Oakshire Elementary School

Judy Jackson, Principal
Oakshire Elementary
1765 East Homes Rd
Memphis, TN 38116

Oakshire Elementary Home Page

  Recipe for Success:

Collecting and analyzing data is the thrust behind instructional improvement at Oakshire Elementary School. Our data analysis consists of:

• DRA, Developmental Reading Assessment;
• DIBELS, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills; a purchased skills based formative assessment given three times a year;
• curriculum based reading and math tests; teacher made weekly tests; and
• the yearly TCAP test.

Our curriculum is the Memphis City Schools' curriculum that is based on the Tennessee Blueprint for Learning. Continual professional development to meet identified needs is a cornerstone of our instructional program. Much of our professional development, including follow-up sessions, occurs on site by national consultants.

Our structure for improvement is based on teamwork:

• Grade level teams meet for fifty minutes four days a week for common planning time to interpret data and make decisions for our continuing instructional improvement; minutes are kept for each meeting.

The administration attends many of the team meetings. Each team has realized that it takes everyone's ideas and input to reach higher improvement goals. Areas of need are addressed. Budgeting is based on our identified needs. Some skill needs are school-wide; others are grade level specific. Just as the teachers differentiate instruction for students, the administration differentiates supportive needs for each grade level team. Supplementary instructional materials are purchased according to identified needs.

Our Academic Superintendent encourages our instructional efforts and monitors our data. Oakshire's NCLB supervisor assists us with funds for professional development, instructional materials and other assistance. One example of both the Academic Superintendent and the NCLB staff assisting us is the employment of an ISS, in-school suspension teacher. The funds are split 50/50. The employment of the ISS teacher helps keep students in school learning and helps teachers teach without major disruptions.

Parents are our partners. We communicate with weekly Communicators, assembly programs, and scheduled parent nights with materials and tips for parents to use at home to work with their children. These nights have become large community events. With all stakeholders working together as a team, we are improving the education of Oakshire students. Our desire is for all of our students to have a bright future.