Peach Hill Academy

Peach Hill Academy exemplifies the many benefits that come from dedicated teachers embracing an integrated, domain-based approach to learning. The deeper Core Knowledge staff probed—with extensive observations, interviews, and surveys all conducted to determine if official status had been earned—the stronger Peach Hill looked. The staff is proud to have Core Knowledge as the central, guiding instructional program of the school. They have a strong understanding of its approach to reading, its call for integration and cross-curricular connections, and its alignment with the Common Core State Standards. In fact, teachers see the Common Core initiative as a perfect fit with Core Knowledge.

Peach Hill is a suburban, public K–5 school in Moorpark, California, with about 550 students (32 percent of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and 19 teachers. Despite budget cuts and large class sizes of 30 to 34 students, the school is strong and improving. Its overall Academic Performance Index (API) for the 2011–2012 school year was 896, which was a twenty-three point gain from the previous year.

Peach Hill was first introduced to Core Knowledge in 2001. While the initiating principal, Donna Welch, has since moved on to the district office, she continues to be a strong advocate for Core Knowledge. The current principal, Vicky Yasenchok, has been with Peach Hill for several years; with little staff turnover, she has the advantage of a seasoned staff experienced in teaching Core Knowledge.

In addition to being the principal, Yasenchok is the Core Knowledge coordinator at Peach Hill Academy. She is committed to Core Knowledge and works to ensure it is effectively implemented. To ensure that expectations for students are high, Yasenchok reviews and analyzes student data. She also collaborates with teachers to develop measurable goals and monitor student progress. Here’s how she described her role:

As an elementary principal, it is my job to ensure that all students are learning and not merely being taught. It is my job to make sure that all students learn at high levels. I work very hard to continue our well-established collaborative environment with my staff in the service of closing the achievement gap that exists among students. I work closely with my staff to be sure they do not work in isolation, but as a team for all students. It is my responsibility to build a collaborative environment where teachers and staff feel they have the opportunity to provide input regarding all aspects the students’ education.

Yasenchok observes teachers both formally and informally on a regular basis. She frequently asks students what they are learning, since what the child is able to articulate is very telling of whether or not the instruction is effective. The principal also looks to see if objectives are posted, if effective teaching strategies are being implemented, if differentiation and enrichment are occurring, and if there is evidence and review of student work.

Being both the principal and the Core Knowledge coordinator is a lot to take on. By merging the roles, Yasenchok exemplifies what it means to be an instructional leader.

Domain-Based Studies Make Meaningful Connections

Peach Hill has developed a domain-based curriculum, which transforms the Core Knowledge Sequence into a coherent, cumulative, and rich educational experience. For example, one first grade classroom was studying the domain of Living Things and Their Environments. The lesson focus was oceans and undersea life. Students examined the characteristics of the layers (i.e., zones) of the oceans and the animals that lived in each zone. Students were introduced to domain vocabulary words (such as abyss, continental shelf, sunlight zone, twilight zone, midnight zone) through pictures, a model, and a short video clip.

Each classroom Core Knowledge Foundation staff visited reflected integrated content and vocabulary from the Core Knowledge Sequence, with frequent mention of domains learned earlier in the year. Here are some of the domains Foundation staff saw being taught:

• Kindergarten: Animals and their Needs
• First grade: Living Things and Their Environments
• Second grade: Geography (Landforms) & Tall Tales
• Third grade: Colonial America
• Fourth grade: The Constitution & Branches of Government
• Fifth grade: Feudal Japan

Displays on classroom bulletin boards and in hallways showed that students had already studied Immigration, the Digestive System, the Civil War, Life Cycles, the Water Cycle, Exploration, Plants, the Thirteen Colonies, Astronomy, and Surrealism.

As students moved through the day, the domain content was integrated with other subjects and used as a vehicle for understanding new content and reinforcing mathematics and writing skills. For example, in the fourth grade, students read about the Preamble to the Constitution during English language arts, discussed separation of powers during history, and used this content in a math lesson to analyze how and why the number representatives is allocated in Congress according to state population. They concluded the math lesson by responding to a writing prompt: "Do you think the way our government figures the number of representatives is fair? Why or why not? Give several reasons for your answer." Students’ papers were detailed, with clear thesis statements, references to the data sets they examined in class, multiple reasons, and clear conclusions.

