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Professional Development
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Deer Creek Prairie Vale Elementary School
Sherman Oaks Community Charter School
Deer Creek Prairie Vale Elementary School
Edmond, OK |
| School Statistics |
| Total Enrollment: |
533 |
| Type of School: |
Public, Grades Pre-K-5/ Special Education |
| Location of School: |
Rural |
| Demographics: |
White: 86%
American Indian/Alaskan Native: 7%
Latino: 4%
African American: 3%
Other: 2% |
| Special Ed: |
17% |
| Staff Development Hours: |
46 |
| National Board Certified |
17% |
| Teachers with a major or minor in their subject area: |
100% |
Although only seven years old, Deer Creek Prairie Vale Elementary School consistently ranks in the top two percent of Oklahoma schools. In fact, it's the only school in its academic index with a perfect score. This achievement is due in large part to the emphasis placed on teacher quality and professional development.
Teachers at Prairie Vale are encouraged to get advanced degrees and additional training. Half are trained in renowned educator Mel Levine's Schools Attuned professional development program and one fifth are National Board Certified. The school hopes to double that number by next year. In fact, Prairie Vale leaders have formed support groups for the school's National Board candidates to help teachers working to advance their teaching methods.
Teachers also work in teams to plan curriculum, observe one another's classrooms, and decide on instruction techniques and areas of concentration for reading and math. First-year teachers at Prairie Vale get seasoned mentors and attend Professors Club orientations once a month.
 The school's commitment to professional development is clearly paying off. Three teachers from Prairie Vale recently presented at the National Board Conference on professional development in Washington, D.C.
Remarkably, the school accomplishes all of this staff development work on a miniscule budget of about $1,200 per year for the entire staff. Prairie Vale has clearly shown that it's not about how much money is spent, but how wisely it's used to ensure that every staff member can excel.
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