Valley View Elementary School

Finding success through collaboration

Casual observers of Valley View Elementary’s school day schedule will recognize the effort required to create it. A deeper look at the comprehensive master schedule reveals much more: the staff ’s dedication to support all learners.

The idea for the new schedule began with the realization the previous schedule was not meeting the needs of all students. The team wanted to make every child feel welcomed at school and was committed to giving each learner the highest quality instruction. “We had very clear non-negotiables–that every decision–as we created this master schedule, was about what would be best for student achievement,” Principal Andrew Bake said.

When building their system, Valley View intentionally included a mix of classroom teachers and staff to get a wide range of viewpoints and input. This collaborative approach increased staff buy-in and commitment, to the point that when it became apparent that the new schedule would require Valley View to extend the school day by 20 minutes, the teachers were on board 100%.

The foundation of the schedule is solid core instruction, followed by intervention and enrichment (IE) times. This schedule ensures all students receive the core teaching. The IE time allows for supplemental supports in mathematics and reading, as well as enrichment, pushing the curriculum deeper for students who are ready for added challenges.

Valley View’s leadership team has been transparent with their staff and quick to respond to teacher need. The schedule has built in time for important teacher collaboration, including weekly meetings for grade-level teachers and monthly, full team meetings to review data and be responsive to student needs. The collaboration among teachers led to stronger relationships with each other. Literacy Support Coach Sheryl Stathas also noted the change in how teachers connected with students. “It changed from ‘my’ student to ‘our’ student,” she said.

Valley View’s efforts have paid dividends in multiple ways. Creating an environment that supports learners’ needs led to increased attendance rates at school. Pairing strong core instruction with differentiated supports resulted in fewer referrals to special education and an increase in the percentage of students reaching proficiency on the Wisconsin Forward Exam.

“Everything we do at Valley View is a team effort. It involves a lot of people working really hard together,” Principal Bake said.

https://www.ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us/schools/valleyview/