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

Goodale Elementary School
Detroit Public Schools
Detroit, Mich.

Key Programs: Sylvan Reading Program, Peer Mediation, Efficacy Program, After-School Tutoring Program

Background

An air of excitement and activity greets regulars and visitors alike at the school. Students and their parents walk to school sporting bright blue windbreakers with the school name emblazoned on the back. A cadre of parent volunteers staff a school store where youngsters line up to purchase school supplies. Another group of parents copies materials for teachers at a machine in the main hall while welcoming everyone who enters the building. Students enthusiastically recite chants about the importance of positive self-image and hard work, replete with accompanying stomps, claps, and hand motions ("Think you can! Work hard! Get smart!"). Teachers gather on their break periods to discuss how they might use ideas and materials just pulled from the World Wide Web in the day's lessons. Support teachers wheel carts filled with math manipulatives into classrooms to model lessons for teachers and to work with students in hands-on activities. The building's interior is bright and cheery, with bulletin boards announcing various school programs such as peer mediation. After the dismissal bell, the building teems with Girl and Boy Scout troop activities, a tutoring program, and school site-based management committee meetings. One might easily imagine such a scenario in school in an affluent, suburban community, but this is Goodale Elementary in a low-income area just east of downtown Detroit.

Population Served

Goodale?s neighborhood is comprised of aging but tidy single-family homes, run-down liquor stores, and dilapidated motels. All of the students are African American and in 1998, 87 percent of the students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. Even with 1,171 students, more than 50 faculty members and three administrators, the atmosphere is one of a small, familiar learning community.

Academic Improvement

Tables 8 and 9 illustrate how Goodale?s students once performed below state averages and now score above on the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP). Table 8 indicates the percentages of students achieving proficiency in reading and mathematics at a satisfactory (highest), moderate, or low level. Table 9 indicates the percentages of students achieving or not achieving proficiency in writing and the percentages of students at the proficient, novice, and not yet novice (lowest level) in science.

Parents, teachers, and administrators explained that the growth in test scores during the past three years, while seemingly explosive, is actually the fruit of a decade of vision and hard work. The school community has worked at a steady, measured pace improved academic performance and development for all students. Indeed, when asked what has happened in the past three years to increase student achievement so dramatically, many school community members look puzzled and responded (in the words of a parent), "It's more like in the last 10 years. It all runs together. This has been a long haul." Nonetheless, there were several factors that were widely touted as influential in the development of improved teaching and learning at Goodale.

Table 8: MEAP Reading and Mathematics Performance at Goodale Elementary

Table 9: MEAP Science and Writing Performance at Goodale Elementary

Starting Points:
The Careful Selection of New Faculty

The principal at Goodale, William Batchelor, believed that the school?s improvement was rooted largely in the hiring of devoted teachers. He explained that during his 10 years as an administrator at Goodale, most of his hiring decisions have been influenced by the extent to which candidates exhibited a commitment and passion to improving achievement and the well-rounded development of all students. He commented:

I know very quickly if I'm going to hire a teacher. I ask them about themselves, how they feel about children, and how they are outside of school. ?What is important to you? What interests and accomplishments do you bring to us?? If they are a passionate, driven person they will make a good teacher, because I can train them in instruction and curriculum.

It has not been easy building a staff with these characteristics, however. Batchelor explained, "Not everyone has embraced where we want to go. Some have retired and some have transferred. And that's okay. We need people who share our vision." Occasionally, vacancies have been left open longer than technically necessary, to ensure that those finally hired share the Goodale vision. Batchelor explained that he would prefer to leave a position vacant than to fill it with someone who would not help the school accomplish its goals. He stated:

I want the best. And I know my subs [substitute teachers]. My subs are really quite good. [In some cases] I felt more confident about having them as subs than some applicants who were completely certified. I ask myself, ?Would I want my child in that class?? If I cannot answer, ?Yes,? then I will not hire that applicant.

