Once-struggling East Side school hits new heights

Mia Sanders had a question for her teacher: "How many times," she asked, "do we have to read our stuff over again?"

The students in Gerry Rogness' fifth-grade class at Eastern Heights Elementary are writing feature stories on laptop computers, part of the school's Writers' Workshop. Sanders wasn't alone in wanting to move on. But Rogness encouraged them to give their stories another look. "Slow down. Take a deep breath," she said. "You can make it better."

Eastern Heights Elementary, long struggling with low test scores, must be following the same advice. Over the past few years, the school has made major leaps forward in math and reading. So much so that this neighborhood school, with 83 percent poverty and 24 percent of its students in special education, was just awarded the 2007 Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation's School Spotlight Award.

How are the teachers doing it? Well, they're slowing down, going over their kids' needs and making themselves better, said Lewis Scott, executive director of Elementary Education for the St. Paul schools.

"They work together as a group and with fidelity," Scott said. "They are assessing where kids are and using that to know where to do more -- as a group, rather than as individuals."

Eastern Heights Principal Jayne Ropella said: "We're doing some pretty incredible work."

Consider this: For years, Eastern Heights missed its math testing targets under the federal No Child Left Behind law. It got so bad, the school was placed in corrective action to improve or face even more serious consequences. Ropella said she and the teachers took additional training, dug into their curriculum, examined their test scores and, more important, closely monitored their students' work throughout the school year.

"Heavy lifting," the principal said.

The result was Eastern Heights finally made its way off the "needs improvement" list in math.

But, while teachers were focused on math, the school's reading scores dropped. So, four years ago, the school embarked on a new reading program that again required teacher training, teamwork and constant monitoring of student improvement. Again, the result was Eastern Heights came off the dreaded "list."

"It feels so good," said Ropella, now in her seventh year as principal there.

Beating the odds

For the past two years, Eastern Heights has hit its state testing targets. And, this month, besides winning the spotlight award, the school also was recognized with a Superintendent's Award for Academic Excellence and a certificate of recognition from the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development.

Scott considers Eastern Heights one of St. Paul's several "Beat the Odds" schools. The school has become well-regarded enough that 60 families that do not live in its attendance area drive their children to Eastern Heights every day. The school's total enrollment of 340 has stayed constant while district enrollment has been declining.

"Definitely, the word is out about that school," he said. "Things are positive right now."

Ropella said part of the school's success can be attributed to its program for 3- and 4-year-olds. At a time when experts say early childhood education is key to helping children who live in poverty catch up to other students, 36 pre-kindergarten students are attending Eastern Heights all day, every day.

The little ones in Cheryl Dinger's class were in circle time, singing songs and touching their noses and turning in circles. It was a warm-up exercise before the work on recognizing letters, numbers and words would begin. Despite having several children who spoke no English in September, Ropella said most of these children will be ready for kindergarten by June.

In Melanie Lovell's first-grade class, the teacher wore a tiara while helping Damian Yang read "Turtle's Big Race." The crown is a signal to other students that Lovell is doing serious work and shouldn't be interrupted for anything but an emergency. In a room where reading ability ranges from below-grade level to first-graders reading at a fourth-grade level, individual attention and individualized instruction is key.

That attention to detail includes the principal.

"For every student in this building, I know their reading level," Ropella said. "As a team, we have really paid attention to detail. And it's paying off."

James Walsh • 651-298-1541