Moncure School recognized as a Signature School

Posted Friday, January 15, 2010

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Moncure, NC - During its annual December meeting, the Piedmont Triad Education Consortium honored Moncure School as the 2009 Chatham County Schools Signature School. Receiving the award on behalf of the school during the ceremony were Principal Dr. Justin Bartholomew and teachers Holly Rapacuk and Jennifer Shand. Each member school district of the Consortium annually selects one of its schools to receive the award. This is the second time Moncure has been selected as the Chatham County Schools recipient.

“Moncure School is very proud to represent the school system as the Signature School of Chatham County. This is a recognition that validates the new approaches and positive changes that have been implemented in the school targeting increased student achievement along with collaborative efforts between the school and community. ,” said Bartholomew.

Following is the text for the Moncure award:

Last year, the administration, faculty, staff, and community at Moncure School held a series of discussions as to how to best improve the educational opportunities for all students while accommodating their diverse needs. After researching and discussing numerous possibilities, they developed a personalized, dynamic multiage setting model and are implementing multiaging this year in grades 1-4.

In lieu of the traditional Grade 1, Grade 2, etc., the school created a scenario where all students in Grades 1 and 2 belonged to one of three 1st/2nd Grade classes. The same was done with Grades 3 and 4. Students in each multiage class belong to one of three reading levels (e.g. low, medium, high; a total of 9 groups across a multi-age span), which can shift based on a student’s academic progress. In mathematics, two teachers take a single grade level (e.g. one teaches Grade 3 and the other teaches Grade 4), while the third teacher provides intensive acceleration for small groups of students from both grade levels that struggle with grade-level concepts. Based on monthly screenings conducted by the teachers, the groupings throughout the multiage classes are reconfigured to make sure that students are receiving the most intensive, focused, and appropriate reading and math instruction. The communication between and among teachers is enhanced through the use of professional learning communities.

Additionally, Moncure School is implementing two literacy initiatives (Words Their Way and Daily Five) and developed a “No Zero” policy for homework, class work, and student projects. This means that students are reading, writing, and developing critical literacy skills on a daily basis.

The preliminary results show that students are developing reading skills at a faster pace than in the past (based on DRA screenings). Moncure is embarking on their second year of implementation of Positive Behavior Support.

Feedback from the community has shown that parents appreciate the focused curriculum that challenges the skills/abilities of their children. Moncure School teachers are excited about the progress they see in all content areas and in the overall culture of success that is being fostered.

The Piedmont Triad Education Consortium is a collaboration of fifteen K-12 public school districts and seventeen higher education institutions in central North Carolina. Consortium members have created a climate in which the strengths of each agency have joined together to become the power of one committed educational community.