The FAPE Site

Project Gives Focus to Enthusiastic Teachers

Efforts to Raise Math Scores Are Working

The MATH PAC (Parents, advisors and children) doesn't take full credit for Rocky Gap Elementary School in Bland County, VA, moving from being "consistently low" on math scores to being fully accredited. But they are the central team that led the way and keeps the focus.

With twenty teachers and some 300 students, Rocky Gap, setting two miles from West Virginia, is a rural school with an enthusiastic faculty. Its faculty said almost two years ago, when they were approached to be part of the association's Priority Schools Project that they sincerely wanted to move their students along in math. With the established "can do" attitude and the resources that come with being a Priority School, they have done just that. And, according to fourth grade teacher Carol Grim, "We have a lot to be happy and thankful about." 

As with all four projects, the Rocky Gap project kicked off with a 2002 summer session. When school personnel learned of the opportunity through Bland Education Association President Mary Oxley, they immediately welcomed the support. They got an agreement of support form the school board and put together a team that included the director of instruction, a parent, the school principal, two teachers and the UniServ director. That team attended the state kick off session where they planned their goals, formulated their budget and shared ideas and concerns and hopes with the other participating schools. And heard from some excellent state and national experts.

Trainer brought expertise, inspiration

They didn't hesitate to take advantage of those opportunities. The first visible project was a visit from a trainer the core team had heard at that initial get-together. They brought Dr. Laurence Martel in for a one-day faculty training -– open to the faculty of the entire school division -– and for a parent workshop that evening. "He inspired us beyond belief," Grim reports. She knows that numerous teachers have incorporated his ideas on how the brain responds into their teaching strategies.

And Dr. Martel's workshop signaled that while this would be a locally planned project, it would be well supported by the resources and expertise of the NEA, the VEA and local UniServ office.

The MATH-PAC began "meeting and eating and planning." as Grim recalls. Three teachers traveled across the state to a workshop in Williamsburg; the president of the North Carolina Education Association came in to do a workshop on children's activities with math; seventh graders planned and executed a math Olympics for younger students; a $3,000 math library is new, a math night was held for students and parents; a local college professor works with teachers on integrating techniques. Project after project jumped up as the initial enthusiasm bloomed into a sustained enthusiasm that extends well beyond the core group. Grim believes many of those activities came together because of the newfound focus.

Principal is 'more pleased than I can tell you'

Assistant K-12 principal Vicky Spurgeon (who functions as principal of Rocky Gap) affirms that being part of the Priority School project gave her faculty the needed focus. She is "more pleased than I can tell you" about the success of the project and the cooperation of all who are working on it. The physical education teacher was not expected to join in, she notes. But she did. And that's just one example.

"All the teachers immediately said 'yes' and were perfectly willing to spend the time needed," reports Spurgeon. "I think our community, faculty, and children can rise to any challenge the schools can give them. Because we're small, everyone knows everyone. That works to our advantage."

Her enthusiasm doesn't stop with her own school family. "Without the association support -– the instructional and professional development division and our UniServ director -– we could not have been nearly as successful."