Changing the School Climate:
Dedication to Children's Academic and Personal Growth

The Goodale staff and community have focused both on improving the academic skills of students and facilitating their personal growth and development. As Batchelor, the school?s principal explained, "Our big thing is, the MEAP [Michigan Educational Assessment Program]. Test scores are important. I make no bones about that, but we want to develop the whole child, as a person, a citizen. We want our children to dream." This belief in the interdependence of academic and personal growth, and the dedication to simultaneously develop both, has led to the inclusion of a variety of activities and programs at Goodale. Most recently, a peer mediation program was established. A participating teacher explained:

We have 40 students who were trained last year. The students mediate during lunchtime. They work with students who have disagreements or fights. We thought this would help reduce trouble on the playground and we had some classes that needed mediators. The children filled out an application and then they were selected. They are proud to be mediators. They are handling a lot of problems. And the assistant principal loves this. She said it takes a lot of petty problems away from her. We want the kids to become problem solvers. This develops their critical thinking skills and responsibility. And it has cut down on suspensions.

Batchelor added, "When you suspend a kid, you kick them out of school for a day. But you're looking at him as an eight-year-old. I'm looking at him as an 18-year-old adult. He needs to learn responsibility along the way. We have to prepare them. We have to keep them in school." With suspensions down and, hence, attendance up, Goodale students have more opportunities to take part in this and other challenging extracurricular activities. (As mentioned, Goodale also hosts vibrant Brownie, Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs.) In these extracurricular activities, students hone communication skills, develop personal interests and talents, and benefit from a sense of group belonging. In turn, many Goodale staff members reported that participating students show a greater interest in the challenging instructional activities going on in their regular classrooms.

The concern for both personal and academic growth has guided many instructional decisions. For example, a few years ago staff found a way to provide certain upper-grade students with remedial reading help without making them feel inferior to their peers who were on grade level. Batchelor explained:

With some of our fourth and fifth graders who are having trouble reading, they are not going to read in a second-grade book. They just won't do that. But if we have them work as cross-age tutors, they'll read in a first-grade book to help a first grader. They will feel empowered to help someone else, and learn along the way. We have to be sensitive to that and allow them opportunities to shine.

The Efficacy Program perhaps best exemplifies Goodale's vision and how the staff created it. The program aims to raise academic achievement by guiding students through a process of developing self-awareness, confidence, and the ability to set and achieve personal and academic goals. Many staff members saw the effort as more than just a program but rather, as an all-encompassing attitude and approach. It took several years to get the majority of the staff trained in efficacy procedures and expectations. A recently-trained teacher described the program:

Efficacy training helped make an atmosphere that is positive and conducive to learning. It emphasizes building students? ?self-concept.? If you don't build self-concept, if they're not comfortable with themselves, then they may not be apt to try anything you present. But if you lay the foundation where students feel like they are valued, then they'll try anything. If you think you can, you work hard, and you get smart. If you think you can and the teacher believes in you, you'll try it.

Unlike programs that address self-esteem as a separate issue, the Efficacy Program has influenced the way teachers teach the entire curriculum. It has changed teacher behavior, as much as it has changed student behavior. One veteran teacher in the program said:

It made a big difference in how I've taught, in how I address my students, and what I expected from them. I had to re-evaluate my whole approach. It helped me to be more positive and to express respect for and belief in my students. And it opened my eyes to be more accepting of some other things that came along down the road: new ideas and techniques that I might not have wanted to try before, but that have helped me be a better teacher.

The Goodale teachers and administrators are committed to the personal and academic growth of every student. This commitment was evidenced in the oft-repeated explanation for Goodale?s success: "We see the kids as ours, like our own kids in our families. We want them to grow and develop. And we will not leave anyone behind." The commitment was apparent not only in words but also in the actions and decisions of the staff. If an issue or project was not believed to improve instruction and student learning, it became a low priority. For example, one teacher recalled:

Recently in our site-based management meeting, Mr. Batchelor asked about concerns. One teacher brought up the idea of re-doing the parking lot so that we could get in and out without disturbing neighborhood traffic so much. Now, Mr. Batchelor acknowledged that as important, but he re-routed our discussion back to issues that directly affect the academic growth of our students. We have to work on what's most important.

In long-range planning processes, this focus on student achievement determined the outcome of many difficult decisions. For instance, Goodale recently had the opportunity to participate in a reform project funded by a large foundation. After researching the project, the principal decided that even given the benefits of participation (e.g., access to increased funding), the program "had us doing too many things that kept us away from working with our kids and doing things for our kids. It didn't allow us to keep our focus. So we decided not to participate."

Th goal of improving the academic success and personal development of all students has become a pervasive, motivating force among the staff at Goodale. When asked how decisions about a variety of school issues have been made for many years, teachers, parents, and administrators alike often began their responses with, "We thought what was best for the students was. . . " or "Looking at student achievement data, we found we needed to?." It was not always like this, however. While long-term school community members have cultivated this vision over the years, the administration has been vigilant in selecting new faculty who exemplify this attitude.

