Caroline just shared with us the final report from the evaluation team that visited our school in late February, the culmination of our self-study process. The report will be shared with our authorizer, Northfield School District. The introduction was written by Rob Hardy, after he and his team observed classes, conducted interviews and and pored over our documentation of our governance, finance, special education and curriculum. Reading it made be very proud to be a part of the Prairie Creek Community. I hope you agree.
Introduction to Prairie Creek Evaluation Report
Rob Hardy
Prairie Creek Community School was founded as a private elementary school in Northfield in 1983, and in the following year moved to its current location in Castle Rock, in the 1923 building of the former Castle Rock Consolidated School District. In 2002, PCCS made the successful transition from private school to public charter school under the sponsorship of the Northfield Public Schools. In 2009, a successful expansion project was completed which expanded the school building and increased the school enrollment and staffing.
For nearly thirty years, and through a series of significant transitions in the past decade, Prairie Creek has remained true to the core values expressed in its mission statement, which defines Prairie Creek as:
- a community school
- a child-centered-school
- a progressive school
- a school that aims to make the world a better place
This mission is embodied in all aspects of the school’s life, from the classroom to the board room, from the administrative offices to the lives of students and parents outside school. While meeting or exceeding proficiency levels in statewide testing, Prairie Creek students develop into creative and independent learners with an undiminished sense of curiosity and excitement about learning. They develop exceptional intellectual and social maturity without losing a sense of playfulness. They absorb facts without losing a sense of the larger questions that provide an essential context for those facts.
Every member of the Prairie Creek community is actively engaged in learning and teaching. In my classroom visits, I observed teachers learning from students, and students teaching each other. Students and teachers alike were asking questions, solving problems, and working together as a true community of learners. This spirit can be seen among all members of the Prairie Creek community. It can be seen among new parents learning about progressive education, and discovering the many dimensions of what “community” means at Prairie Creek. It can be seen among board members, who are constantly reflective about their role in preserving the unique character of the school while ensuring its future growth and stability.
There is at Prairie Creek a profound sense of mutual respect and mutual good will fostered by a shared sense of the school’s mission and identity. This is not to say that there are not occasional bumps along the way, as there are in any community. But disagreements and difficulties are never an occasion for lasting division or lingering disaffection. The members of the community use these challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement. The school’s progressive, community-oriented mission is lived out in these moments of crisis, and that shared mission helps insure the continued success and stability of the school.
The existence of Prairie Creek Community School, and its continued authorization by the Northfield Public Schools, is a testament to the school district’s commitment to innovation, diversity, and a quality education for all students. Prairie Creek graduates enrich the new communities they enter in sixth grade and beyond, bringing with them the qualities of intellectual curiosity, respect, cooperation, and adaptability fostered during their elementary school years. The exceptionally strong social curriculum at Prairie Creek has an enduring influence on the lives of its graduates and on the communities to which they belong later in life.
In short, the evaluation team wholeheartedly recommends that the Northfield Public Schools renew its contract with Prairie Creek Community School. The following reports from each of the team members support that recommendation in more detail.
The evaluation team met at Prairie Creek School from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Wednesday, Feburary 23 and Thursday, February 24. Team members reviewed supporting documents (including financial data, board minutes, and self-study reports); interviewed parents, teachers, support staff, administrators, and board members; and observed in classrooms. The team members were welcomed into the community, given access to all of the appropriate materials needed to complete their evaluation, and given honest and thoughtful answers to all of their questions. The evaluation team would like to thank Prairie Creek for the invitation to their school, and for their warm welcome and cooperation during the evaluation process.
Respectfully Submitted,
Rob Hardy
Evaluation Team Leader
February 28, 2011
The Rookery 
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