Main Street Elementary School of Arts & Leadership is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by implementing teaching strategies that reveal a positive impact on students' academic achievement. During the 2018-2019 school year, Main Street adopted and continued several new initiatives to improve student instruction. For the second year, the school implemented with fidelity the iReady and the Ready Curriculum, a rigorous instruction and practice program that fully prepares students for SC Ready. The iReady program, authored by Curriculum Associates, uses an adaptive diagnostic assessment to identify student strengths and weaknesses in reading. The reading diagnostic assesses skills in phonological awareness, phonics, high‐frequency words, vocabulary, literature, and informational text. The math diagnostic assesses skills in number sense & operations, algebra & algebraic thinking, measurement, and geometry. Using data from the diagnostic assessment a personalized learning plan is developed for every student. Teachers used a proven-effective, gradual-release model that ensured students received the modeled and guided instruction they needed to build confidence and mastery of the standards.
A second initiative was the commitment to implementing and using small group instruction with fidelity. Slavin, Lake, and Groff (2010) found that programs that are designed to change daily instructional practices and implement differentiating instruction strategies are most effective. Their research also discovered that small group instruction and cooperative learning have a significant impact on student achievement. Each grade level had an assigned interventionist that pulled small groups based on analysis derived from SC Ready, DRA, and the MAP Assessment. All students identified as Tier II and Tier III students (RTI) were seen by the interventionist four days a week. Classroom teachers also served as interventionist in the classroom through the use of small group instruction.
Each core subject at MSE had an assigned instructional coach, allowing for collaborative planning and discussion, particularly for struggling students. To promote both communication and collaboration, professional learning communities (PLC) continued to be the norm at Main Street. During PLCs, teachers worked collaboratively with instructional coaches to examine the South Carolina State Standards and develop Common Formative Assessments (CFAs) to meet the needs of students. Teachers continued to participate in weekly meetings where they along with content area coaches analyzed student data, reviewed student work samples, and made plans for addressing weaknesses and strengths.
Implemented during the 2016-2017 school year, the school continued to focus on a school wide sustained silent reading program that was aimed at improving the student’s ability to read and comprehend text. During this block of time, teachers conducted reading conferences and guided the students in focal areas to improve their reading. Teachers worked diligently to make this an enjoyable time for students by soliciting support in purchasing high interest books and reading materials of varying reading levels.
During the 2018-2019 school year, Main Street Elementary implemented Franklin Covey’s Leader in Me program. Supplement the school’s instructional resources through the purchase of supplies/materials for the Leader in Me program. The Leader in Me program is a whole school transformation process. It teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader. The Leader in Me is aligned to many national and state academic standards. The process teaches students the skills needed for academic success in any setting. These skills include critical thinking, goal setting, listening and speaking, self-directed learning, presentation-making and the ability to work in groups.
Also in 2018, Main Street Elementary was awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grant, a four-year, $183,700 federal grant awarded through the South Carolina Department of Education. The 21st CCLC supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
MSE continued to create opportunities for student creativity by affording students opportunities to participate in clubs such as: MSE Dance Team, MSE Tap Classes, MSE Cheerleading, The Gentlemen's Club, Girls with Pearls Club, MSE Chorus, MSE STEM Club, and Beta Club. For the third consecutive year, MSE received the recognition of National Beta School of Merit. The increase in enrollment made MSE once again eligible for this honor. Main Street’s annual event, Real Men Read, helped to bring the community into the school to work with students. During this time, local male officers, pastors, television personalities, high school students and other community members visited classrooms to share their favorite book with students.
New this year and in conjunction with the Leader in Me program, Main Street Elementary hosted its first annual Leadership Day. Leadership Day is one of the components of Franklin Covey’s, Leader in Me program. The program encourages each participating school to have an annual Leadership Day so that stakeholders gain a better understanding of the 7 Habits and how they are incorporated into our daily learning and also to discover the joys of being a Leader in Me school. The purpose of the day was to welcome parents, business partners, and educators from other schools to come learn about and see MSE’s leadership model, as well as to provide an opportunity for our staff and students to share their leadership insights and experiences.
Main Street’s administrators, faculty, and staff remain committed to inspiring world class learners by providing world class instruction.
Sharon N. Williams, ED.D Keyanna Hampton
Principal SIC Chairperson
