activities. The "Wall of Fame," a collection of the school?s honors and achievements, contains more than 15 trophies and 9 medals, all earned since 1996. Once vibrant with red, white, and blue school colors, a large bulletin board, now noticeably old and faded displays the word "Teamwork" to symbolize the mission of the staff to reach 100 percent collaboration. Although the staff acknowledges that the bulletin board has been in place for several years, they are unanimous in their decision that the board will remain until all the staff agree, without hesitation, that the goal has been reached. "TAASmometers," attractively displayed on the cafeteria walls, generate competitive discussions among the students during lunch as to the percentages of students at each grade level who passed the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The entire school is neat and free of clutter, an indication of the strong sense of pride and personal ownership that resonates from everyone involved. The multitude of multicolored walls and doors donned with slogans of celebration and aspirations, resoundingly proclaim that Peck is a school bound for long-term success.

Population Served

Peck Elementary School serves a population of 325 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. In 1998, the student population included an enrollment that was 79 percent African American, 18 percent Hispanic, 2 percent white and 1 percent from other racial or ethnic groups. Ninety-four percent of the students participated in the free or reduced-price lunch program.

Academic Improvement

Between 1995 and 1998, Peck made a dramatic transformation from a school with the state?s lowest accreditation rating (low-performing) to one with the highest (exemplary). The low-performing rating was earned because only 15 percent of Peck students passed the writing section of TAAS and only 30.3 percent passed the mathematics section. None of the Hispanic students and fewer than one in five African American students passed the writing assessment. Although performance in reading was better, fewer than half of Peck students passed the reading test.

In contrast, in 1998, the exemplary rating was earned because at least 90 percent of all students passed the reading, writing, and mathematics sections of the TAAS. Moreover, at least 90 percent of the African American, Hispanic, white, and economically disadvantaged students passed each section of the TAAS. (This means that 90 percent of each population group passed each test. It does not mean that 90 percent of each population group passed all three sections of the test). Only 15 percent of all schools in Texas received the exemplary rating in 1998. The rate of improvement at Peck has exceeded the improvement throughout the district and throughout Texas. (See Table 12.)

Table 12: Percentage of Peck Elementary Students Passing All Three Sections of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills

Starting Points:
Building a Team, Creating a Family

Peck has not always enjoyed an inviting atmosphere. Less than four years ago, riddled with discord and conflict among parents, teachers, and staff, the school climate was not conducive to student achievement. District administrators described Peck in 1994 as a school that was dreary and academically uninspiring. Students were seen as undisciplined, disrespectful, and unmotivated. The lack of clearly defined disciplinary procedures was a source of parent complaints to campus and district administrators. One Houston School District board member said:

It seemed obvious to parents and outsiders that the staff had serious problems controlling the behavior of the students. Teachers were ill at ease and not able to manage children, which sabotaged their ability to deliver instructional programs. There was fighting in the classrooms and hallways, resulting in students being removed from classroom instruction and sent to the office for disciplinary measures. Staff and student morale was low. No one felt pride in their work.

Teachers recalled that the classrooms were uninviting and void of excitement. Classrooms rarely displayed colorful bulletin boards and student work was seldom posted. Classroom activities most commonly included non-directed drill and worksheets. Students were not learning. The staff lacked a clear understanding of the instructional goals expected by the district and the state or the strategies that might be implemented to improve student performance. They felt a lack of instructional leadership or support. Teachers were left alone in their classrooms to develop their own instructional plan. An eight-year teacher at Peck recalled:

I felt that every teacher was doing whatever he or she wanted to do. No one was monitored, nor were there any checks to see that the objectives were being taught. I never felt the students were being motivated the way they should have been. We had nothing unusual going on in the classrooms unless individual teachers had taken it upon themselves to make a difference.