Changing Academic Instruction

A variety of factors, including those described in the previous sections, have influenced changes in academic instruction. However, certain processes stood out as having substantially influenced improvements in instruction. First, teachers were held to high professional standards related to academic instruction and they were given support in attaining those standards. Second, there were many examples of collaboration among the faculty around the improvement of instruction. Teachers worked together to help each other meet high professional standards. Also, the leaders of the school managed to create an atmosphere in which teachers were willing to experiment carefully with ideas that might increase the academic achievement of Goodale students.

Supporting Teachers in Meeting High Professional Standards

Students are not the only ones expected to achieve and develop personally at Goodale. Teachers are also held to high standards. To ensure that teachers meet high expectations and their students achieve academically and personally, teachers are provided evaluations of their performance, necessary materials in a timely manner, and opportunities and encouragement to pursue further professional development.

When he began as an administrator at Goodale, Batchelor said, "The focus was not as academic as we would have liked." To remedy this, he became highly visible throughout the school in order to build an active working relationship with teachers and students. Then he began regular evaluations of teacher lesson plans and worked to establish curricular timelines aligned to state accountability measures. "I am in the classrooms all the time. I am most concerned with lesson objectives and assessments. Teachers have flexibility with how they get there. But if you're not where you need to be, we need to talk."

Teachers also shared that the administration's presence and support in their classrooms and throughout the building were main components of Goodale's recipe for success. They described their relationships with administrators as supportive and constructive. As one explained:

Batchelor comes in my room all the time. Often, on those days I will find a note telling what he liked about what he saw. Sometimes he will offer suggestions, too. It makes me feel really good. I know he cares. He gives us the freedom to be independent, to do many things our way. It makes working here fun.

Another way in which the school leadership has helped teachers feel supported is by ensuring that teachers have the instructional materials and equipment they need in order to be effective. One teacher exclaimed while others nodded in agreement:

It is wonderful to ask for something and get it. If I need something, they tell me where I can go get it or if they need to order it, how long it will take. Then, it doesn't take until April to get it. Sometimes you don't even have to ask. All of the sudden something will appear. Someone will come to the room and say, ?Hey, do you need this??

In their role as support persons, the Title I resource teachers helped identify teacher needs for materials and various resources. They saw that items were ordered and delivered promptly. Teachers who had taught previously at other schools thought this was one of the most profound differences between Goodale and other schools. They perceived that school leaders truly cared about the teachers? ability to succeed with their students. Teachers reported that they felt much more willing to do extra things for the school (e.g., spend more time working on curriculum, participate in extra activities) because they perceived that the school was so eager to expend resources to address their needs.

Just as support was shown through the availability of materials, it was shown through the availability of professional development opportunities. Each year teachers were asked to identify areas in which they would like professional development and administrators actively sought training for the staff in these areas. Many teachers shared that after applying what they learned in professional development activities in their classrooms, and seeing positive results, they became even more enthusiastic about increasing their professional skills. As one teacher reported, "Now we go to as many workshops as we can, in groups when we can. But it took us a long time to get where we are. It was a lot of in-service training and trial and error and a lot of hard work. It has been a growth process over the years."

Juanita Clay-Chambers, assistant superintendent for curriculum services for the Detroit Public Schools, confirmed that teachers at Goodale were well-supported in their efforts to seek professional development, and that this support contributed to their enthusiasm for learning: "They attend in droves." At Batchelor's request, she said, "We have made accommodations because of the large size of their group. This past year, we allowed a Goodale team of about 20 teachers to attend a workshop where normally we have teams of 5 to 7 people." "Goodale teachers do not necessarily have more professional development opportunities than teachers at other schools in Detroit," she continued, "They have just become more adept at taking advantage of the opportunities offered." Teachers overwhelmingly indicated these professional development opportunities have been key sources of support that have helped them to sharpen their ability to provide the kind of instruction that has nurtured Goodale student's improving Michigan Educational Assessment Program scores.

