Truman Elementary School receives national recognition

Only two Wyoming schools were included in the national Blue Ribbon Awards list and Truman Elementary School was one of them.

In a press release, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced 362 schools nationwide will received the 2019 Blue Ribbon Schools designation.

According to the nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov, "An important part of the U.S. Department of Education, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes outstanding public and non-public schools. In identifying several hundred outstanding schools annually, the program celebrates school excellence, turn around stories, and closing subgroup achievement gaps. For 35 years the Department has bestowed this coveted award on more than 8,500 American schools."

There are two areas schools are placed under for awards: Exemplary High Performing and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing. Both Wyoming schools selected, Truman and Sheridan County School District No. 2's Meadowlark Elementary School, were placed into the Exemplary High Performing School. Public schools are nominated by the chief state school officer.

Truman Principal David Asselmeier said they were excited to hear the news of the award and the school hosted a quick assembly to tell all the staff and students about it.

"It takes everybody to achieve and award like this," Asselmeier said. To him, what the award really means is the children are learning and growing and that will bring them future success.

Asselmeier the award is generally based on a schools test scores over a five-year period. During the five-year period reviewed, the school was exceeding expectations three of the years and meeting expectations for two of the years on their state test scores. The state divides scores into four categories, exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, partially meeting expectations and not meeting expectations.

However, other things, such as whether a school has a Title 1 designation or not is also taken into account. Truman is a Title 1 school, which means 40 percent of more of its students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.

To Asselmeier, having high test scores is good, but that's not the focus. The goal is to meet each student where they are at and grow that student throughout the year.

For example: if a fourth grade student is only reading at a second grade level, the goal is to grow that student to a third grade level and then as close to the fourth grade level as possible, by the end of the fourth grade. When that student starts the fifth grade, the teachers will continue to grow that student until a fifth grade reading level is obtained.

For this school, every child is their own. They may be in a specific teacher's classroom, but the teachers are responsible for all students.

"Everybody takes ownership in each kid," he said. "The staff has really identified with the 'they are all our kids philosophy.'"

They school hasn't known about the award for long, but it's already caught the attention of U.S. Senator John Barrasso, who visited the school Monday to congratulate them on their success.

Asselmeier said the school will receive a plaque and a flag at a special ceremony in Washington D.C., in November.

"We're extremely excited about it," Asselmeier said. "This award is an award for the whole Truman community."

 

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