In 1994, the involvement of parents at Peck was limited and wrought with conflict. Parent visits to the school were minimal. Frequent complaints from parents focused on what their children were learning, the extent to which teachers lacked control in the classroom, and the poor manner in which their children were being treated. Protests often went unsolved, which incited frustrated parents to resolve their concerns by confronting the teachers in the classroom, often during instruction and in front of the students. Parents did not feel welcome and were not encouraged to participate in activities at the school.

Relationships with community business partners resulted most often, in one-way involvement. One business partner described what it was like to mentor students in 1994:

Mentors would arrive at the school eager to tutor students or to provide whatever services were needed, but find the staff unprepared and appearing to be somewhat irritated by the inconvenience of organizing packets of student work. You could sense that something wasn?t right.

The changes at Peck started in the office of the general superintendent of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), Rod Paige. He set the course by determining that Peck and other low-performing schools in Houston would be expected to improve. He also determined that if Peck was to meet high expectations, it would require excellent instructional leadership.

Superintendent Paige began the process of changing campus leadership by organizing administrative teams assigned to look closely at all HISD schools, with an emphasis on schools that had received a low-performing rating. These teams visited low-performing schools, conducted extensive assessments of each school, and engaged in discussions of their observations. The results provided a better understanding of the challenges affecting the schools and the types of district support that would be necessary to ensure successful change. Additionally, the teams determined the leadership qualities and skills crucial to ensuring improvement at each of the low-performing schools. They were careful to match principals with the communities they would serve. As a result of this process, LaWanna Goodwin, who had been the principal at Anderson Elementary in Houston, was appointed to serve as principal at Peck. She brought to this position a reputation as a proven instructional leader, experience in working in minority communities, and the ability to work with a diverse group of parents.

In 1995, when Goodwin arrived as the new principal at Peck she explained that her day began each morning by greeting a line of angry, complaining parents. Her most difficult challenges involved the negative attitudes that were exhibited by the staff toward students, parents, visitors, and each other. Goodwin observed that parents and visitors were often ignored or spoken to in an abrupt, non-friendly manner by the office staff. Teachers would pass each other and not speak or smile. It was difficult to know where to start. Goodwin said, "I felt the pressure to race to Peck every morning to make sure nothing drastic happened!"

Goodwin explained that when she first came to Peck, teamwork was virtually non-existent. There were various opposing factions at the school. Most noticeably, there were two separate, racially divided parent-teacher organizations (PTOs). Both had been organized as a result of the opposing agendas of the African American and Hispanic parents. To move toward a more cohesive school environment, Goodwin dismantled both parent organizations instead of endorsing one or the other. This resulted in the development of a new group, the Peck Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The new president of the PTA was not involved with either of the previous PTOs. This new alliance provided opportunities for Goodwin to interact positively with parents and engage parents in creating constructive changes at Peck.

Goodwin?s efforts to create a spirit of teamwork were not universally appreciated. In fact, many of her decisions were met with opposition. Subsequent to the disbanding of the parent-teacher organizations, a group of parents appeared before the school district?s board of trustees and presented petitions signed by 200 parents demanding Goodwin?s removal from Peck. The conflict gained city-wide attention when the events leading to the signed petitions were highlighted in a Houston Chronicle article entitled, "Group of parents ask HISD [the Houston Independent School District] to remove Peck principal." Goodwin was surprised by the action but planned to take the criticism constructively. She said:

I accepted it in a positive way. I looked at the criticism in terms of areas that we needed to concentrate on this year?. Any time change comes to a school, disagreements can arise. I just feel when parents learn that I have the kid?s best interest at heart; everything is going to be fine?. People are resistant to change because of the unknown. Once the people know you and know where your interests lie and where your heart is, you usually don?t have any problems?.

The support of the district administration was crucial during this ordeal. The South Central Area District Superintendent [one of 12 in the district] helped parents know that Goodwin was not only aware of their concerns, but also that she had implemented strategies to alleviate them. He explained that their concerns regarding communication had been incorporated into Peck?s current campus improvement plan. He shared data to help parents see that the school was improving. He said, "Peck?s scores on the TAAS have risen by double digits in the last year, from a school that was rated by the state as low-performing to one that is now rated acceptable." When some parents complained about the practice of having children fold their arms as they walk between classrooms, district administrators pointed out the reduction in the number of altercations at the school and attributed the reduction to the new policy. The support of district leaders helped teachers and parents see that Goodwin?s leadership was getting good results. Also, the strong support of district administrators helped parents and teachers accept that Goodwin was not going to be removed.

