Granite School District singled out the third-grade teaching team at Stansbury Elementary in West Valley City for a district-wide honor, citing gains in reading and math tied to the group's collaborative approach to instruction.
The recognition, posted on the district's blog Oct. 30, is part of a new Professional Learning Community (PLC) Spotlight program the district launched this school year. The program highlights a collaborative teacher team roughly twice a month across Granite's 62 elementary schools, 15 junior high schools and nine high schools.
Granite School District serves about 67,000 students in Millcreek, West Valley City, Taylorsville, South Salt Lake, Holladay, Kearns, Magna and parts of several other communities.
What the team does differently
According to the district, the Stansbury third-grade teachers use common formative assessments to pinpoint which students have mastered grade-level standards and which need extra help. Through what the district calls an "Achievement Teams" process, teachers review proficiency levels, identify students approaching mastery and set goals before the next assessment.
When students fall short on a standard, the team shares strategies that worked in individual classrooms. The district said teachers discuss specific approaches such as small-group instruction and student whiteboards, then agree on how to reteach the material.
The team also runs a coordinated intervention block called "Tiger Time." Stansbury's mascot is the Tiger.
Results are qualitative so far
The district said the team is showing growth on Acadience assessments and its own common formative assessments in both reading and math. The post did not include specific percentages or proficiency rates.
The district said the coordinated instruction and targeted interventions are helping students move toward grade-level proficiency while reducing the need for additional interventions.
A new district program
Superintendent Ben Horsley launched the PLC Spotlight series in September. The first honoree was the fifth-grade team at Academy Park Elementary in West Valley City, where teachers Stephanie Gonzalez and Whitney Watson and literacy coach Julie Wright were recognized.
The district said it plans to continue honoring teams throughout the school year.
Stansbury Elementary is led by principal Melissa Trujillo. The school is at 3050 S. 2700 West in West Valley City.
