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Story posted February, 2008.  Results updated August 4, 2011.

Results:
• In 2010 60% of students met or exceeded state math standards, and 70% did so for reading--about the state average despite serving a significantly higher proportion of students in poverty.

How could Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School, a school so troubled that children rode their bikes in the hallways, become a beacon of achievement and learning? The transformation took leadership, vision and a willingness to turn a chaotic place into a nurturing learning environment.

A K-6 urban school that draws almost 90% of its students from low-income families, Dayton's Bluff was by all accounts out of control. Overall discipline was inconsistent and the learning environment was in shambles. Nine out of 10 students could not read at grade level. Teacher morale was low and turnover high. It was labeled the worst school in the city.

With district support and new leadership, however, the school was dramatically transformed into a safe and supportive place to learn.  The teachers began using a common, structured protocol for addressing student behavior problems--where punishments range from "time outs" to dismissal from school. This protocol allowed them to address problems before they get out of hand.  It also got students and teachers to share responsibility for maintaining a caring and respectful atmosphere.

School leaders made time in the schedule to reinforce caring relationships between children and adults:  At the beginning of the day, "morning meetings" allow children  to share experiences and form strong bonds both with each other and with their teachers.  In the ten minutes before lunch, children participate in a "walking and talking" session set to upbeat music in the gymnasium.  The session gives staff an opportunity to speak with the children, praise them for good behavior, ask them about their classes, or just see how they're doing.

Such time for informal interaction allows staff to identify and address the out-of-school factors--such as health or housing concerns--that so often influence children's learning.  Staff send children with health concerns to the on-site nurse practitioner or dentist.  They also arrange meetings with social service providers for children who face other challenges.

Class sizes are small--often 15 to 20 students--which minimizes classroom management problems and helps teachers address individual students' needs.

In this new learning environment, the number of discipline problems plummeted, and teachers could concentrate on students' learning needs. While maintaining a deep commitment to standards-based instruction, the school carefully differentiates teaching to address students' individual learning needs. Teachers use data on students' academic performance to identify what supports each student requires to meet high academic standards. What's more, Dayton's Bluff's comprehensive, intensive and coordinated approach to staff development has supported the school's transformation into a safe and focused academic environment.

The school community's work has truly paid off.  Dayton's Bluff is not only a respectful and caring place, but by 2005 more than 80% of its students met or exceeded the state reading standards.

By doing the hard work of creating a safe and nurturing place for teaching and learning, the staff of Dayton's Bluff have created conditions where children and adults alike can live up to high expectations for success.

APRIL 2010 UPDATE: In 2009, 91% of Dayton's Bluff students received free or reduced price lunch, compared to 33% of students in the state as a whole.  But despite the challenges that come with such a concentration of poverty, students at Dayton's Bluff continued to perform well.  67.7% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading--just four points off the state average.  And 64.1% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards in math--better than the state as a whole, where 62.3% of students did.

Further details about this story can be found in our sources:
Karen Chenoweth, The Achievement Alliance, "It's Being Done: Excuses are Dream Killers", 2005

Jennifer McComas, University of Minnesota, "Turning Around a Minnesota School At-Risk: Dayton's Bluff Elementary", 2005

SPPS Promising Practices, "Promising Practices Project:  A Brief Case Study of Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School", Spring 2005

Tim Pugmire, Minnesota Public Radio, "Closing the Gap: One School's Approach", September 2004

Photos courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio and The Achievement Alliance