Before, during, and after parents presented the petition, teamwork was the foundation of the plan to improve Peck Elementary. In working with parents, teachers, and the community, Goodwin continuously reminded everyone that their goals could not be achieved if they worked in isolation or in opposition to each other. As disagreements occurred, she tried to remind the staff that they could have differences of opinion, yet still respect each other.

By focusing on teamwork, Goodwin gave everyone a sense of responsibility for improving the school. Everyone had an important way of contributing to the school?s success; thus, everyone could feel ownership in the school?s improvement. Teamwork improved as the teachers and principal did many things to help each other feel valued and appreciated. For instance, one teacher talked about the importance of little things done to celebrate birthdays of staff members. She said, "When anyone has a birthday, we meet in one of the rooms and we sing and share birthday cake. It makes everybody feel good. Things like that that make everybody feel special."

Goodwin, noted, "When I first came, I saw Peck more as their school. I now see Peck more as our school. I feel that everybody here, professional and non-professional staff members see it as our school. We worked hard to make everyone feel that he or she has value. Everybody has to treat everybody with the same dignity and respect. We just work together now. We?re a family."

Teachers often described the Peck community as a family. Many of the teachers have remained at Peck for more than ten years, so they interact not only on a professional level but on a personal one as well. The Peck teachers also participated in a project called Project Reach. As a faculty, they go to a local church and provide outreach services to the community. A new teacher to the school described the collegial atmosphere as the key to his success this year:

I work very closely with the teachers and they help me. Everyone has the same commitment to teach kids. Everybody is focused on the same goals. I feel supported by the principal and the teachers. I am always thinking about the ways that I can go an extra mile. Everybody here is a working team. It feels good. I look forward to coming to school each day.

In contrasting how Peck was the year she came, Goodwin acknowledged that the quantity and quality of teamwork had improved substantially. However, she also believed that the school had not yet mastered the goal of teamwork. She still perceived opportunities to improve teamwork; yet, she was pleased with the family that Peck had become. She stated, "We worked hard to make everyone feel that he or she has a lot of self-worth. No matter what job you do on campus, if there wasn?t a need for it, it wouldn?t be here. Everybody has to treat everybody with the same dignity and respect."

Changing the School Climate

Peck underwent many changes in the weeks and months following the school?s designation as a low-performing school in 1995. As described above, many of those changes related to the manner in which adults interacted with each other. Creating a team, however, did not occur through a few simple steps. It involved many deliberate efforts to build trust among all participants in the school community. It required skillful efforts to elevate the discussion beyond individual concerns in a way that clearly put children first. Also, it required the establishment of a higher level of expectation for the behavior of students.

Building Trust

Goodwin acknowledged that there was little trust when she first came to Peck. Teachers did not trust her and she did not always trust them. To the principal, it felt like she was in one camp and everyone else was in another. She determined that her job was to bridge the gap. She spent a lot of time observing staff and visiting classrooms. She looked for strengths as well as weaknesses. She asked teachers to share their concerns. She tried to determine which were the best placements for teachers in consideration of their personality, knowledge, and experience. She asked questions. She listened to their goals, and what she called, "the desires of their heart." She conveyed in her discussions with everyone, that their help and expertise was needed. In addition, she encouraged, supported, and provided opportunities for each staff member to feel successful.

Goodwin stated that she does not promise anything she cannot deliver. She believed her honesty helped build her credibility. She openly shared information with teachers and parents in a way that helped them understand key issues in the school. Parent grade-level meetings were used to share instructional information with the parents and the Peck staff used transparencies, newsletters, flyers, and discussions to share the math and reading objectives with the parents.

