Closing the gap: Auburn school tries a different approach

Elementary school is where Washington's most vulnerable students begin to slip.

The two-tiered journey begins in kindergarten for low-income and minority students who regularly test behind whites and Asian Americans. It's what educators call the achievement gap and schools across the country are scrambling to fill it in.

In Washington, the path is well-documented: Roughly a third of the state's Hispanic, American Indian and black elementary students failed state and reading standards last year, compared with 15 percent of whites.

Pioneer Elementary in South Auburn defies the trend.

Language barriers, busy parents and working-poor budgets are Pioneer's biggest enemies.

Kids must fight hard to meet standards, to be healthy and to fit in.

More than half of Pioneer's students come from low-income homes. Some come from families who speak little or no English.

When principal Debra Gary came to the school five years ago, she aimed to help students conquer those enemies. Her plan: Improve the curriculum for English language learners; bridge the gap between parents and the school; and find grants to help pay for programs that federal and state money don't cover.

She enlisted staff, students and community members in a fight to improve students' test scores, health and wellness.

The program combines old-fashioned hard work and progressive attitudes toward education. Students read in small groups based on grade and skill level. Students master skills before they move on. Teachers watch their progress like hawks and swoop in if a student slides.

Fun comes in the form of exercise at Pioneer; art and music are secondary. Physical education class is three times a week, and students have optional morning and afternoon activities in addition to recesses.

Teachers and parents agree: The school is overcoming great hurdles and is on the path toward success.

Where reading goes,

other subjects follow

At Pioneer, reading is the first battle.

Every hour, classes from different grade levels file into Jennifer Davidson's class. Davidson, a reading specialist, leads a team of teachers and assistants whose job is to keep 450 young readers on track. They arm themselves with grids and charts that pinpoint progress.

Instructors sit at child-sized desks. Students break into small groups based on their reading levels. They practice reading skills for 90 minutes day. The youngest readers sound out words; older students read stories and explain what they mean.

"These kids are building relationships in these small groups with their instructors," Davidson says. "It's these bonds that make them want to be here."

It's a no-frills approach and it's working: 89 percent of Hispanic students, who fill one-third of the seats at Pioneer, met or exceeded state standards for fourth-grade reading. So did three-quarters of low-income students at the school, exceeding district and state scores.

The reading-achievement gap has closed at Pioneer. Math and writing scores lag, but educators say reading is the gateway subject to learning in other areas — math, writing and science. Once students achieve high reading levels, abilities and test scores in other subjects will fall into place, they say.

The school is in no hurry: Slow, steady progress is the mantra at Pioneer.

School wide fourth-grade WASL scores have improved 30 percent since 2002. Among Hispanics, the scores increased more than 50 percent. Low-income students' scores improved 40 percent in the five-year period.

Bringing the pieces together

Principal Debra Gary is the first to say that the tactics used at Pioneer aren't for all schools.

Pioneer is the poorest and the most diverse in the Auburn School District. It is classified as a Title I school, a federally funded program that brings extra money to poor schools. At Pioneer, the money pays for additional curriculum and staff to help at-risk students.

The school has also relied on outside help. In five years, it has received nearly $300,000 in grants and donations.

Parents have increasingly become a part of the puzzle. Poor and immigrant families were reluctant to visit the school. Many parents work several jobs and were too busy; some lacked English skills and shied away from teachers.

Gary's solution was simple: Decrease the number of buses to the school. Most parents now walk to school with their kids.

Several staff members speak fluent Spanish and translate during conferences.

Parent Nelda Trujillo is at Pioneer every day. Officially, she helps students with their reading skills. Unofficially, she is an advocate for Spanish-speaking parents. She encourages them to come to campus.

"There's a bridge between Hispanics and schools," Trujillo said. "If we don't communicate with parents what we need, the bridge crumbles."

Providing a safe atmosphere

Principal Debra Gary makes her rounds through the courtyard at Pioneer Elementary. It's the week after the Washington Assessment of Student Learning tests (WASL), and the campus is buzzing with energy.

A bouncy second-grader approaches Gary, reminding her that they have an appointment later in the week.

"Students know it's not a bad thing to come to my office," Gary said.

Five years ago, going to see the principal often wasn't a choice. A campus-wide bully problem dragged school morale to an all-time low. Teachers struggled to stay inspired.

Gary, a veteran teacher and administrator, has worked in Montessori schools and at public schools in Seattle, Kent and Issaquah. During her first year at Pioneer, she urged faculty and students to follow simple advice: Leave problems in the parking lot.

Faculty are discouraged from gossiping or lamenting personal problems. Teachers are encouraged to forge strong relationships with students. Staff members play dual roles as educators and role models.

These lessons are reinforced with consistency.

"For some of our students, this is the only positive part of the day," Gary said.

Everyday at 8:10 a.m., Gary and teachers greet students with a hand shake or wave. Gary believes the symbolic gesture helps students feel welcomed and wanted. Students get a second dose when Gary and the teachers line up outside around 3 p.m. to go home.

Healthy food options

A large fruit bowl sits in the entryway to Pioneer. A sign reads, "Help yourself."

Family members nab an apple or two when they pick up students. Four-year-old Langston Paster isn't enrolled in school, but he helps himself to an orange every day. His brother is a third-grader at Pioneer.

Nutrition and health are the latest push at Pioneer. The school receives grant money from the Department of Agriculture to pay for a fruit-and-veggie bar for lunch and afternoon snacks. Two-thirds of all students receive free or reduced lunch.

Principal Debra Gary likens herself to the food police during mealtime. She walks through cafeteria lines and inspects the students' meal trays.

"You need green things," she tells the kids. "Green helps your brain grow."

Gary wants students to get all of their fruit-and-vegetable servings at school.

Nutritional studies show poor students are more likely to eat processed food loaded with carbohydrates having little nutritional value; they are less likely to have access to fresh produce.

"It's really a retraining process," Gary says. "What they pick is a reflection of their socio-economic status."

In addition to healthy food, exercise is a staple at Pioneer.

Three times a week, students gather at 6:30 a.m. for a free-for-all known as "Morning Madness," an hour-long exercise program offered in addition to P.E., which students attend twice a week.

An after-school program draws the truly dedicated, who learn how to walk on stilts, scramble up ropes and line up for a chance at Double Dutch jump rope.

The program has paid off: Pioneer was recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a model for its Coordinated School Health Program.

Karen Johnson: 253-234-8605 or karenjohnson@seattletimes.com