Gearity Recognized as National Model School

April 28, 2008
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS , OH – Gearity Professional Development School has been selected as one of eight nationwide elementary schools to be named a Model School by the International Center for Leadership in Education. According to the International Center, Gearity’s recognition is based on its innovative approaches and success surrounding student achievement.

“This is a tremendous achievement for our students, our staff and families,” Principal Sherry Miller said. “We operate under the core beliefs that every student belongs to every adult in the building, and we strive to make education rigorous and relevant while inspiring the joy of learning.”

Gearity’s scope of work will be presented by Principal Sherry Miller and District Math Program Specialist Stephanie Myers at the 2008 Model Schools Conference in June. Gearity’s third grade teaching team will also serve on the conference panel.

Once the District entered into a partnership with John Carroll University, Gearity’s focus shifted from serving as a traditional elementary school to becoming a Professional Development School. The Gearity Professional Development School focuses on interdisciplinary instruction centering on student-teacher cohorts, joint planning, faculty collaboration, and undergraduate and graduate learning. This partnership school is distinguished by a focus on purposeful teaching and learning grounded in research-based instruction and assessment; a rigorous curriculum; flexible grouping of students; effective integration of technologies; and data-supported instructional planning.

John Carroll University assigns a professor to work on-site at Gearity for a full day each week to support the student teaching cohort. Additionally, three John Carroll courses are taught throughout the week at Gearity which promotes job embedded learning. The courses are taught behind a one-way mirror that provides opportunities for students to observe Gearity teachers working with children.

Gearity’s belief in using data to inform instruction has motivated students and teachers to work toward goals using short term benchmarks to achieve success. According to Miller, students have grown in understanding their progress through the data.

With the Soaring Stars program, a character trait is shared with the entire school population every other week. Students share examples from one of the 18 traits being studied and provide situations, problem solving, and vocabulary work surrounding these concepts. The information is shared with parents through regular newsletters and a designated bulletin board in the school’s front hallway depicting the character traits, student examples of these behaviors, and vocabulary meanings connected to these concepts.

In addition, every staff member participates in a Mentoring Program in which the adult volunteers as a “buddy” to a student. The staff member meets with his/her student each week to talk, play a game, work on academics, or share a hobby, which has strengthened relationships between members of the school community who may not otherwise have the opportunity to interact.

The school’s unique learning environment also includes an early childhood center for children ages 3 – 5, which has recently earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the preeminent standard of excellence in preschools. NAEYC is a rigorous measurement of 435 different criteria, including relationships, teaching, leadership and management, and community relationships.