With honesty and credibility, Goodwin set out to influence attitudes. She spent time visiting classrooms and programs, not only to identify areas of need, but also areas of strength. Goodwin gave many pats on the back as she acknowledged the good work of teachers, students, and other school staff. She spent time writing notes, commenting on positive efforts, and letting people know that they were appreciated for their contributions. Although the relationships among teachers, parents, and principal were riddled with conflict and mistrust, after awhile the listening, consistency, honesty, and sincerity helped establish trust.

Putting Children First

As principal at Peck, Goodwin responded to the discord, distrust, and anxiety at the school by encouraging all staff at the school to put students first regardless of any disagreements that might occur. She encouraged all staff to consider the needs of the students foremost in any decisions. When conflicts emerged, she reminded teachers, support staff, and parents that their focus should be on doing what was best for the students at Peck.

The commitment to put students first was modeled repeatedly by Goodwin through many administrative decisions. For instance, one of her early decisions was to reorganize the placement of classrooms so that Head Start classes (serving preschool-age children) were located in the main wing of the building, in response to concerns about their safety .

Every major decision and many minor decisions were made based on the needs of the students at Peck. Changes in the organization of programs, school procedures, and even the school schedule were made to adapt better to the needs of children. For example, staff observed that students were frequently late to school and often missed the opportunity to eat breakfast provided by the school. In response, Goodwin initiated "Peck time," which meant that the school day began and ended fifteen minutes after the official time. Parents saw the school?s willingness to accommodate their needs and were, therefore, more committed to getting their children to school on time. Goodwin attributed those changes to Peck students achieving a 96 percent attendance rate.

All decisions centered on enhancing the development of the student as a whole. Goodwin refused to accept excuses for any student failing to excel. As needs were identified that influenced the well-being and academic achievement of children, the school applied its resources and school personnel used their time, personal resources, and connections to various community entities to ensure that children acquired whatever was needed to ensure their success in school.

In spite of the multitude of challenges, barriers, and obstacles endured during the initial stages of the change process, the Peck staff said Goodwin never wavered in her commitment to do what was best for the students. Goodwin admitted that she had moments when she wondered if she would survive, but she countered her fears by remaining steadfast in her belief that if she did what was best for the students, her efforts would be valued and supported.

Expecting and Teaching Good Student Behavior

The climate at Peck was not going to change measurably unless there was substantial improvement in student behavior. Goodwin spoke proudly of the growth and maturity that Peck students now exhibit in the classroom and in other settings. She explained that the process began by raising expectations to higher levels and changing the perceptions of the students, parents, staff, and the community of what the students could accomplish. She insisted that students could demonstrate exemplary social skills and behavior. She provided support, encouragement, and training to assist the staff in changing student attitudes and behaviors until ultimately everyone (students, teachers, support staff, and parents) accepted the responsibility.

A school-wide discipline program emphasized both positive reinforcement and behavior management. Students were given the opportunity to apply for positions of responsibility within their classrooms. Students were interviewed and asked why they would be suitable candidates for the job. Also, the discipline program reinforced simple behaviors that reduced the likelihood of problems. For instance, the staff noticed that many of the altercations occurred as students walked between classrooms. Thus, teachers began having students walk between classes with their arms folded. This greatly reduced the number of fights.

An exciting instructional program has also helped decrease discipline problems. Teachers have learned to use cooperative learning strategies to help students work well in groups. Students are excited about learning challenging content and are eager to get to class. As one teacher explained, "The children work cooperatively in their groups. They help each other and they give you whatever you ask for. They?ll do whatever you expect them to do. It?s just a whole new spirit? positive attitudes and positive atmosphere."

Similarly, another teacher said, "Our children are eager to learn. I can tell when new children come from other schools. You can tell the difference. After a while they catch on and fall in line because they know our expectations. That goes for all of us. We?re a good staff and we believe that good work can happen if we all work together."

