[Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary School]
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[Report Conclusion]
| Student Enrollment | 438 |
| Attendance Rate | 95% |
| Grades Served | Pre-K-8 |
| African American | 18.5% |
| Asian American | 47% |
| Hispanic | 15.8% |
| Other | 0% |
| White | 18.7% |
| Limited English Proficiency | 31.7% |
| Mobility | 19.2% |
| Low Income (Free or Reduced-Price Lunch) | 88% |
Key Programs: Lighthouse After-School Program, Community Learning Center, 21st Century Empowerment Zone, Links to Literacy, Hug-a-Book, Chicago Science Academy, Annenburg Foundation Grant
James Ward Elementary School, a Chicago public school built in 1874, is the oldest school in the state of Illinois. The school has three floors and a basement that are connected by an uncommonly wide staircase. The small plot of land next to the school building serves as a playground. The inviting playground equipment makes it a popular place for children, even after the school day is over.
Until a few years ago, the school building had not seen many repairs, therefore its deterioration was quite advanced. Explained one fifth-grade teacher:
Paint was falling from the ceiling. The classrooms were so cold that students had to wear their coats and gloves. Many times the wind was whipping through the windows and there was snow in the corners of the windowsills?. The children were not going to learn well in such an environment.
Two decades ago almost none of the neighborhood children attended the school. Ward was the special education center for its Chicago sub-district. The student population reflected a culturally diverse environment comprised of Hispanic, white, and African American students. Although some time later the school was organized into instructional teams among the grade levels, the special education classes were excluded from the teams. Thus, special education classes created their own teams including the hearing-impaired team, the cognitive-disabled team, and the partially sighted team. During this period, issues of parity in resources existed between the grade-level teams and special education teams.
Although the neighborhood surrounding Ward was relatively safe and insulated from the gang activity that many Chicago urban schools encountered, some staff remembered that the hallways were often noisy with children running or speaking loudly. The administration spent a substantial amount of time on discipline; there were always students in the after-school discipline rooms.
The teaching staff was stable and relatively mature. Several faculty members have been at the school for more than 20 years. Teachers used traditional teaching methods and they taught in relative isolation. Although they talked to each other, it was usually to share their woes. Conversations were dominated by complaints. Also during that time, the school ranked low in student achievement in comparison with other schools in the sub-district.
Finally, in 1995, the school building began a long-overdue facelift. The building received a new roof, new light fixtures, new windows, a paint job, a new $4,000 floor for the science room, and a full remodeling of the library. The hallways and classrooms became bright and clean and custodians work diligently to keep it clean. The newly painted walls are covered with displays of children?s work and special decorations prepared by parents who volunteer their artistic talents to the school. As one walks throughout the school it is easy to see that Ward celebrates its diversity and multiculturalism. The diligent buzz of children as they work can be heard along the hallways since classroom doors are open and the halls are often used for cross-grade lessons and activities. These changes have made the school a cheery and pleasant environment for the children, staff, and the community.
During the past 10 years the demographic profile of the student population at Ward has changed. The school has experienced a 9.3 percent growth in student population. As of the fall of 1997, the total enrollment was 438 students: 47 percent Asian American, mostly Chinese; 18.5 percent African American; 18.7 percent white, and 15.8 percent Hispanic. The majority of students, 88.4 percent, belong to low-income families, many of them recent immigrants from China. However, student attendance, at 95.4 percent in 1997-98, was higher than district and state average attendance. The mobility rate has also decreased sharply. The special education population still represents 23 percent of all students, but they are now included in the regular education classrooms and are encouraged to participate in all activities.
Ward has received district and state recognition for its students? academic achievement on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), a nationally-normed test. In 1991, the percentage of Ward students scoring at or above the 50th percentile on the ITBS reading assessment was 18.9 percent, while it was 42.6 percent on the math assessment. In the spring of 1998, 51.2 percent of Ward students scored at or above the 50th percentile in reading, representing a doubling since 1995. Math scores in particular have increased steadily throughout the decade. More than 63 percent of Ward students scored at or above the 50th percentile in math in 1998.
