Colt Andrews Elementary School - Bristol, RI

The teachers and leadership of Colt Andrews firmly believe that we must meet all learners where they are developmentally, and provide differentiated instruction that will encourage and promote student growth. Over the past years, as a school community, we have adopted a Growth Mindset and Responsive Classroom practices to set the foundation for learning. This resulted in closing the achievement gap.

Our teachers and students developed a belief system that enables them to grow and become deeper thinkers and learners by adapting a Growth Mindset. Gradually, students embraced academic struggles as challenges to overcome. With effort and perseverance, they can succeed emotionally, socially and academically. These practices create a love of learning and resilience within our school.

The implementation of Responsive Classroom was embraced as the structure for schoolwide behavioral expectations. Through daily class meetings, teachers model and reinforce appropriate behaviors. Additionally, students developed a sense of community in their classrooms and throughout the school. This approach improves school climate, teacher effectiveness, and creates independent learners. As a result, our school has become a calm and productive place for teaching and learning. Due to our success, the model of Responsive Classroom has now become a district initiative for all Bristol Warren Elementary schools.

In the past, our school had not made adequate progress and went into initial warning status. The hard work of the students, teachers, and administrators has resulted in significantly improved academic, behavioral, and social-emotional skills. Our school community is proud of our accomplishments and continuous growth.