There was an enormous amount of vocabulary being emphasized in each room visited. For example, in a second grade class where a read-aloud on the fable of Paul Bunyan was being compared and contrasted with a nonfiction read-aloud on the formation of the Grand Canyon, students examined the terms lumberjack, carved, axe, exaggeration, hyperbole, tall tale, and genre from the fiction text, and valley, plateau, Colorado River, erosion, and geologists from the non-fiction text. Students used facts to provide evidence that the Paul Bunyan story was a tall tale of how the Canyon was formed, and that erosion was the more plausible explanation.

The school's art teacher does an exemplary job of correlating her art lessons with the domains taught in grade. Her classroom walls display student work that documents the year's journey of content across the grades: the Human Body, Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and the Renaissance. Student work also reflects and highlights the art concepts taught, including line, color, space, texture, shape, and form. In one art lesson, students examined the vocabulary related to the sculpture works of Alexander Calder, such as engineer, stable sculpture, Statue of Liberty, Abraham Lincoln Memorial, totem poles, one-/two-/three-dimensional, iron works, mobile sculpture, abstract art, and spirals.

While the school is not funded for a music teacher, teachers at every grade level teach music using the Core Knowledge Sequence as a guide. In one music lesson, the teacher focused on a review of vocabulary associated with two families of instruments—string (e.g., violin, viola, cello) and percussion (e.g., bass drum, kettle drum, castanets). She called on students to work with a partner to create "What Am I?" riddle cards for the instruments, highlighting the distinct features that define each term.

Most domain-based curricular plans presented during grade-level team meetings included cross-curricular connections. In addition, during classroom observations, many teachers made connections to different subject areas during their instruction. For example, during the writing block, kindergarten students were given a chance to review things that they recently learned in a science domain on Animals and Their Needs by writing facts about pigs. In another kindergarten classroom, the teacher read aloud a text on farm animals and paused at various points to demonstrate the concepts of addition and subtraction. Although the focus of the lesson was on identifying when a situation called for addition or subtraction, she used the text periodically to reinforce some of the information students had learned about animals.

Focused on Learning, Helping all Students

Teachers at Peach Hill take responsibility for all students, not just ones in their own classrooms. All students are expected to be learning the content of the curriculum, developing broad literacy, and exhibiting excellent character and behavior. Teachers are dedicated to using differentiated instruction to ensure that all students meet academic and behavioral standards. Parents, students, teachers, and the administrator sign a yearly contract that holds everyone accountable for learning.

In observations, we witnessed teachers holding students accountable for learning, for precise answers and deep thinking, for consistent time-on-task, and for personal accountability with expected routines. For example:

• Teachers pressed for precise answers with target vocabulary. Showing a pictograph, a teacher asked, “What do we call this?” One student asked, “A picture?” The teacher then directed students toward more precision: “No, I have many pictures in the room, but they aren’t graphs.” Student:—“A picture graph?” Teacher: “Close …” Student: “Oh, a pictograph.” Teacher: “That’s it. Now, what is a pictograph?” This went on until, collectively, the students provided a detailed definition.
• Teachers called for maximum time-on-task with comments such as, “I don’t want to see any downtime. If you are waiting for your laptop to power up, look back at the information and review what you need to find.” These types of comments were said before students began their work to prevent off-task behavior. It worked; students were clear on their work routines and learning was maximized. Similarly, when students were working on computers to do research, teachers set clear expectations for routines and the focus of the work. “Before you begin … is this the time to look for pictures, work on transitions, or experiment with color or pretty fonts?” Students in unison: “No.” Teacher: “What is your focus?” Students: “To work on our notecards and bibliography.”
• Expectations for behavior in the classroom, hallways, and playground were equally high and clear. The school has a strong character education program with multiple components. Students are oriented to the "Peach Hill Way" at the beginning of each year, and posters remind them of its five principles:
  (1) We listen to each other.
  (2) Our hands are helping hands.
  (3) We use "I care" language.
  (4)We care about each other's feelings.
  (5) We are responsible for what we say and do.

