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| Frankford Elementary School 30207 Frankford School Road Frankford, DE 19945-9518 (302) 732-3808 Grade Range: PK-5 Enrollment: 447 Full-Time Teachers: 35 Students per Teacher: 13 |
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| Test | Score | State-Wide Ranking | District-Wide Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Ranking | 44.1 | 32/107 | 5/7 |
| Grade 3 Read Distinguish | 17.0 | 28/91 | 4/7 |
| Grade 3 Read Exceed or better | 39.6 | 20/91 | 5/7 |
| Grade 3 Read Meet or better | 92.5 | 12/91 | 4/7 |
| Grade 5 Read Distinguish | 5.0 | 49(T)/70 | 6(T)/7 |
| Grade 5 Read Exceed or better | 35.0 | 14/70 | 4/7 |
| Grade 5 Read Meet or better | 90.0 | 14/70 | 3/7 |
| Grade 3 Write Distinguish | 5.0 | 1(T)/91 | 1(T)/7 |
| Grade 3 Write Exceed or better | 10.0 | 5(T)/91 | 2(T)/7 |
| Grade 3 Write Meet or better | 55.0 | 20/91 | 3/7 |
| Grade 5 Write Distinguish | 5.0 | 1(T)/70 | 1(T)/7 |
| Grade 5 Write Exceed or better | 12.7 | 11/70 | 3/7 |
| Grade 5 Write Meet or better | 67.3 | 23/70 | 5/7 |
| Grade 3 Math Distinguish | 5.0 | 45(T)/91 | 5(T)/7 |
| Grade 3 Math Exceed or better | 27.2 | 37/91 | 6/7 |
| Grade 3 Math Meet or better | 81.0 | 32/91 | 6/7 |
| Grade 5 Math Distinguish | 7.1 | 27/70 | 4/7 |
| Grade 5 Math Exceed or better | 17.9 | 33/70 | 6/7 |
| Grade 5 Math Meet or better | 80.4 | 17/70 | 5/7 |
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Much Better Than Adequate Progress, Apr 20, 2006 |
| By Karin Chenoweth http://www.achievementalliance.org/files/Frankford.pdf Frankford, which is not far from the road Washingtonians take when they drive to the Delaware beaches, has 450 students, 75 percent of whom meet the federal requirements for free and reduced-price meals. The school is roughly evenly divided among white, African American and Latino students. About 12 percent of the students in kindergarten through fifth grade are identified as having disabilities. In the fifth grade last year, 100 percent of the students met state reading standards (25 percent exceeded them) and 95 percent of all students met state math standards, including 81 percent of students with disabilities (34 percent exceeded them). Sharon Brittingham, who retired this year as principal after eight years at Frankford and 35 years in education: "When I first arrived at Frankford, the school was very low achieving. The attitude and the most commonly heard phrase among teachers was, 'You can't make chicken salad out of chicken [waste].' This had a special significance because many of our parents work in the chicken industry. "I told teachers to either believe all students could learn to high levels of achievement, act like they believed it, or find employment elsewhere. If teachers made negative comments about not believing their students were going to be successful, then I bluntly told them to look elsewhere for a job. "I used data. I compared and had teachers compare their students' entering test scores with their exiting test scores. This data was included in their end-of-the-year evaluations. I also met with every teacher at the end of the year and discussed their results. They were not allowed to make excuses, but needed to have a plan to improve any of their weak areas --- yes, their weak areas, not the students'. "I spent a lot of time trying to fix poor teachers. I told them my expectations, provided lots of training, and monitored them constantly. I would walk through their classrooms every day until I saw what I wanted to see. I also modeled lessons and provided time for them to observe exemplar teachers. I was always up front and honest with them, focused on the data and best practices in pedagogy. They improved or transferred. "I know I sound like a preacher, but it boils down to who is in that classroom --- and until someone in authority says, 'It is about the kids, put kids first and stop being afraid of hurting some teacher's feelings,' then things will not change. "If you asked them now, the teachers at Frankford would tell you that they can make chicken salad out of chicken [waste]. It is that belief in their ability to make the students successful that is the key. |