John H. Hamline Elementary School
Chicago Public Schools District #299
Chicago, Illinois
Hamline K-8 has been involved with the NCTE Reading Initiative since its early development in 1997. The first study group, now called the "alum group," spent three years together and helped shape and revise the initial Reading Initiative experiences. A second study group was started in the fall of 2000.
Site Leader: Prisca Martens
Principal: Valerie Brown
School Demographics:
Hamline K-8 School is one of 601 schools in Chicago Public Schools. (Incidentally, over one-fifth of all Illinois students attend Chicago Public Schools.) Hamline is located in urban Chicago and has a school population of 1053 students, 100% of which qualify for free or reduced lunch; 70% of the students speak English as a second language.
The population breaks down demographically as:
82% Hispanic
16% African American
0.5 Asian
1.5% Caucasian and other
K & 1 offer Dual Language Spanish Immersion. The school receives Title 1 funds.
Reason for Affiliation
1. There was a large change in the staff. In 1999, only 12 of 55 teachers were certified—or teaching more than five years. (In CPS, the principal handles the role of certification—which is usually given in years 3 or 4, after teaching ability is verified.) Of the second RI study group, 8 of the 10 teachers were in their first or second year of teaching. The study group is a mentoring experience, with the "alum group" mentoring this group.
2. The program meets district/state criteria for continuing professional development; the RI is a focused experience that teachers can use for their district portfolio requirement at end of the second year of teaching.
3. Affiliation with this program gives school leadership confidence about what and how teachers are learning. It’s guaranteed the teachers’ knowledge base will be enhanced and extended, as well as new ideas put into practice. The RI has also helped with building a professional library and an emphasis on working in a collegial atmosphere.
Major Changes as a Result of Participation
Hamline School was placed on "academic probation" for the 1997-2000 school years, and removed from this status in the fall of 2000 when test scores came up.
2000 NCTE Convention Session
The principal and teachers from Hamline School presented ways they are working to better support their students as readers and writers. They discussed not only what they do in the classroom, including journal writing, response logs, and reading children's literature, but also ways they are growing as knowledgeable professionals through their Reading Initiative study group meetings.
Principal Valerie Brown began their presentation with a brief background of the school, community, and students and the school's relationship with the Chicago Public Schools and the state. The other presenters follow.
Carole Patton, Instructional Coordinator, discusses how they formed the study group and how the support of the group has allowed the teachers to examine their beliefs and practices in their classrooms.
Maria Gonzales, Bilingual Coordinator, summarizes the key factors that have supported growth in the students as well as the teachers.
Maria Gonzales, Bilingual Coordinator, shares titles of books the Hamline study group has read together.
(Pictured: Improving Schools from Within by Roland Barth, Jossey-Bass Publishers)
Carolyn Christiel, third grade teacher, shares how she is using literature studies and response journals to engage children as readers and writers and also as a means to discuss what strategies "good" readers and writers (which they are) use.
Carolyn Christiel, third grade teacher, shares how Evelyn Castaneda, first grade bilingual teacher who could not attend the conference, is using dialogue journals and the growth her students are making in Spanish and English through them.
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