Increasing Communication and Collaboration

Another key factor in creating high levels of academic achievement at Goodale has been the close collaborative relationships and communication among school community members. Asked how this collaboration and communication was cultivated, one teacher explained that, "Projects come up that have to be done. That will throw a group of teachers together. It might be out of necessity, or something they want to do in their own classrooms. We have learned to work together." Another reflected that shared professional development experiences have helped build this camaraderie:

We had to work hard this summer at the district's professional development institute. We planned together the things we want to achieve and then we have to present our results at next summer's institute. It's created a system of communication between all of us. If we're doing something, we'll say, ?That will be good for our presentation files. Let's keep that.?

While close collaboration and communication may have come about in response to particular challenges and activities, the relationships that have been built bear fruit in a variety of contexts. For example, the science teacher's position required her to work with rotating groups of students. She took it a step further and worked with the students' teachers as well. She shared with the teachers the science lessons she covered with their students, and also incorporated into her science lessons things the teachers were doing in regular classroom instruction. As such, a wide range of content area learning was addressed in science lessons. Further, she provided the teachers with written follow-up lessons to do in their classrooms, even printing out the lesson plans on pieces of paper just the right size so teachers could paste them into the appropriate place in their lesson plan books. This way, classroom teachers became more likely to allow their students extended opportunities to learn science and its application in various areas of learning and life.

Goodale's Title I lab teachers were important contributors to communication and collaboration at the school. There were five lab teachers, one for each grade level. These teachers worked with teachers and students in a variety of ways. They conducted "pull-out" programs, instructing small groups of students on computers and working with certain individuals who needed extra help in content areas such as math and language arts. During these periods teachers had time to work with the small groups of students left in their classrooms in a more intense manner. The lab teachers also did "push-in" lessons, where they went into classrooms and conducted lessons. Most commonly these lessons were to introduce new materials or methodologies to teachers and students; to model a certain instructional technique for a teacher who requested help in that area; or to provide intensive help to students in areas where state assessment scores were low. "Three years ago our MEAP scores in math were so low," one of the lab teachers explained. "So, we did a lot of push-in lessons in math, bringing in manipulatives and things we learned at in-service training. I think it really helped. Our scores went up and teachers seemed to get a lot out of it."

Grant writing was a major endeavor of the lab teachers, and was also a context in which lab teachers and classroom teachers communicate and collaborate. Explained another lab teacher:

We talk to the teachers and see what they need, what they want to learn. Then we write grants to get money to do these things. A lot of it is done after school hours, because we have so much to do during the day. But it's worth it, because we get a lot of money that way and teachers get what they need to teach the kids.

Batchelor explained that the lab teachers worked as both instructional leaders and instructional support staff, adding that, "The lab teachers go after what the teachers and students need, lending a hand in any way." Such close and productive coordination may have been prompted by adverse situations. Recently the district was reorganized and area administrative clusters were disbanded in favor of a centralized administration. A lab teacher reflected:

We used to get a lot of training through our area office. We always learned so much that we were then able to share with the teachers. Now we don't get as much. So it's been harder. We've had to rely more on each other and the Title I office, and be even more aggressive to learn and get new things ourselves. We're okay, though. We make it work together.

Additionally, Goodale participated enthusiastically in the district's new site-based management organizational model. The committees and activities in the site-based management model seemed, in many ways, to put a name and a structure on top of collaboration and communication that was already happening at Goodale. As Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Juanita Clay-Chambers said regarding site based management, "Schools now have to deal with their own situations, sharing decision-making and participation. Goodale is already very adept at that."

Developing a Willingness to Experiment

Goodale staff members evidenced a willingness to experiment with new ideas, techniques, and procedures. They were willing to try approaches that were likely to result in improved student achievement. "We owe it to the students," stated one teacher. Many teachers pointed out that frequent, conscientious experimentation with new techniques and ideas in their classrooms has contributed to increased student success. One teacher explained that she is willing to experiment because teachers are given both the opportunities to learn new techniques and ideas, and the freedom to try them. "Administrators treat us like real professionals," she said. "They let us push the envelope and try things we think might work. If it doesn't work; however, we know we have to bag it and try something else until we find what does."

Teachers used daily classroom lessons to try novel approaches that engaged students in learning. For instance, in a third-grade classroom, the teacher was about to engage the students in a journal writing activity but pretended to not be able to think of an appropriate writing prompt. While he was discussing possible writing prompts with his class, a student from another class ran into the classroom, took a candy bar off of the teacher?s desk and ran out quickly. The teacher claimed to have not seen what transpired and asked students to tell him. Just as students were about to burst with eagerness to tell their version of the story of the heist, the teacher said, "Wait a minute. Get out your journals. Write down what you saw." Students wrote furiously as the teacher encouraged them to not leave out details and get the sequence of events correct.

