Gilmanton School - Gilmanton Iron Works, NH

Gilmanton School sits beside a rural highway in the center of a small town in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Gilmanton takes pride in its rural character, steeped in historical landmarks, one-room schoolhouses, stately colonial homes, and stone-walled enclosures. In fact, many students are descendants of the original town residents, and they have strong links to the local farm industry.

Gilmanton School has a welcoming atmosphere built around a culture of collaboration and shared leadership. This present-day culture is a shift from ten years ago when low test scores and poor morale were the norm. The professional staff worked hard to analyze the root cause of poor student performance and they became actively involved in aligning curriculum and using data to focus on students’ instructional needs.

Personalization has become the heart of Gilmanton School’s instructional philosophy. Differentiation is central to this instructional approach, and grade-level teams meet frequently to discuss student progress. Each grade is assigned daily literacy and math blocks, during which students are placed in small groups for skill-based instruction. All available personnel work with students of varying abilities during these blocks, reinforcing school-wide inclusion. Mastery of skills is the ultimate goal for each student.

Gilmanton residents support the school by making budgetary decisions that have a positive effect on the education of the children. Community members enrich school programs by sharing expertise and time with the children.

Student test scores have steadily improved in this culture of collaboration and personalization. More important, students are learning.