EAST MILLSBORO

For more than a decade, education reform has been a top priority in Delaware. Over that time, a number of initiatives have been implemented to improve our public education system and, most importantly, to raise the achievement of our students.

While it is important to focus a critical eye on the aspects of public education that need improvement, I think that it is also important that we celebrate our progress. With this goal in mind, I launched the Models of Excellence in Education program to recognize the highest achieving schools and provide them with a forum in which other schools and teachers can learn from their success.

Since the program began in 2001, we have recognized 17 schools from across the state, which demonstrated this distinction by showing dramatic improvement on their DSTP scores and in reducing the achievement gap. The 2006 honorees, which include Castle Hills Elementary School, East Millsboro Elementary School, and F. Neil Postlethwait Middle School, are among the best we have seen to date.

Among these select schools, East Millsboro Elementary School has distinguished itself as an example of the success that I envisioned at the outset of the program. With over half of the students classified as low income and a 40% minority enrollment rate, East Millsboro has been rated a Superior school each of the last four years.

Since DSTP testing began during the 2001-2002 school year, East Millsboro has consistently surpassed its goals. In 2006, 95% of its students met or exceeded the standards in both English and Math. Over the last five years, the students making the greatest strides have been African-Americans and Hispanics. Last year, 91% of African-American students met the standard in English and 87% met the standard in Math. Hispanic students' success rates were 93% and 92% respectively.

The school has also made significant progress eliminating the achievement gaps that exist with low-income and minority students. According to the 2005 DSTP test results, most low income students at East Millsboro in Grades 3 and 5 Reading and Grade 3 Math scored as well as the rest of their class.

Although East Millsboro was recognized as a Model of Excellence in Education for all the programs and initiatives it has implemented to help students, the school's systematic approach to assessing its students early and in a consistent way seems to be a cornerstone of its success. Before students reach 3rd and 5th grade, when they take the DSTP exams, the faculty and administration are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each student and have implemented a plan designed to address any needs they have.

This method of assessment was developed by East Millsboro for its students and is just one of many things Principal Gary Brittingham and his staff do to make sure their students have the tools to be successful as they move through middle and high school. But while the program was created for East Millsboro children, it could be easily applied to other schools, and making programs like this available to other schools is the main goal of the Models of Excellence in Education initiative.

We have tried to accomplish this in two ways. First, a sharing forum is held each year, including the last two in conjunction with the State Chamber of Commerce's Superstars in Education program. Each year, the schools recognized for excellence in both programs are given an opportunity to present their effective programs to educators who are interested in learning new and innovative academic approaches.

Second, the Models of Excellence in Education program started a pilot program during the 2005-2006 school year, that matched Selbyville Middle School, a former winner, with Stanton Middle School. With the help of a facilitator, the staff members of the two schools have been meeting, sharing and working together for the past year-and-a-half. "Meet the Challenge," a program set up by Selbyville and its Indian River sister school, Sussex Central Middle School, to help raise student achievement, has been adopted and implemented at Stanton thanks to the enthusiastic and hard work of administrators and teachers at both schools.

Beyond the great ideas developed by Selbyville, the success of this effort is based on simple communication among educators at both schools, communication that should be happening across our state. The three-year program is in its second year and has already produced some extremely encouraging results at Stanton, which has received inquiries from other schools looking for a similar mentoring experience.

And that's our biggest hope. This pilot program will be a success if Stanton sees a rise in student achievement and if those highly-motivated and talented teachers turn around and help another school accomplish the same. It's these kind of sharing networks that will help our schools continue the progress already underway. Making schools aware of successful programs like that at East Millsboro and other Models of Excellence in Education schools is critical to raising student achievement statewide.

That's a goal everyone should understand. In an increasingly competitive economic environment, we have a responsibility to make sure each and every one of our students is prepared to go on to college, the job market, or the military. Schools like Castle Hills, Postlethwait, and East Millsboro are doing a great job preparing students for success. It should be our goal to make sure that all schools who are working just as hard have access to the best ideas and most effective programs available. The future of our children, our state, and our country depends on it.