Scores on the Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP), the state achievement test, also provide evidence of Ward?s rapid improvement in student achievement. The percentage of students that meet or exceed state goals in mathematics has increased dramatically since 1993. In 1998, 98 percent of third graders, 77 percent of sixth graders and 89 percent of eighth graders achieved this goal, and all of these figures were close to or above the state average, and always well above the district average. In 1998, the percentage meeting and exceeding state goals in reading and writing represented an increase from the previous year. More than 50 percent of third, sixth, and eighth-grade students met state goals in reading, and 75 percent of third graders, 81 percent of sixth graders and 95 percent of eighth graders did so in writing. Ward students also scored above the state average in science and social studies. More than 70 percent of students in all grades tested met or exceeded state goals.
The transformation of James Ward Elementary to a high-performing school can be attributed to the convergence of several elements. However, it is important to note that these elements neither appeared nor coalesced overnight. The journey toward high achievement began more than 10 years ago and began evidencing improved academic achievement in the past three or four years.
Sharon Wilcher started as principal at Ward in the fall of 1994. Previously, she had worked at Ward as a special education teacher, then head teacher, and then assistant principal under a previous principal, Daniel Breen.
Breen retired after serving as principal at Ward for 20 years. As principal, Breen initiated an intense professional development plan with a focus on the development of leaders from within the school staff. During the past 20 years, all of the administrative and instructional leadership at Ward has emerged from its own teaching staff. The development of leadership from within has been a consequence of general as well as targeted professional development among the staff, and the practice of shared leadership to complement individual strengths and limitations.
By developing leaders from within, trust between staff and leadership has evolved naturally. The leaders possess extensive knowledge of the school environment, staff, and students, and understand the school?s culture. This knowledge has been helpful in building upon the strengths of teachers and students. Also, it has been helpful in focusing the staff on issues of importance to the improvement of academic achievement. The leaders at Ward have been effective in creating a culture of inclusion, teamwork, and unity of purpose around student achievement. Part of this culture is also a nurturing and validating environment for the staff and for students.
Breen had been Ward?s principal for several years when he realized that while traditional pedagogy worked for some children it was not effective for most children at Ward. To address the issue, he sought first to improve his own knowledge of effective instructional practices. Breen immersed himself in several professional development initiatives, such as a six-month intensive training on the whole-language model, which he participated in by taking a leave of absence. Upon his return he brought videos, tapes, and literature to the school and trained his teachers on what he had learned.
Just as Breen sought opportunities to improve his instructional expertise, he encouraged teachers to do the same by supporting training in their areas of professional and personal interest and strength. The former principal then encouraged these individuals to become a resource for other teachers. These teachers became the source of future leadership in the school.
Ward?s former assistant principal, who is now the principal at another school, described how Breen identified her teaching skills and abilities and then helped her become an instructional leader for the school, particularly in math. In 1991 he created a new position for her, director of instruction and resources; a position she held in addition to her full-time classroom duties without any extra compensation. She went on to receive a wide variety of training in instructional strategies, curriculum alignment, assessment, and data analysis, which greatly benefited the school as she applied what she learned.
Teachers in different subject areas were identified as teacher-leaders. A primary grade teacher was identified to apply the whole-language model across grades. Overall, teachers who were receptive to new ideas were encouraged to develop expertise in different instructional and organizational strategies and to help other teachers apply them in the classroom through in-service training and by modeling the strategies in classrooms.
The current principal, Sharon R. Wilcher, is both a product and a producer of leadership development efforts at Ward. She became head teacher two years after she started at Ward. As head teacher she was in a quasi-administrative position directing the special education curriculum. While in that role, she received further training in administration and developed expertise for her future roles as assistant principal and principal. Wilcher?s administrative, classroom management, instructional, and interpersonal skills were recognized early and nurtured.
