St. Ann School receives $97,000 from Big Shoulders Fund

St. Ann School Principal Kathleen Fox credits a school culture that emphasizes ongoing learning and making sure each students feels that they are known and valued for its growth in test scores and other academic measures.

The school, at 2211 W. 18th Place, received the Big Shoulders Fund’s Croghan Teacher’s Award April 30 in a surprise presentation. The $97,000 grant, sponsored by the fund and by John and Rosemary Croghan, will be divided among the school’s faculty and staff members, Fox said.

“And the rules say they can’t spend it on their classrooms,” she said. “They have to spend it on themselves.”

St. Ann students have shown the most growth among the more than 90 schools supported by the Big Shoulders Fund and had the highest reading achievement for the past three years, Fox said, and in the past year, made it to second place in growth in mathematics after adopting a new math curriculum.

The curriculum emphasizes multistep problems that require students to understand the math concepts they are using instead of simply memorizing formulas, Fox said.

St. Ann faculty also developed their own reading curriculum for fourth through eighth grades, she said, in an effort to allow students more choice in what they read.

“When you have a basal reader, there really is no choice, because everybody is reading the same thing,” she said. “That’s where we see engagement start to drop.”

Using the school-developed curriculum, teachers will begin a unit with a “mentor text” to demonstrate the skills students need to read, say, poetry, or informational articles. Then students can choose from several selection based on reading level and interest to practice those skills.

It’s helpful both for students who are reading below grade level – they can comprehend what they are reading while practicing skills – and those reading above grade level, who need a challenge to stay engaged, she said.

At the same time, teachers and administrators work with coaches to help improve their skills, and to demonstrate that everyone, even the principal, must continue learning, Fox said.

But perhaps most important is the overall school culture.

“We want to have an atmosphere where every kid feels known, welcomed and loved,” she said. “When you feel that at school, when you feel like you have grownups and friends who know you and care about you, you tend to do well.”