Top 100: New Madrid Elementary selected ESEA Distinguished School

NEW MADRID, Mo. —They cheered. They clapped. They stomped on the bleachers. It was a big celebration to mark a big achievement: New Madrid Elementary School is a National ESEA Distinguished School.

Dr. Sam Duncan, superintendent of the New Madrid County R-1 School District, explained the honor to the pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students gathered in the school’s gymnasium.

“You are studying math and you are studying reading and you are doing so well that they have honored you and your teachers as one of the top 100 schools in the entire country,” Duncan said. “You are one of only two schools in the entire state of Missouri out of 2,000 schools … being recognized this way.”

New Madrid Elementary principal Toni Taylor-Lawfield wipes away a tear after thanking students and staff at the school for their hard work. The school was selected a National ESEA Distinguished School and will be honored in February in Atlanta.Jill Bock/Standard Democrat

New Madrid Elementary principal Toni Taylor-Lawfield wipes away a tear after thanking students and staff at the school for their hard work. The school was selected a National ESEA Distinguished School and will be honored in February in Atlanta.Jill Bock/Standard Democrat

Nominated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, New Madrid Elementary was selected based on “exceptional student achievement in 2019,” according to a news release from the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators. The honor, which will be officially presented at the National Title 1 (ESEA) Conference in Atlanta in February, highlights the efforts of schools across the country making significant academic gains.

Toni Lawfield, New Madrid Elementary principal, said the recognition validates everyone’s hard work.

“This is for everybody — students, teachers community, parents, everybody who has believed in us,” she told the crowd. “New Madrid Elementary School, we did this — not just one person but everybody. Thank you all very much.”

When selecting a National ESEA Distinguished School, the program considers three categories: student performance and academic growth, closing the achievement gap between student groups, and excellence in serving special populations such as the homeless or migrants.

According to Duncan, students at New Madrid Elementary led the state in improvement in English-Language Arts. Also state tests showed improvements among sub-categories as well at the school.

“Toni and her staff just won’t be outworked. Since the day she started, they have been working and trying to get the things accomplished that are the most important things — teaching these kids how to read and teaching them mathematics,” said Duncan. “It is a sight to see and it is showing some big dividends.”

Lawfield agreed the staff and students have worked hard to bring about the improvements. In particular, she credits Pati Montgomery, a consultant brought in by the R-1 District, with helping them.

“She has pushed us and given us new things to try and things to do. We have got the interventions going, we have got small group work, we have large group work,” she said. “We are teaching to the child so they can all learn.”

Duncan and Lawfield explained by using assessments, teachers closely monitor students’ individual learning needs and determine what changes in instruction should be made. In addition to offering a variety of specific strategies for working with students, Montgomery also has provided professional development programs for the teachers and worked with administrators on how to best address state standards.

The program is used districtwide.

“This is up and down the ladder. The school board made reading the number one priority for the district and everybody up and down the line has made that our priority,” Duncan said. “Obviously, you can’t take the teacher out of the equation. We have caring, loving and compassionate teachers and they are the ones who make all the difference in the classroom. But there are truly strategies that have been proven to work and here is yet another example showing that it is working.”

The district will have five representatives at the February recognition.

In addition to Lawfield and Duncan, Carmen Pfeffer, New Madrid Elementary’s mentor-ventionist, will attend the conference. Lawfield said two remaining names will be drawn from among teachers interested in attending the event.

According to Duncan, in addition to the honorees, the conference will include the commissioners of education from across the United States along with several thousand educators. He described the upcoming presentation as a tremendous honor.

As the noise from the assembly faded and the students headed back to class, Lawfield and Duncan were already thinking about what was ahead.

Duncan said the district will continue to fine tune its efforts to understand how to help students read well.

Added Lawfield: “We keep talking about reading but you have to read to do the math, you have to read to do the science, the social studies. Reading is your basis so we build on that and keep going. We will just keep working hard. We are going to keep pushing, not only the kids but ourselves, to do better and get better. We all will keep learning.”