As principal, Wilcher supported the development of other leaders at the school. A former assistant principal (who is currently principal at another school) described how Wilcher gave her opportunities to learn and contribute:
Frequently after school Wilcher would say things like, ?Come to the computer and sit down. Let me show you how to do this. Let me teach you this. Let me show you how to pull this off the e-mail.? I was very fortunate. I think that?s one reason I gave so much of myself to the school, because I was allowed the access [to learning opportunities]. I was allowed to really feel that my contribution and my skills were important and needed.
High-quality leadership has been important in keeping Ward focused on improving the academic achievement of children. A Chicago school district administrator, who has worked closely with Ward since 1995 told the story of a difficult time of transition for the school and how the staff pulled together to overcome the situation and focus on the students? learning and achievement. In the summer of 1995 Ward was in the midst of a major rehabilitation project and it seemed like the building was not going to be ready to open for the new school year. Wilcher had only been principal for a year, and there was a great deal of change occurring. In addition, the Chicago school district was also going through a re-organization, under a new board of trustees and a new chief executive officer. The new regional education officer for Ward, a position similar to an area superintendent, recalled:
Normally, the faculty?s emotional state would be affected by all that, but the faculty was tightly knit. They had a clear sense of purpose and understood that the first couple of weeks were not going to be easy. They were really clear about how they needed to stay together and work through all of this business. The principal?s position was very clear. She clearly gave the message, ?All of this is extraneous to what we do with the kids in the classroom.?
A key to Ward?s success has been the development of a stable teaching staff that was well-trained in a variety of strategies and methods to address the needs of all children. The teaching staff has exhibited an openness to change and experimentation in classroom instruction. They have been willing to take risks in their planning, delivery, and evaluation of instructional practices. Moreover, the teaching staff has learned to work well together in an environment of trust, respect, and mutual support around instruction. Their cohesiveness has made it easier for them to focus on common instructional goals and their experience as instructional leaders has made them confident in accepting new challenges. The result has been an effective teaching staff that is well supported with resources and trusted by their leaders.
Ward did not achieve a stable and professionally mature teaching staff because of characteristics such as location or reputation. Furthermore, it was not an accident that so many teachers have chosen to remain at this high-poverty school for so many years. The quality of the working environment, the support from the school?s leadership, and the shared focus on academic growth have caused teachers to love the school and remain there. Stability was a consequence of actions and attitudes that promoted a likeable, comfortable, and successful environment.
Changes in instruction were approached thoughtfully, methodically, and in a manner that respected the need for teachers to understand and internalize proposed changes. To prepare his staff to receive new ways of teaching Breen devoted a significant amount of staff time to developing a mindset for change. A staff member recalled, "We spent a lot of time with a video; it was on changing paradigms. We spent several of our staff development days just talking about and doing trust-building activities that focused on changing paradigms." In this all-important preface to the changes he would encourage them to make, Breen provided opportunities for staff to reflect on what they were doing in the classroom, their effectiveness, and the possibility that there was something else out there, some other way to accomplish the goals.
Breen also recognized that major instructional changes required modeling, time, encouragement, and support. As one teacher explained:
One of [his] strengths was as an instructional leader. I admire him greatly because he allowed all of his staff the freedom to grow. He set the example by being involved in staff development for himself. By providing substitutes, he provided opportunities for any of us who wanted to grow. He set up opportunities to do peer mentoring and I think this had a positive impact on me.
One such professional development opportunity was participation in the Teacher?s Math and Science Academy. Classroom teachers participated in weekly math and science classes held at the Illinois Institute of Technology for a semester. Teachers attended classes during the school day and substitute teachers were provided by the Academy. In addition, Academy science experts supported the teachers in their classrooms as peer coaches. Teachers were learning how to teach math and science using a "hands-on" approach.