Changing Academic Instruction

The changes in school climate helped improve academic instruction, perhaps just as much as the changes in instruction helped improve the school climate. As adults worked more cooperatively, they shared ideas and learned to build upon each other?s successes. As students received more effective instruction, they felt more competent and successful and were less likely to be disruptive in the classroom. In addition to the effect of these dynamics, academic instruction was improved through several other strategies. The principal altered some teaching assignments to give teachers responsibilities that better aligned with their strengths and interests. Also, the principal and teachers regularly used assessment data to maximize the effectiveness of classroom instruction. With district support, the school began research-based academic programs, particularly in reading. In addition, a pattern of regular monitoring of classroom instruction was initiated.

Matching Assignments to Strengths

In her initial assessment of the school, Goodwin discovered that many teachers had been assigned to classrooms that may not have been the best match for their personality, knowledge, background, skills, or desires. In the past, teachers had been moved, often without discussion, to teach subjects and grade levels in which they had little experience or training. The teachers felt frustrated, abandoned, and unprepared. As a result of the changes, students suffered, discipline problems increased and test scores dropped dramatically.

Early in her tenure at Peck, Goodwin spent considerable time visiting with teachers to learn about their skills, interests, frustrations, and desires. She also spent considerable time visiting classrooms to observe both strengths and weaknesses. She used this information to help generate a plan for moving people to assignments that resulted in a better fit between the skills and interests of the teacher and the needs of the students. These changes gave many staff members a sense that they had a greater chance of being successful in their professional roles and a greater chance of contributing to the success of the school.

Using Student Assessment Results to Improve Teaching

Goodwin insisted that student data be analyzed to determine the appropriate instructional focus of lessons. She scheduled weekly grade-level meetings to provide the staff an opportunity to discuss the difficulties their students were experiencing and to encourage collaborative goal setting. During those meetings, Goodwin helped teachers understand the prior year?s results from the TAAS. She helped them understand which objectives students mastered and failed to master. She led the staff in discussions about the specific skills students would need to possess in order to pass the test and the specific instructional strategies that might help students acquire those skills. Collectively, the staff determined a plan for accelerating student performance.

Teachers at Peck have come to see themselves as educational decision-makers. They recognize that they make many important pedagogical decisions each day. At Peck, teachers have learned to make better decisions with more data. For instance, Peck teachers carefully review daily reading performance data to determine when it is appropriate to move a student to a higher level reading group in the Success for All program. Teachers use data to determine the type of additional assistance to provide students in the after-school tutorial program. The campus uses Heartbeeps, a computer software program that is aligned with the objectives assessed in the TAAS. The program provides pre and post tests, practice tests in each objective, and a process for assessing individual student strengths and weaknesses. Teachers have learned to use these data to hone in on specific academic skills that may be inhibiting student success.

For example, the school used data to improve writing skills. In 1994-95 only 15 percent of Peck students passed the writing section of TAAS. The staff conducted an extensive evaluation of student writing and identified the specific concepts and skills that students had not yet mastered. Funds were budgeted and a master teacher was employed to assist teachers and students with writing strategies. In addition, Goodwin developed and started the Writing Camp, which occurred on Friday afternoons for all fourth grade students. Goodwin provided the weekly writing prompts, with emphasis on addressing deficits that had been identified through the careful examination of student writing. The teachers at Peck believed that the writing camp and other improvements in teaching writing contributed to an amazing increase in the percentage of students passing the TAAS writing test. A year later (1995-96), 82 percent of the students passed the same assessment.

The staff at Peck has developed a whatever-it-takes philosophy of promoting student achievement. In order to measure the academic growth of the students, a variety of assessments are used with the students. Not only are all students expected to pass the state?s assessment of academic skills, but they are also expected to evidence advanced skills in reading, mathematics, and writing that exceed the TAAS expectations. The teachers use data to help them establish challenging goals and then determine what needs to be done in order to achieve those goals.

