Provided by the Neshaminy School District:
Neshaminy School District is proud to announce that Herbert Hoover Elementary School in Middletown has been awarded a Federal Title 1 Innovation Grant in the amount of $48,915 by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Divison of Federal Programs. The opportunity to apply for this competitive grant is only offered to schools that have been designated as Reward Schools. Hoover was recently named a Title 1 Distinguished School, earning a “Reward High Achievement” designation as one of the top 5% of Title 1 schools in the state based on aggregate math and reading PSSA scores, and met a series of objectives including test participation, attendance rates, and closing the achievement gap for historically under-performing students. 87 Pennsylvania schools received the “Reward High Achievement” designation, and of those only 30 were awarded the Innovation Grants.
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“Winning this competitive grant is another testament to the dedication and work being done by the Herbert Hoover staff,” said Principal Michael Rodriguez. “We are grateful to have hard working students and the support of Hoover families in achieving this milestone. This grant will infuse our school with additional supports such as interventions, professional development, and technology to ensure our students continue to achieve at high levels.”
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Innovation Grant is designed to promote the implementation of new learning structures and processes designed to meet individual student needs. The Reward school must identify their best practices that enable the students to continue to achieve at high levels. The staff at Hoover presented a list of specific items to be purchased under this grant to meet those needs, including instructional materials for literacy intervention, science lab kits, portable Smart Boards, professional development from a writing consultant to instruct and coach teachers, and funds to conduct parent workshops on literacy initiatives. The grant money is available immediately and must be spent by September, 2015.
The grant application cites increased time for professional development, collaboration and data analysis among teachers for their success. These factors allowed them to better identify areas of need in the entire student body and meet those needs with well-defined plans including remediation and enrichment in all subject areas. Hoover saw a significant growth in the School Performance Profile this school year, earning a score of 89.5 in 2014, an increase of 15.1 points from 2013. The grant will help the school to further these efforts and maintain that progress.
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Members of the team that prepared the grant application include:
Mike Rodriguez, Hoover ES Principal
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Mary Beth Tecce, District Staff Developer and Data Specialist
Nicole Zuerblis, District Elementary Academic Coach
Ben Welwood, Reading Specialist
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Joan Brooks, Title 1 Reading Specialist
Lisa Hughes, Grade 4 Teacher
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Kathy Walter, Grade 1 Teacher
Liz Miller, Special Education Teacher
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Jen Rickards, Parent
