Glenwood Elementary ranked as 'school of High Distinction'

Last year was a red-letter year for most of McDowell's public schools, at least in terms of standardized testing and state benchmarks. As reported earlier in August, 11 of McDowell's 12 public schools achieved expected or better growth under the state's "ABCs of Education" standards.

            In her presentation to the School Board in August, Assistant Superintendent Becky Pearson particularly praised Glenwood Elementary's administration, faculty, support staff and students. That school has come back from "school improvement" status (meaning it had failed to meet "expected growth" standards) to earn recognition this year for "high growth." North Carolina now categorizes Glenwood as a "school of High Distinction."

            The McDowell News asked Glenwood Principal Lynn McNeilly how that was accomplished. She listed many innovations, but counted high among them a software and electronic tutoring and assessment program called Successmaker.

            "A year ago, Pearson Technology (no relation to Becky Pearson) offered to bring one principal to Utah for a demonstration," said McNeilly. She added that Pearson Technology paid for the trip. "I went to Salt Lake City and was intrigued and impressed."

            She said the demonstration was a conference between company representatives, principles such as herself and principals whose schools had been using the program already. She came home convinced Successmaker could make a difference at Glenwood and went searching for funding 

            Federal funds were available for school sin improvement under the federal Title I program. McNeill was able to get $50,000 under the program to procure 50 Successmaker licenses and staff training and development to operate the program.

            The school system was able to get a new computer lab installed at Glenwood, including 26 computers, enabling individuals or groups to use the system without disrupting other activities or classes.   

            Sounds complicated? McNeilly said the system was up and running quickly, and made available right away for kids in grades 3 through 6.

             "We got the children individual headphones for $1 a piece at the Dollar tree," she added, emphasizing that the goal all along was to make this work in an era when the system simply didn't have a lot of money to spend.        

             Kids sit down at a station, plug in and take a sort of placement test right away. If they get a lot right, the system quickly skips ahead to more challenging material; if they miss several, it resets back.

            The beauty of it is that the system can quickly pinpoint specific areas where an individual child needs improvement or help. It can even generate worksheets that target precisely the area the student needs to study, both for immediate use, one-on-one tutoring or for take-home use.

            Each student gets three sessions each week with the Successmaker; one 45-minute session and two 30 minute session. McNeilly explained that these can be customized to lean towards math or reading, as the students' needs are determined.   

            "The key is that we changed our schedule" (to accommodate Successmaker sessions), she stated. "We set up a 'curriculum enhancement' time." Advanced and exceptional students (in the higher grades, 3 through 6) go to Successmaker, meanwhile teaching assistants and Title I personnel are freed up to work with the remaining kids, giving them far more one-on-one attention that the upper grades normally get.   

            Pearson said the administration has been delighted with the quick results, and Glenwood's innovations will soon find their way into several schools.

            "All of our elementary schools will be working towards implementing the Successmaker program this year," she stated. "The Successmaker program provides students, teachers and parents immediate feedback on a child's progress in reading and math in the context of an interactive, engaging online program that supports and enhances the state curriculum. 

            "This allows teachers to better support student learning by varying their instructional strategies so that individual student needs are met in the classroom," said Pearson.