When students finished writing their explanations of the event, the teacher allowed students to read their writing. Of course, eventually, students began to suspect that the theft was not truly a theft, but instead an act created to provide another writing prompt. When student accusations and excitement mounted, the teacher again stopped the discussion by declaring, "Wait a minute! You think there was a conspiracy. Write down your conspiracy theory. Explain your reasoning." The lesson was a successful, creative attempt to engage students in thoughtful and purposeful writing.

Another, example of this willingness to experiment is Goodale's use of the Sylvan Reading Program. The school uses some of its funding to contract for auxiliary tutoring services with a private organization. Services are provided in a room on the campus; however, the services are provided by Sylvan personnel in a manner consistent with the Sylvan program. While the program is still too new to determine it?s influence on Goodale's MEAP scores (last year was the first year), many school staff members expressed a belief that it is helping. Expressing the school's true dedication to finding what works for children, Batchelor said that if they find the program does not have a significant effect on future test scores, "We'll try something else."

Changing the Relationships with Parents and Community

As part of efforts to increase collaboration and communication at Goodale, much has been done to make parents and surrounding community members an integral part of school processes. Many staff members feel the "Snack and Chat" activities have been successful in encouraging productive relationships between staff and parents. One teacher explained, "We do Snack and Chat. We invite parents to come sit with the teacher during lunch and just talk, get to know the teacher's program and the teacher as a person and not just 'The Teacher.' It helps to build comfort levels and to build our credibility."

A parent reflected that the school?s targeted outreach to parents stimulated her to get more involved in her child's education and in the school community:

A few years ago they had some computers that they loaned for a few weeks at a time to students and their families. They had a workshop where the parent had to attend with the kid to get the computer, so we could learn how to use it. It was wonderful. I learned so much. It helped me decide to buy a computer for our house. Now I've become more involved in the other programs the school offers.

Goodale faculty have also increased the business community's involvement in the school. A few years ago, having built a relationship through the district with a local company, Electronic Data Systems, Batchelor was able to secure enough free paint to paint the walls of the entire school a bright, cheery blue. Parents and school staff then worked together one weekend to paint. Also, at the beginning of this school year the Ameritech Company donated 30 backpacks filled with supplies for needy students. One teacher remembered:

Right there you see the connection between Ameritech helping us and the children achieving. As soon as the kids got this, their self-esteem rose, they felt equal with the other students who have pencils, packs, and all kinds of nice things. They wanted to write in this nice, new notebook. And even there, that was a lesson because the teachers had them write thank-you notes and they edited them. We saw a lot of good things come out of that donation.

A parent explained that current levels of trust and collaboration between parents and teachers have also come in part as a result of past conflicts. She stated:

As members of the parent club, we sell school supplies to children and in turn that money is fed back into the school to help out with some things. Well at one point we had some teachers questioning what we did with the money we made. They didn't ask us, we just heard rumors. Then it was brought up at our meetings, and we talked about it. They learned that none of our decisions are made in private, that everyone has opportunity to say what money goes where. We just had to talk about it. Now we have a more coordinated effort.

Changing the Organization of Schooling

Goodale has changed through the creative involvement of a variety of school personnel. The school has been reorganized in ways that involve almost every staff person in improving learning. Also, the school administration now uses more data before making organizational decisions.

Changing the Involvement of Support Staff

School leaders at Goodale have tapped into the talents and dedication of all school community members and empowered them to be active participants in school processes. This often entails redefining or broadening the way job descriptions and roles are envisioned. For example, in regards to the cafeteria coordinator, Batchelor said:

I know the main job of our lunchroom coordinator is to prepare and serve food. But we also get our extra money based on her lunch counts [counts of children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and generate Title I dollars], so her monitoring is critical. Therefore her instructional role is critical, so we involve her. She got a phone back there [in the cafeteria] so she can call homes and keep counts accurate. Then when she came to me and said, 'That's a nice desk,' she was really making a request. When I realized that what she wanted was a desk and a chair I provided those things, so she can get more done.

Without the extra efforts of the lunchroom coordinator, some of the families who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch might not have submitted the necessary paperwork and the school would have received a smaller share of the district?s Title I dollars. The principal recognized the important contribution this staff person made and helped her feel supported and respected, thus increasing her motivation to serve the school well.