Adopting Effective Programs

The district administration played an important role in leading the school to the adoption of effective programs for improving student achievement. The South Central Area District initiated Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) to increase achievement and promote high school graduation. The goal of the program was to find and use cost-effective, research-based prescriptions that addressed the needs of schools in large urban school districts. Project GRAD sought to prove that the challenges and barriers experienced by urban schools could be overcome with the appropriate use of resources, strategies, and school-community collaboration. Through Project GRAD, models that had been widely piloted and validated were carefully reviewed and selected.

Goodwin responded eagerly when offered the opportunity to adopt Project GRAD at Peck. Project GRAD included the Success for All reading program (a comprehensive school reform model with a strong reading curriculum), the Move-It math program, a plan for improving consistency in classroom management and discipline, and the Communities in Schools program, which incorporates dropout prevention and social service agency components. District staff provided training to all teachers at Peck and attempted to clarify the teachers? understanding of the objectives. This effort was designed to support students with consistent cross-district instruction in all content areas should the student move from one school to another.

Improving Skills in Teaching Reading

Peck teachers participated in the HISD Balanced Approach to Reading training in which teachers learned research-based strategies for developing literacy. This training was a supplement to the substantial professional development provided through the Success for All program. Campus funds were earmarked to hire a full-time Success for All coordinator, who worked closely with the classroom teachers, modeled effective teaching strategies in classrooms and assisted the teachers in developing their instructional plans. In addition, Goodwin reorganized the master school schedule to provide common planning times for the staff to engage in horizontal and vertical collaboration and planning. The staff used these planning sessions as opportunities to collaborate twice a week and to share experiences and teaching strategies that achieved positive results. Thus, teachers were learning to improve reading instruction as a result of district in-service training, the support of a trained Success For All coordinator, and the support of their fellow teachers as they met twice a week to discuss reading objectives, strategies, and results.

Improving reading instruction became everybody?s job at Peck. All teachers taught reading objectives during the daily 90-minute period devoted to Success for All reading. The school nurse was the only certified staff person not assigned to teach a reading class; however, she incorporated the Success for All reading goals in her classroom health instruction activities.

Monitoring and Supporting Improved Instruction

Superintendent Rod Paige reminded principals, "It?s not just what you expect, it?s what you inspect." Goodwin and the instructional facilitator spent considerable time in classrooms monitoring instruction. Observations were conducted to identify teaching strengths and areas of need. Subsequent to the observations, meetings were scheduled to share with individual teachers the strengths and areas in need of improvement observed. When weaknesses were noted, suggestions were made and resources were provided. For example, in situations where classroom control was limited, appropriate in-service training was identified and provided to enhance the teacher?s ability to manage classroom behavior.

Unfortunately, improvements in instruction were not always easy. Although most teachers responded positively to the higher expectations, there were some teachers who resisted change. Goodwin had to document the actions of those teachers who were not willing to work to improve instruction and ensure a safe and productive environment for the children.

Changing the Relationship with Parents and Community

In much the same way that Goodwin established trust with the Peck faculty, she established trust with parents and community members. She asked parents, "What do you think we need to do to help make Peck a better school?" She arranged schoolwide planning meetings after school, called and personally invited parents, community and business partners, school board members, and central office staff, and provided them dinner. She asked the custodian to explain ways in which she, the students, and staff could help to make "our home" more welcoming. She listened and took action in ways that were responsive to the needs of parents and the needs of children.

For example, "Peck time" (as described above) was a creative and positive response to the nagging problem of student tardiness. By slightly altering the school schedule, parents realized that the school was attuned to their needs.

All of the school staff, including the secretaries and clerks in the school office, got involved in helping make Peck a more welcoming place for parents. Goodwin recalled a meeting she had with the office staff. She asked them to come early a few mornings and she surprised them with coffee and donuts. Being respectful of their time, she offered to cover their office duties at the end of the day so that they could be released early. In her meeting with them, she told them:

We must have this meeting because we must change the way in which we greet our visitors. I try to smile at everyone, including you. I smile everyday and if I can do it, you can do it. If you?re having a bad day and you don?t want to smile at someone then let that person be me. But to everyone else, you will smile. Let?s practice how we will greet visitors to our office.