Principal Wilcher continued to invest considerable resources in the development of teachers. Funding for training costs and for substitute teachers (when teachers participated in training during the school day) came from several sources, such as federal Title I and state Chapter I. Substitute teachers were also provided for teacher planning time. Funding was also used to remunerate teachers for in-service extended days. A teacher of children with learning disabilities gave examples of how she was encouraged and paid to attend meetings to keep up in her field. The professional growth of non-teaching staff was also supported. The school?s child welfare attendant explained how she was allowed to attend special education professional development or parent support meetings offered by the Chicago district, even though this was not a requirement for her position. Wilcher encouraged her to attend; however, and bring back information to share with the special education teacher and parents.
A teacher of kindergarten and first-grade students described the positive effect that extensive teacher professional development has had on teaching and learning at Ward school:
We were introduced to whole language, multiple intelligences, and thematic approaches. Every catch phrase out there, we were introduced to. When Ms. Wilcher became our principal, she not only embraced all of that, but also she said, ?Let?s look at the needs of our students now.? So I feel that after all these years, when a student comes into my room, I look at them as an individual. We pull out of our bag of tricks whatever we need to do, because we?ve been trained in everything. And we use it for that child.
Ward?s administration has also made good choices in hiring capable and motivated teachers in recent years. Several veteran teachers attributed the school?s academic success, in part, to the younger teachers who have come on board. These new teachers have brought innovative teaching methods, an ability to relate well to children, and a high level of motivation to teach. For instance, some of the veteran teachers noted the current assistant principal?s creativity and excellent rapport with the children; "She?s young, and she?s vivacious, and she can be the kids? friend. But they know she?s the boss. She?s very good for the kids."
When Wilcher became principal, Ward?s staff had grown in their knowledge of a variety of instructional practices and they were open to innovation. However, teachers were still trying to teach on their own. Teachers spent minimal amounts of time working in teams or collaborating on instructional issues. A continued investment in staff growth was still needed, with greater emphasis on learning to collaborate and share effective practices across classrooms.
Ward?s regional education officer, the person to whom Wilcher reported, supported this focus on collaboration. He explained that he gave schools under his supervision a very consistent message:
It is the classroom teacher who is the single most important element in the success of the kids in the classroom. I don?t care what you buy, what you bring, who you bring, any of that. It is the teacher who is most important. Therefore, effective collaboration among teachers is essential for success. [Effective collaboration] involves having discussions of what is successful, as opposed to talking about increasing levels of frustration.
At Ward, this increased level of collaboration has emerged through the development of trust, teamwork, and a sense of unity of purpose.
The tremendous investment in the staff at Ward has led to a "state-of-the-art" teaching staff, confident in its abilities to direct student learning and serve all children. At the same time, teachers are flexible and open to change and innovation in instruction. A wealth of support is available to teachers in the form of assistance from aides, paraprofessionals, and parents. Moreover, teachers receive considerable instructional guidance and modeling from each other and from their principal and assistant principal. Special education teachers are now an integral part of the school?s instructional teams and issues of parity have been almost eliminated. As a result, teacher relationships have grown closer and tensions have been reduced.
At Ward the climate changed both for the students and the staff of the school. For the students, the climate became more supportive and positive. Among the adults, a new trust and sense of teamwork were developed.
Principal Wilcher has helped teachers become comfortable as they collaborate with and support each other. Her hands-on leadership style brings out great contributions from staff, which may explain why student achievement leapt in the past three years. Her demeanor is warm and her words are gentle though sometimes direct. She considers her candor to be one of her limitations. When teachers described her decision-making, they consistently indicated that collective decision-making was the norm. She agreed and also noted that there are situations that require someone to step in and "take the reins," which she does.
Wilcher recalled that when she became assistant principal the school had already begun the transition toward a team-oriented culture; "We had started moving toward an inclusive, team effort. But Wilcher has elevated this orientation to a new level."
