National Blue Ribbon Schools Program

Henry A. Coffeen Elementary (HAC) is a Title I school in Sheridan, Wyoming. HAC was recently recognized as a model PLC school and is in the process of becoming a Visible Learning School through increased student and teacher clarity on what we want to students to learn, why it's important they learn it, and how to be successful in learning it. This is then coupled with our 7 habits through the Leader in Me program, which empowers our students and staff to reach their full potential as leaders, academically and social emotionally.

We realize that we cannot accomplish high levels of learning for all students unless we work together collaboratively. We also understand that simply "collaborating" will not create high levels of student learning. As teams, we have to focus on the right work. The foundation of our focus relates back to the four essential questions of PLC. We use these questions to guide our collaboration. This ensures that we are results-oriented. Our teams continually assess their effectiveness on the basis of tangible evidence that our students are acquiring knowledge and skills essential to their success. Assumptions are not valued, but data is analyzed, reflected upon, and used to guide instruction on a regular basis.

Celebrating growth is also a common practice of ours, and it is critical that we celebrate all growth, academically and social emotionally. This empowers our students to reach their full potential and take ownership over their own learning.