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Kristen Wheeler, East Valley Elementary

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East Valley Elementary

Home of the Eagles

East Valley Elementary is a rural K-5 school nestled between the hills outside of West Liberty in Morgan County, Kentucky. East Valley is a Title I school with a student population of 117 students, with approximately 73% being economically disadvantaged. Our small staff consists of 10 certified teachers and 16 classified employees. We currently have one class per grade level, with one teacher teaching math to all of our students in grades 3-5. We are proud of our seasoned staff who provide inclusive differentiated learning experiences for our students. We have an "all hands on deck" approach that utilizes all support staff to engage students in flexible small groups. East Valley is the hub of the Crockett community and we pride ourselves in the partnerships that we have fostered with local businesses and agencies to provide engaging learning opportunities for our students.

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East Valley Elementary Initiative

  • East Valley Elementary was a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. After COVID, our school experienced multiple changes in leadership. Our KSA Math percentage of proficient and distinguished scores decreased from 61% in 2019 to 35% in 2022. We felt a sudden urgency and began to evaluate our entire mathematics program.
  • Our Tier I instruction was a strength, so we knew that we were missing students in Tier II and Tier III. Our first step was to create a schedule that allowed for multiple opportunities for small group instruction.
  • We went with an “all hands on deck” approach. All support staff were utilized, allowing all classes to have 20-30 minutes for small group instruction for reading and 20-30 minutes for small group instruction for math.
  • We also created a 30 minute RTI/WIN (What I Need) block. This block allows for small groups and individual students to be pulled out for special education resource time, interventions, or to work in a small group for extra practice or enrichment.
  • We utilized the i-Ready diagnostic to provided more intentional intervention goals and progress monitoring.
  • All staff participated in as many professional learning opportunities as possible with KCM and PIMSER.

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Small Group Instruction in Action

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Lessons Learned from Implementation

  • Start working on schedules as early as possible. It is a big task.
  • Small group instruction is not one-size-fits-all. Each group of students have different needs. What works well in one classroom, may not be a good fit for another.
  • HQIRs and evidence-based strategies must be utilized in small groups to ensure effectiveness.
  • Schedules must be followed like clock-work.
  • Data must be reviewed frequently to make changes as needed.

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Contact info

kristen.wheeler@morgan.kyschools.us

(606)522-8152

Private Facebook Group: East Valley Elementary (Feel free to request to join!)

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