Additionally, students are coached in the "S.O.L.V.E." strategies for conflict resolution: (1) speak to the person, (2) offer solutions, (3) listen to each other, (4) value and respect each other, and (5) end with a solution and a smile.

Collaboration Encourages Teachers and Parents to Share Responsibility

Teachers collaborate day to day and week to week. On Fridays, the school day ends at 1:05 p.m.; thus, teachers are able to meet to plan and discuss student progress. Every trimester, grade levels analyze and update their grade-level goals, objectives, and action plans. The staff also refines its Core Knowledge curriculum to ensure knowledge builds on knowledge. All new staff members are assigned a teacher mentor who supports them with learning and implementing Core Knowledge curriculum. Many teachers meet after school, during lunch, and even on weekends. Having built strong relationships, many teachers are now eager for opportunities to observe each other to learn new techniques and enhance their implementation.

Teachers’ learning and growth is also fostered in weekly Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings, which are a high priority in the school and district. The PLC time is meant for every staff member to feel a part of the team, collaborate on successes and struggles, and problem solve. There are PLCs for staff, teachers, and a mix of school and district leaders. During grade-level PLCs, teachers look at all students as a grade level, which embodies the school’s commitment for all staff to take responsibility for all students.

The parents and other stakeholders in the community take responsibility too. Many parents volunteer in the classroom to support students or run centers during instruction. Parents indicated that the school is an open environment in which their children’s progress is constantly shared and in which they feel free to provide feedback as needed. In addition, they said that information is constantly being shared by teachers and the principal through the teacher websites, weekly newsletters, email, principal’s monthly newsletter, and agendas.

Parents expressed their commitment to the Core Knowledge curriculum and described the ways in which teachers have managed to coach their children to success. One parent noticed her son had progressed more at Peach Hill Academy than her other son who attended another school using a different curriculum. Another parent stated she was impressed with the background knowledge her daughter was gaining and with the spiraling nature of the curriculum. Many parents shared that when their children come home in the afternoon, they not only talk about what they learned, but want to research ideas further.

Peach Hill is a school that lives and breathes continuous improvement. In faculty and grade-level meetings, staff members analyze data to meet the constantly changing needs of students. Weekly, the staff looks at informal classroom data and, when timely, examines grade-level common assessments to identify students in need of further English language learner, special education, intervention, or enrichment support. Teachers also use these data to craft goals, objectives, and action plans for the school and each grade level. To ensure no child falls between the cracks, a school team meets monthly to track each individual student’s progress. The team closely monitors each child and determines next steps to best meet his or her needs. The principal notes the importance of this “because students’ needs, strengths, and weaknesses change over time, and we take great pride in making sure we meet their immediate and long-term needs.”

In addition to improving student achievement, data are used to improve teacher effectiveness. Says Principal Yasenchok:

I feel we are very honest with ourselves, as a staff, and as grade-level teams. If we see students are not achieving, then we need to look at our practices, not just at the student. We are constantly training ourselves and the staff through professional development. I think it is obvious when we look at our data over the past twelve years that we are constantly looking at ways to improve and to exhibit the most effective teaching we can. We would not have the successes we have if this were not the case. When we find an area of weakness, we address it. When teachers find an area that needs improvement, they are very open to asking for help, guidance, or assistance. They are also a staff who will be there for one another and help whenever a colleague needs advice, a new strategy, or a new approach to addressing a student’s needs. I feel we are a team as a whole, as grade-level teams, and across grade levels. When we do find an area that needs improvement, we seek opportunities for professional growth and are always seeking to improve our effectiveness and instructional practices.

The teachers agree. On a recent survey, 100 percent said the principal and the communication in the school are highly effective.

To learn more about Peach Hill Academy, visit www.mrpk.org/Default.aspx?alias=www.mrpk.org/ph.