Wilcher explained her philosophy in the following way, "I think that as a principal, you must make the staff, the custodians, everyone, feel that they?re working with you and not for you, because as long as they?re working with you for the children, they will work harder. When they work for you, you?re lost."
Ward?s former assistant principal pointed out:
"I think Ms. Wilcher?s leadership style and vision took us to the next level. Her leadership style encouraged people to take the next step, to not be afraid to be risk takers. I think one of her strengths is that when she says to you, ?I?m going to trust you to do this,? she lets it go and she depends on you. When people see that, then they really become empowered because they know their contribution is going to be respected.
The upper team leader, an eighth-grade teacher, described the flexibility and support provided by the principal throughout the team?s effort to departmentalize the upper (sixth through eighth) grades.
We tried it [departmentalization] about five years ago but we didn?t have enough personnel. Ms. Wilcher pushed for it this year, and I guess because she?s been hearing about the middle school concept, she thought that we might be able to try that. She?s been good with innovations and trying new ideas, and giving us a lot of freedom to do what we want. She gave us planning time and paid us for it.
A variety of internal initiatives have emerged that have positively affected the quality of instruction and planning, and that have made it easier for teachers to reach every student in their classrooms. Organizational strategies, like the instructional teams arrangement and the departmentalization of the upper team, show commitment from teachers to collaborate in planning and instruction. Creativity has also been a critical element in the effective delivery of instruction, particularly in reading and writing, due to the difficulty many Ward students face as non-native English speakers. Through team planning and collaboration, creative strategies have been developed, such as intra-team heterogeneous groupings and grade level or across grade hallway lessons. Literature-based classes are conducted where a variety of multicultural books are available for students to read at their reading level. Often teachers act characters out from a book to increase reading comprehension. Another important improvement in classroom instruction has been the integration of test-taking strategies into the content area.
Ward?s Regional Education Officer shared his opinion about the effectiveness of the school?s staff:
The fact is that when teachers find a location in which they are comfortable, where they have a sense that they are appreciated, where they have a sense of effectiveness, they don?t leave. Teachers find this a comfortable and enjoyable environment to work in. So as long as the teachers and the principal are working well together professionally, the community, the youngsters are wonderful, you don?t want to leave.
The spirit of teamwork and support was particularly available to new teachers at Ward. As a teacher who started at Ward seven years ago explained, "When new people come to this school, they?re taken under somebody?s wing. When I first came here it was the people who I met who first made me feel comfortable. We?re always sharing and very open."
Recently, Ward was recognized for its outstanding achievement on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Wilcher copied the certificate that she was awarded and gave a copy to each member of her staff, assistant teachers, cooks, the custodian, and teachers alike. She thanked each one for their work, noting that the achievement could not have been accomplished without them. Such demonstrations of respect for the staff have nurtured a culture in which staff members give their finest effort to Ward?s students and community.
Several teachers noted that the overall climate of the school is warm and supportive, for students as much as for adults. For instance, students who come to Ward with records of poor discipline often are able to improve their behavior. The principal conveyed the details of a situation in which a chronically disruptive upper-grade student was transferred to Ward from another school with Wilcher?s prior consent. During the initial meeting with the student and mother, Wilcher agreed to allow the student one chance; after the first infraction, he would be disciplined and sent home, his enrollment at Ward terminated. Then, in private, Wilcher addressed the student as she crumpled a piece of paper and threw it away, conveying that the paper represented the student?s previous history. "Don?t tell anybody the bad things you?ve done, they won?t know. No one knows but you and me," she said. It should also be noted that Ward has a campus counselor/case manager, and access to a district social worker (who visits the campus regularly), and a district psychologist to address students? social and emotional needs.
Ward?s approach to discipline focused first on establishing proactive and positive policies that supported good student behavior. As an example, the current principal and the staff issued a discipline policy that focused on high expectations for student behavior. Letters were sent to parents regarding attendance and punctuality. The letter solicited the parents? partnership in supporting the school?s high standards for student behavior.