Through a variety of means, parents were helped to understand their importance as a part of the team at Peck. A classroom was designated for the Project Reconnect Parent Center, a place for parents to meet and to participate in enrichment classes. Parent training in computer literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes were provided in the center. The Home-School Connection and Family Support Teams offered support to families and encouraged active parent involvement. The Communities in School Program provided family support through the services of the school social worker. All of these efforts, combined with the daily efforts of the principal and teachers, helped parents know that they were valued as members of the Peck family.

Goodwin scheduled periodic brainstorming sessions to involve parents, community, and business partners. She began the Peck newsletter to inform the community of school events and to encourage support in the activities planned for the school. One of the 12 business partners described the changes in the school:

On a scale from one to five, Peck is a ten. When Mrs. Goodwin first came to Peck, she enlisted the help of everyone in the community. We used to have brainstorming meetings focused on how we could encourage parents to become more actively involved. We knew that we had to get to the root of the problem. We would meet after school sometimes past 7 p.m.

Changing the Organization of Schooling

An important change at Peck Elementary centered upon creating opportunities for various staff persons to assume leadership roles. Another key change centered upon the provision of additional time for instruction.

Opportunities for Instructional Leadership and Development

Although Goodwin has been the key instructional leader at Peck, part of her strategy was the development of instructional leadership among all of the staff at the school. As the attitudes of staff changed and as the teachers developed their skills, new leadership roles emerged. Team leaders were selected for all grade levels to improve communication between the teaching staff and administration. The new leadership roles created a sense of ownership and accountability for the achievement of children. Faculty meetings, grade-level meetings, and other collaborative activities have created opportunities for leadership to emerge.

Instructional leadership has also emerged through the establishment of mentor relationships. Formally, there were mentors for all staff, especially first-year teachers. Informally, teachers were expected to seek assistance from their peers as well as administrative staff. The mentoring included not only instructional support, but emotional support as well. This mentoring and support role was relatively new at Peck. In the past, teachers perceived that their only responsibility was for their classroom; however, more recently, teachers have accepted and appreciated the additional responsibility of supporting each other.

A teacher new to Peck this year, expressed excitement when discussing the relationship he has developed with his mentor, "Everyone is allowed to select an area of responsibility, which gives each person an opportunity to learn information, to build his or her own skills, and to report to the staff. Everyone feels like a leader."

According to some of the teachers, there was more in-service training offered to the staff in recent years than ever before. Professional development opportunities were provided both in-house and through the district. A schedule of district in-service training offerings was provided to the teachers for them to use throughout the school year and Goodwin encouraged teachers to participate. She helped them determine the staff development activities that would be most helpful to the instruction of their students.

Peck began the creation of a new teacher resource center in 1998. This spacious room has a copy machine, instructional materials, and space to relax and hold grade-level meetings. In another portable building, the Success for All coordinator has a large library of reading materials available for the teachers to check out.

Providing Additional Instructional Time

Peck adopted a number of programs that had the net effect of increasing the amount of instructional time available to students. For instance the Head Start and state-funded preschool programs provide opportunities for young children to ensure their academic success in future years.

Another way in which time was added was through after-school programs. Peck has used the Voyager program, which provided tutorials, mental math enrichment classes, and a wide range of fun activities that reinforced many of the challenging academic skills learned during the regular school day. Students also received additional instruction during weekend tutoring sessions.

Conclusions

Peck is an extraordinary example of dramatic, whole-school change. Much of the change process at Peck Elementary was done in such strategic, smooth increments that the staff failed to grasp that the changes were taking place. Interestingly, major events such as those involving conflict and discord were recalled more easily. Often those recollections were painful and embarrassing.

Teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community members share a tremendous sense of pride in the accomplishments of the Peck students. They recognize that their teamwork has made an important difference in the lives of children. At the same time, however, they recognize that there is still room to grow. They continue to see opportunities to improve their teamwork as they work toward maintaining and improving student achievement.

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