Pine View Elementary in Rockwood, Tennessee:
Improved Academic Achievement AND a New Library

“Home of the Pioneers” reads a huge sign on the front wall of Pine View Elementary School in Rockwood, Tennessee, and the pioneer spirit is certainly alive and well at this school nestled among the scenic hills. Though small in size – the school houses fewer than 170 students in kindergarten through eighth grade – Pine View has made breakthroughs in more than one area. Four years ago, when Patricia Allen accepted the position of principal, there was a general agreement that some things needed to change. Its students repeatedly earned the lowest test scores in the district. Whether in the classrooms, the lunchroom, or on the playground, squabbles and skirmishes often erupted. The faculty and staff were certainly disheartened by the entire situation. This was a school with academic issues, behavioral issues, and morale issues. Oh yes…they also had no library.

Books!
For years, this school had no real library. There was a tiny room approximately 8’x10’ in size that held 30 computers. In addition, there were four shelves on which were stored the school’s books, mostly hand-me-downs and discards, many as much as 40 years old. And that was it. One of Ms. Allen’s first decisions was to do something about this, so after talking to others in the Cumberland County School System, she began looking for funding. She applied for a $30,000 grant from Steele-Reese, a private foundation, and included photographs of the tiny space, the pitiful state of the books, and the frustrated children seeking to use them. Follett Book Company assisted in determining the actual needs for the numbers and ages of Pine View’s student population. After viewing the photos, the grant committee sent a team to Pine View to ascertain the true status. After examining the space and the few hundred tattered books, they awarded the school the full $30,000 plus an extra $2000.

Many were involved in this undertaking. As part of a construction initiative, the school district built an additional room to house the media center, and the principal purchased as many books as possible with the grant money. According to media specialist, Wanda Sanderson, “We are now above the Tennessee standard for number of books per child.” Their new library is a double-sized room positioned at the corner where their two school buildings meet. They have new shelving, tables, and a myriad of materials courtesy of the Cumberland County School System and an REA grant. According to Ms. Allen, “We went from a ‘Cracker Jack’ box room to a state-of-the-art facility with large windows providing lots of outdoor light and a lovely wooded view. And, lots and lots of books.” It is a facility of which the community can be proud. The students are proud, too. She shared the following comments made by students after the library was completed:

“Just smell them. Don’t they smell good?”
“Listen to it. When it opens, it creaks.”
“Just think – nobody has ever read this book before.”

And, a recent visitor overheard a first grader asking if she could keep her book another week. “Have you finished reading it?” asked Ms. Sanderson. “Yes,” the child answered, “but it is just so pretty. I’m not done looking at it.”

Turnaround
As for the other issues, Ms. Allen is quick to give credit to the entire staff, which “take responsibility to do whatever is necessary to help students. They are positive and caring.” In a school this size, there is only one class for each grade after Kindergarten – and sometimes first grade – so each teacher shoulders the responsibility alone to meet that grade level’s requirements. It is a responsibility this faculty embraces. An additional factor in their success is the partnership with Modern Red SchoolHouse. Prior to MRSH involvement, Allen says, “We were on the ‘list’ forever. We moved off the ‘list’ in the spring of Modern Red’s first year and have not been on it since.” As rankings go, they have moved from the bottom to the top in their district. This school is in its third year of implementation of the MRSH design, and 3rd grade reading and math scores have never been better.

As academic performance has increased, inappropriate behavior has decreased. In fact, no major discipline problems occurred last year at Pine View. Not one fight was reported the entire school year. Needless to say, everyone at this little school is feeling quite proud of the way they have turned things around.

School motto
Interestingly, Pine View is Patricia Allen’s first principalship. “I never had any intention of being a principal,” she says, “but when I look around me, I feel that I am supposed to be here.” It is important to everyone in this community that the school continues to “be here” and provide a quality education for its students. The administration, the faculty, and the staff are committed to keeping their school alive and well. The Pioneers at Pine View Elementary School are living up to their school motto. They are definitely “Blazing the Way to a New Frontier of Learning.”

September 2004