Another way in which the school promoted a supportive environment for students is through the use of nearly a dozen special academic programs for students. Several of these programs have been established through the individual efforts of teachers. For instance, a fifth-grade teacher, with support from fellow teachers, initiated the Buddy Reading Program. The program paired older children (fifth graders) with younger children (kindergartners) to read, sing, or participate in other activities together. The focus was on giving students some responsibilities that they might have later as parents. The program was later expanded throughout the school when it was integrated with the Hug-A-Book Program, in which older and younger students read together. Ward has also become part of the Chicago Science Academy Program, where experts from this institution come one day per week to teach science lessons to the intermediate and primary grades. Teachers had opportunities to observe these lessons for their own use.
When asked how Ward had improved student achievement, one teacher replied:
There is an emphasis on excelling. There are more programs in which students can participate and have opportunities to compete and excel. There is a lot of adult investment in school. For instance, teachers acted out the ballad, "The Night Before Christmas." Kids see teachers are excited and that the teachers are interested in what the children are doing. The kids get a lot of love here.
A second-grade teacher observed that there are two other schools relatively close to Ward. She explained that parents now, tend to prefer Ward for their children:
Parents in the neighborhood used to prefer those schools because they had a good reputation. However, because the quality and variety of the after-school programs has increased, parents like our school. The children have more time to learn and they think that?s important.
In the 1997-98 school year, the school staff had personal contact with the parents and guardians of every student at the school. The high rate of parental involvement exceeded both district and state averages. Continuous parental contact was cited as the main element improving student discipline in recent years. Discipline problems are now minor, freeing up the time of administrators to provide instructional leadership. A policy of uniforms for students, started a few years ago, has also proved helpful in improving student discipline.
The principal?s "open-door" policy to parents, children, community members, and staff has modeled a receptive atmosphere that has transformed relationships with the Ward community. The principal has helped make everyone feel like Ward is their school. Parents said they experienced a welcoming atmosphere at the school, particularly when they sought to provide assistance in the classroom. As one parent explained:
She [Wilcher] encourages the teachers to have an open mind toward us being there. It is more likely that teachers want you to be there, want you to be part of the classroom, or want to see you in the school, not the other way around. They welcome you to bring your preschool child in the classroom with you. They never say it?s a problem.
Parents have been supportive, in part because they perceived the principal as a fair disciplinarian. Wilcher?s reputation for fairly and judiciously resolving conflicts has been acquired through her role as the school?s disciplinarian for a number of years. Thus, she has won the confidence of parents, teachers, and students. One might further attribute the parents? willingness to work with the school to the school?s commitment to meeting the needs of the children and the community. Wilcher has been known to handle conflicts that occurred off the school grounds, even when the conflicts occurred during the weekend. She has demonstrated a genuine concern for the children and their parents wherever they are at any time during the week. Thus, when teachers or school administrators sent letters or made phone calls regarding absences, chronic tardiness, or other disciplinary issues, parents tended to respond in a supportive manner.
The current assistant principal and teachers felt they had much more direct access to money and other resources because of Wilcher?s commitment to providing teachers sufficient resources. Ward?s staff consistently cited the increased availability of funds and their access to those funds as important factors in bolstering the instructional program.
In recent years, state supplementary funding rules have given campuses control of discretionary funds allocated to them, such as Title I funding. The principal, staff, and the Local School Council are allowed to decide how to use the dollars to enhance student achievement. Ward began receiving Title I funds in 1996. Funds are received in proportion to the percentage of children whose family incomes were at, or below, the poverty level. At first allocations were assigned to individual teachers to spend at their discretion, but more recently allocations have been made to each of the three teams who decide how they should be spent. This way the allocation is substantial and can be applied in a manner that significantly affects instruction. Furthermore, with the team organization, special education classes are part of each team and therefore are equal beneficiaries of funding.
