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What Progress Looks Like: Shady Grove Elementary
What does a school that is working to transform its professional practice look like? Take a look at Shady Grove Elementary, a Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, school that has addressed lagging achievement with an active commitment to educational excellence.
Shady Grove began its turnaround nine months ago by setting priorities for professional development that would strengthen:
- classroom management
- use of learning centers and instructional aids
- teachers’ content knowledge and instructional rigor
- strategies for unmotivated students.
Principal Jerlyn Bobo said she knew that the improvement goals meant hard work, but she also knew, “We had a staff that was capable of getting it done—and we did.” The school’s partnership with JBHM Education Group was invaluable, she added, because, “JBHM wouldn’t let us make excuses.”
As a result, Shady Grove’s instruction has evolved from being “basically teacher centered and dependent on worksheets with no objectives” to “more student centered, hands on, and driven by objectives,” noted Ellie Jo Rich, School Improvement Specialist with JBHM Education Group. The school’s staff “rolled up their sleeves and got to work,” she said, and embraced the Five Essential Practices “one at a time, little by little.” Teachers who once stayed near their desks or at the board now move freely around their classrooms and encourage students to work in pairs or in groups. Group learning and the “community” approach are taking place, with rigor and expectations increasing.
Teachers are now requesting assignment to Shady Grove, and that in itself is a turnaround, said Dr. Robert Webber, Superintendent of Ouachita Parish. “Only a year ago, we just couldn’t get teachers to come to Shady Grove. Now we don’t have enough openings to hire them.”
The superintendent recently received enthusiastic applause from students and staff as he announced a pizza party to honor the school’s strides. In the same assembly, Principal Bobo received a plaque from JBHM Education Group recognizing her school staff for “embracing the standard of excellence and making outstanding efforts to provide exemplary instruction.” Science teacher Ellie Young also was recognized for “instructional excellence and professional growth.”
The atmosphere of the school today is orderly, with no students loitering in the halls and no echoes of teachers having to raise their voices inside classrooms. The interior of the school is spotless, shining like a penny. It’s indicative of the renewed pride the staff feels, said Eddie Davis, Custodian. “You wouldn’t believe the changes I’ve seen over the last year,” he said. “It is a joy to come to work here. We are proud of our students, our teachers, and our school.”
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After months of intense work with JBHM Education Group, Shady Grove's cohort comparisons showed tremendous gains in test scores.
From left, Ellie Jo Rich, JBHM Education Group School Improvement Specialist, with Ellie Young, Shady Grove Elementary Science Teacher and winner of the instructional excellence award, and Dr. Robert Webber, Ouachita Parish Superintendent
John Patrick, Vice President of School Services for JBHM Education Group, presents Principal Jerlyn Bobo an award saluting the outstanding efforts of Shady Grove Elementary.