Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990                   TAG: 9004060451
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV10   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: FLOYD                                LENGTH: Medium

NATIONAL CONTACTS HAVE GIVEN CHECK ELEMENTARY A TEAM SPIRIT

Cooperation has replaced concern among the diverse elements of the school community - administrators, teachers, parents, pupils.

The primary reason for the change is the school's four-year involvement in the national Mastery in Learning project.

Check is one of 26 schools in the nation participating in the project, sponsored by the National Education Association.

It is a school-based improvement effort and focuses on the essentials of schooling, such as teaching, learning and curriculum.

Each school in the project establishes annual objectives. This year, Check sought to establish strong community support, prepare a brochure on the school, create peer tutorials and establish a reading incentive program. Each has been accomplished.

"What I see as a value is not what we've learned but what we're capable of doing and willing to do after we've learned," said Robert Peak, principal of Check for the past two years.

"If we're willing to share, that puts us in the forefront."

This openness also has made teachers feel free to suggest ways to improve things at Check - a major aim of the program.

"There's much more of a feeling of openness and a better line of communications," said Pamela Rumburg, project coordinator and a fifth-grade teacher.

"We may disagree - everyone is different - but we agree to disagree.

"The line of communication has been established. Four years ago, it was not there and no one would express an idea without fearing there would be some retribution."

As part of the communication process, teachers regularly hold grade-level meetings to discuss problems, which are then taken to Peak by the head teachers for the upper and lower grades.

Faculty members also are getting the opportunity to attend workshops and communicate with teachers nationwide.

This knowledge then can be spread to others at Check, elsewhere in Floyd, or throughout the state in presentations and workshops.

The contact with the other schools in the project has been facilitated by the loan of a personal computer, printer and modem from IBM, one of the project's corporate sponsors.

Since the computerization of the program two years ago, 11 conferences have been set up to allow an information exchange. Check is responsible for contributing to two of the conferences - curriculum and students at risk.

"We share our knowledge and experience on these two topics," said Steve Delozier, a third-grade teacher and the project's computer coordinator.

"So I try to get the faculty to write papers."

All of this has led to noticeable results. Teachers voted 20-2 to continue participating in the project for the fifth and final year. Parents are being invited to contribute at the teachers' summer curriculum workshop. And the student council has been revived.

Even fifth-graders, who were just starting school when the program began, see better discipline and more activities.

"It's a lot stricter," said Billy Preston. "We have to raise our hands [to be called on]. And we're on silent lunch more [for misbehaving]."

"They're giving kids the opportunity to do more things," said Jamie McBride.

And their parents notice the differences too.

"My mother [Mary Harkless] is a substitute teacher here sometimes and she's noticed a difference since Mr. Peak has been here," said Anne Silber.

"My mom has noticed how the kids have changed. They are getting better educated. And they are behaving better."