California Elementary School Principal Dr. Jason Kuncewicki has a thick binder emblazoned with the school mascot and the words “Dr. K’s Big Book of Data” sitting atop his desk. Colorful sticky notes peek out from the sides with the names of assessment programs. As he flips through the book, Dr. Kuncewicki points to pages showing students’ academic progress.

“Most students at California Elementary meet or exceed grade level standards consistently at a high level on district or state assessments,” he says. “But as a staff, our number-one goal is that all California Elementary students succeed not only on assessments, but in all their daily work.” 

To achieve this, Dr. Kuncewicki explains, California Elementary is committed to providing students with the best possible classroom instruction. He describes high-quality, daily first-classroom instruction at California School as the first scoop of ice cream: it’s the scoop everyone gets, a flavor every student enjoys and deserves. And just like some children may want an extra topping or two, some students may need additional support beyond that first, foundational scoop. 

Students who need more support, or a second scoop, get targeted, short-term, and data-driven support in small-group instruction outside their regular classrooms. Under the direction of support specialists Ann Marie Baker, Heidi Bixby, and Meredith Smart, students work on strengthening specific skills such as letter recognition, vocabulary, phonemic awareness, and reading comprehension. Additional support may focus on foundational skills such as sight-word development, letter-sound blending, and sentence structure and organization. 

“Kids want to be here,” Ms. Smart says. “They feel more comfortable asking questions they may not feel comfortable asking in front of their regular classroom peers.” 

An example of this second scoop of support is a small group of first-graders who left their regular classrooms and excitedly entered the space shared by Ms. Bixby and Ms. Smart. At Ms. Bixby’s table, a group of four first-graders read a book together. Each student reads a sentence, then pauses to break down vocabulary and meaning. At Ms. Smart’s table, two first-graders practice combining letter sounds. Next door, Ms. Baker leads five first-grade students through a kinesthetic strategy. Her eager students make roller-coaster motions with their arms as they practice letter sounds in words. The strategies teachers use shift depending on the student's age, ability, and need.

Their collective effort is paying off. “It’s nice to see students thrive and no longer need additional support,” Ms. Bixby says. “They are not only meeting standards, but they are exceeding them.” 

With limitless dedication, California Elementary’s staff provides every student with the support they need to succeed.