Similarly, in regards to the site engineer, Batchelor said, "I don't make any physical plant decisions unless he's here. I don't pretend to know. He brings a perspective that I don't have and he is included in everything." One outcome of this involvement is that the engineer contributes more to school life. Many teachers described (in the words of one), "Our engineer not only keeps the building going physically but he does anything that will enhance the environment for learning. He goes beyond the call of duty. He helps the teachers in all kinds of ways."

Even the role of noon-time aides has been expanded creatively to offer them greater opportunities to support student achievement goals. Originally hired to help with school lunch programs, the noon-time aides became extra "people power" when they began working one-on-one, at the end of their daily shift, with students needing extra help. Indeed, aides were seen in the afternoon working with students one-on-one with math manipulatives, reading books, and using other materials.

Some unexpected things have contributed to increased communication and collaboration in the school community. One outstanding example is the recent purchase of laptop computers. In addition to helping teachers and students use technology to improve teaching and learning, the laptops have helped increased communication throughout the school. Batchelor said:

I bought laptops last year for all the teachers, even the engineer and the paraprofessionals. Some teachers were angry because they wanted desk models. I explained that there were two reasons for laptops: One is security. You can store laptops easier. Two, many teachers don't know how to work the computer yet. It's hard to learn at school. But if you take it home, you will learn. Now I've gotten a little extra bonus I didn't expect. People are building relationships among themselves about ?Can you do this on the computer? Did you know it does this?? In addition to building up their knowledge they're beginning to interact more. Now, people who never talked to one another are talking, certified personnel and non-certified personnel, because we all have a lot to learn in this area.

Using Data for Organizational Decisions

The analysis of student assessment data has been key in the planning of instruction at Goodale. For example, in analyzing the last few years of MEAP data, staff noticed that a large percentage of students were scoring lower on certain sections of the test than on others. So, when the school purchased the Sylvan Reading Program (as described above), the program was tailored to focus on those sections where improvement was needed. Said Batchelor:

We wanted MEAP improvement. But I had to be selective. I have 1,200 kids, and the Sylvan program can only serve 150 at a time. So what do I do? I looked at the test results and one of the things I noticed was the expository and narrative writing section. The kids were doing well on the narrative but not on the expository. So I told the Sylvan staff to work on expository writing skills. Then I gave Sylvan instruction to my fourth graders for a year until they took the test, to get them ready. Then my third graders came in to prepare them for the test when they get to the fourth grade.

In several ways, data on MEAP performance influenced the daily work of teachers. One teacher stated, "Each year we know what we need to work extra on by looking at last year?s MEAP results. It's up to us to give the students what they're missing." The analysis of MEAP data also drove the planning of teacher professional development. Another teacher said, "We request professional development activities from the district, and we seek them out on our own, according to areas where we see our kids are having trouble on the MEAP."

Batchelor explained that teacher and student placement decisions were driven by the analysis of assessment data. A few years ago a group of teachers volunteered to "loop" (move with their students from one grade to the next). "We were trying to build a sense of community and continuity, to allow students to settle in and be able to show what they know and increase scores" the principal said. Additionally, "We decided to try passing the classes on intact. Why spend a whole school year to get the kids used to a teacher and a routine and then go and have to do it all again [the next year]? Teachers this way could also have extended time with certain students to see what kind of special services might be necessary to help them achieve."

Though he felt these efforts were achieving success, Batchelor promised, "I'm going to look at test results when they come in, to see if we think we should continue." It is through such close attention to assessment data and the relationship of the data to practices and programs that Goodale has become increasingly successful in making decisions that boost student achievement.

Conclusions

While many would find it difficult to criticize a school with Goodale's improving achievement record, Goodale school community members are as quick to point out things they need to work on as they are to express pride in all they and their students have accomplished. The most commonly voiced concerns were centered on continuing to improve student scores on standardized achievement tests. This includes the MEAP scores as well as the results on the Metropolitan Achievement Test 7. Also, teachers expressed concern about empowering all children to master their grade level's list of exit skills (a new set of district performance standards now necessary for grade promotion). Through this decade of hard work, dedication, difficulties, and triumphs the factors mentioned above have fueled in parents, teachers, administrators, and other school community members a passion for continuous growth. In the words of one teacher (and echoed by many others), "We've gotten this far, we can go much higher. We're striving for more."

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