Valencia Elementary School - Upland, CA

Valencia Elementary is nestled up against the San Gabriel Mountains in the city of Upland, California. Valencia serves approximately 600 students in transitional kindergarten through grade six. Valencia's mission statement drives all decisions and reflects the core belief that all students, no matter their academic level, deserve focused instruction to achieve academic growth and to support emotional well-being. To accomplish this, staff members work collaboratively to implement evidence-based strategies with rigor and fidelity to assure equitable access to quality teaching and learning. Continuity across grade levels results in consistent, high-quality learning experiences for all students, which helps ensure that competencies build over time.

Although academic achievement is a top priority, Valencia also believes in supporting the whole child. This is accomplished with our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program through explicitly teaching the SOARR (Safety, Organization, Appreciation, Respect, and Responsibility) expectations and recognizing students who exhibit these expectations. As evidenced by its history and its quick adaptation to distance learning, Valencia believes it can collectively accomplish great things, and make a positive difference in the lives of students. It is what John Hattie calls in his work, Visible Learning, Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE), or the collective belief of the staff in their ability to positively affect student achievement. Valencia's CTE has proven most powerful to the school's continued ability to successfully educate and support students.