Two Rock Elementary reaps national recognition

Nine kindergartners sit on the floor watching English language development teacher Karin Beddow go over the words for members of a family.

When she reads the word "boy," Beddow asks the boys to stand up. When she reads the word "girl," the girls stand up. A few students pause before moving, processing the request.

Then she moves on to familiar faces. When she comes to an illustration of a school teacher one of the students quips: "Teacher, it's you! Stand up!"

At Two Rock Elementary School in rural western Petaluma, it is the entire school community — students, teachers, staff and parents — who are standing up.

And the results have been stellar.

The 179-student school was recently named a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School for earning top marks on state standardized tests while working with students considered disadvantaged because of their level of poverty and English language skills.

Two Rock is one of only 23 schools from California and 304 in the nation to win the designation. It will be honored in November in Washington, D.C.

"We have a very strong intervention and (English language learner) model" said Principal Mike Simpson, including a focus on academics.

"The message parents get from classroom teachers is &‘We are relentless is providing all students with academic success,'" he said.

One of those intervention programs revolves around Beddow — a credentialed English language development teacher who spends her day working with small groups of students at all grade levels to improve language skills and drill down on reading concepts.

In addition, four days a week, Beddow spends an extra 30 minutes a day — after the regular school day for kindergartners concludes — with nine kindergartners who are struggling with their language skills.

"It's a school that has done very well for a significant period of time. This is the highest award we can give a school," said Jim Miller, research and evaluation consultant for the California Department of Education. "They have done it well and they have done it with kids that have some issues."

Fifty-five percent of Two Rock's students are considered low income by state standards and 34 percent of the student body are English learners.

In order to qualify for a National Blue Ribbon nomination, schools must serve a disadvantaged population that scores in the top 10 percent on standardized scores, Miller said.

"Two Rock has a very good (Academic Performance Index) history," he said. "There is obviously someone working really, really hard."

Two Rock scored an 866 out of 1,000 on the state API. The statewide goal is 800.

Intervention, small tutorial groups, jump start programs for kindergartners and a tight knitteam of veteran teachers and staff has led to year after year of success despite some of the challenges the student population can bring.

In addition to high rates of poverty and English language learners, the school also deals with what Simpson calls a "fluid" enrollment. A large percentage of students' parents come from the neighboring U.S. Coast Guard training center whose property abuts the campus.

That means students may leave mid-year with parents who have been transferred, not complete seven full years on campus or come to the school from out of state where standards may be different.

"We have kids coming from all over the world," Simpson said. "California has really high content standards."

The school has long focused on building English skills in early grades, trying to get all students to grade-level proficiency by third grade, he said.

Simpson credits parents and surrounding community for supporting the school and providing a regular presence on campus, whether it's volunteering in a class, helping the after-school athletics program or lending a hand in a physical education classes.

"We have a terrific parental community at Two Rock," he said. "The spirit that they bring with them is service to their school and support for their children's education."

The parent organization at Two Rock is responsible for raising funds that pay a portion of the salaries for a credentialed physical education teacher, librarian and a music program, helping the campus drive its goal of a well-rounded education for students.

"The parent help we get is phenomenal," said five-year parent organization president Janine McCready. "And everybody that works there, it's like a family. It's a good core group of people that care about these kids. If you have a child that is happy at school, they are going to do great academically."

And they do.

Two Rock was named a California Distinguished School in 2004 and again in 2008, and in 2009 was named a Title 1 Achievement School.

"Over the years, we've managed to maintain this culture of hard working students," said second-grade teacher Sharla Brechbill, who sent two children through Two Rock.

Brechbill says she squeezes every minute from every day and asks her students to do the same. If she is working individually or in small groups with struggling students, those who are more advanced are given more complicated assignments or extra levels of work.

"You are never done in my room. You can always read, you can always write," she said. "I try to have activities. Nobody should be sitting there doing nothing."