Our final stop on our tour of schools was Bracken Elementary, one of the Clark County School District magnet schools. We were welcomed in song by a group of students, who then took us on a tour of the building and grounds. We met the school pet turtles who live in the courtyard, the faculty, parent, and student carved totem pole, as well as the community gardens. The hallways were all outdoors, which living in the midwest, we could never get away with.
As for the classrooms, we visited at least one class from each grade level. The school has Promethean boards and iPads in every classroom. The school's reading focus centers around Accelerated Reader (AR), with the principal touting the increased amount of points students have earned.
Students and teachers alike exercise every morning together on the school grounds. An interesting concept that I don't think would go over here.
Overall, I liked the tone the school sets, the leadership shown by the principal, and the accessibility of technology in every classroom. I'm not so sure I agree with the focus on AR points. I would want to dig deeper into those results and look at the actual comprehension taking place. Hopefully that's the next step for this school.
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