Teachers at Ward have come to understand that their principal will somehow stretch dollars, acquire new grants, or access additional funds from the school district in order to make sure that teachers have what they need in order to teach their students well. As the assistant principal explained:
The other day I was telling her [Wilcher] that some of the teachers were telling me they needed some additional materials as a result of our discussions about learning styles. I asked her, ?Is there money available?? She said, ?Money is not the issue. It?s not something we need to discuss right now. Tell me what?s needed and we?ll go from there.? I got on the computer and I ordered all these things. When I finished I just told her how much I spent.
In a conversation with the librarian about the school?s substantial investment in improving the library, she explained that the principal made resources available; however, school staff helped acquire new resources through the development of grant applications:
At Ward, you have all the supplies you want, access to copiers, and access to the budget. If you need something in your classroom, just tell the principal or you can go out and purchase it yourself, and you will be reimbursed. I have also participated in grant writing. We have received the Learning Power grant, which basically takes the library into the 21st century. Under the administration of Sharon Wilcher it?s, ?children first.? You ask her, you tell her, and she will give you what you need; but, she expects you to teach these children. That?s what counts.
Ward Elementary has taken full advantage of resources made available by the Chicago school district. Ward participated in the district?s extended-day initiatives for schools, the Lighthouse Program. The Lighthouse Program at Ward provided several components: an academic program, a social center, and hot meals. Ward offered a first hour of reading and math on alternating evenings, four evenings per week. An evening cook and a porter were hired to run the hot dinner program. The social center was offered for an hour, five evenings per week after the academic hour, providing community classes such as English Literacy classes to monolingual Chinese-speaking parents. Teachers were paid to teach the academic classes and parents were paid to teach the social center classes.
The Lighthouse Program was so popular that it served half of Ward?s 438 students. The program was important to the community because many parents worked long hours or multiple jobs. This program not only kept the children in a supervised setting for a longer period, but it also provided the evening meal four days a week. In fact, after the program adjourned for the evening, children could be found playing on the playground and lingering around the school. When the principal jokingly told students they were going to be required to attend the Lighthouse Program on weekends, the students enthusiastically consented.
Besides the obvious benefits of added instructional time for participating children, a positive outcome of the after-school program has been that teachers were able to understand their students better as they interacted with them in slightly different settings. According to a second-grade teacher who had students from her class as well as from other second-grade classes in the after-school class, "I have one of my lowest-achieving students in the after-school class. I discovered that he is able to do the work but he?s just not doing it during the regular class time. In the after-school class, he pays more attention, and when I ask him questions, he can answer them well."
The Chicago School District also provided an extended-year program that has been important to the success of Ward students. The program was provided in support of the district?s "no social promotion" policy. Students who did not pass third, sixth, and eighth grades were required to participate in the Summer Bridge Program so they could learn essential skills and earn promotion to the next grade. Some Ward teachers felt that the "no social promotion" policy has motivated students to give their best effort. Thus, this district initiative has supported Ward?s efforts to improve academic achievement.
The state of Illinois has given schools more autonomy and accountability since 1989. The 1989 Illinois School Reform Law required Chicago public schools to create Local School Councils in every school. Local School Councils are school-based governing bodies that include parents, teachers, and community individuals. The Council?s major responsibilities are to hire the school?s principal and to develop the school improvement plan. This planning process, which occurs every year, involves teachers and other staff, alongside administrators, in making decisions about the use of fiscal resources at the school. They have the ability to support school improvement recommendations with dollars.
In addition, the state has developed a policy of accountability for student achievement through the institution of the Illinois Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) in 1991. All schools in Illinois must administer this test in the spring of every academic year. This test helps identify students, classrooms, and schools that are achieving at or below expected. Ward teachers, as well as the district area administrator, expressed their belief that the institution of this test has been critical to improving instruction. Though Ward teachers have a history of being conscientious regarding student achievement, the adoption of the test elevated attention to academic instruction. As a first-grade teacher commented, "I think everyone is more diligent about keeping on task and adhering to issues of student achievement."
Ward has used both the governance policies and the assessment policies to support the school?s process of improvement. In the past few years, the development of the school improvement plan has involved bringing staff together, including bus attendants and other ancillary staff, to analyze student scores on both the nationally-normed test and the state assessment. Each student?s scores were closely examined. Students who scored below the passing level on the Spring 1998 administration of the test were "targeted" for additional assistance and were required to participate in Ward?s after-school program. While many schools have after-school programs, Ward has maximized the effectiveness of its program by targeting students who need extra assistance. Because all teaching staff participated in analyzing assessment data, all staff gained a deep understanding of what students needed to learn and help was focused accordingly. As well, additional support was made available through tutoring by a parent, instructional aide, another student, or all of the above during the regular school day.
Students received these intensive academic interventions throughout the school year. If a targeted student failed to attend the after-school component the assistant principal called his or her parent or sent a letter if they did not have a phone. In the case of one child whose parent told the assistant principal that the child could not attend because he did not have transportation, the assistant principal replied, "I?ll make sure he gets home?. He needs to stay".
Related to the state assessment initiative, the Chicago Public School District has developed learning objectives or standards to be used by all Chicago schools in guiding instruction. These objectives were important at Ward, where teachers were given the freedom to customize curriculum and instruction to ensure that all students in a grade acquired the same skills. This means that two first-grade teachers might teach from different texts; however, lessons are focused on the attainment on the common set of standards.
Wilcher was able to gain the respect and confidence of her peers and the community and has led the school to the exemplary status it has achieved. It is notable that there was little animosity or conflict among her peers regarding her rise to leadership—only one voter on the Local School Council had reservations about appointing Wilcher to the principalship. This possible obstacle was overcome through the consensus-building process that Ward staff learned and applied routinely.
Wilcher recalled an incident when visitors entered the building and were directed down the hallway to where she and another staff member were standing side by side. On this day, as usual, she was suited in business attire and, as usual, her co-worker was suited in jeans, a shirt, and tennis shoes. As the visitors approached them, they proceeded to introduce themselves to the European American male plant engineer as opposed to the African American female, who in fact, was the principal. This circumstance occurs from time-to-time. Recently, a visitor walked up to her and said, "I?m looking for the principal." Wilcher replied, "You?re lucky, you?re looking at her." In her characteristic humorous way she explains, "A title is just a title. I?m here to do a job. I can?t take that title to the grocery store to get bread. If I could take that title to the store and get bread free, then maybe I?d be worried about the title."
The fact that Wilcher is African American and the student body is predominantly Asian American has not presented major challenges with the parents or the community. While many schools struggle with these issues, they have not been issues for Ward, primarily because of Wilcher?s leadership style. She explained that she has been a member of the Ward staff for 20 years and has forged relationships with parents who were once her students, and grandparents who are now raising the children of her former students. During those years she has been involved in those families? lives, often helping to provide many of their needs. She knows the circumstances that many families face and has responded to them to the best of her ability. She is vested in the community, shown through her presence at community activities and her accessibility to community members. For example, she attends the Chicago Alternative Policeman Program meetings and the Olahuke Scholarship Fund (a scholarship fund established for Asian American students) meetings. In addition, Ward students participated in activities with senior citizens who live in a community center across the street from the school.
A good example of Wilcher?s collegial and inclusive leadership style is the fact that she was the last person interviewed for this study. Parents, instructional aides, bus attendants, the school counselor, several teachers of students with special needs, classroom teachers, the present and past assistant principal, and a district administrator were all interviewed first. Her intention was to give as many of her staff as possible the opportunity to tell the story of Ward?s change from their perspectives, rather than from her perspective.
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[Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary School] |
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[Report Conclusion] |