Selma Elementary School is one of ten schools in North Carolina to receive the Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools award for the 2019-2020 school year by the Flippen Group.
The national award recognizes outstanding school administrators, teaching staff, and faculty for producing exemplary outcomes with the Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) process. CKH is a program that combines research based tools, expert coaching, and training that helps schools bring out the full potential of their staff and students.
Selma Elementary began the process to become a CKH school in August 2018. The Flippen Group, a nationally recognized research-based training group, provided a specialist that came to the school and a two day training with staff.
“I was a little hesitant at first because we had to be so open with our coworkers,” said Selma Elementary Counselor Latrieva Wilson. “But it made sense because if we can’t trust our peers how can our students trust us?”
CKH is structured around building meaningful relationships, abiding by social contracts, and creating a self-managing environment. Teachers utilizing the CKH process are dedicated to building classrooms where trust, respect, and caring relationships thrive. Teachers and students are encouraged to greet one another daily and affirm each other multiple times a day.
“Capturing Kids’ Hearts not only empowered our staff but also our students,” said Selma Elementary Principal Maritza Rosado. “They’re taking control of their education and becoming leaders in the process.”
With the implementation of CKH, Selma Elementary saw a drop in disciplinary referrals of 53 percent. That type of improvement drew the attention of their specialist and allowed them to be nominated to be a Capturing Kids’ Heart National Showcase School in February.
After being nominated, Wilson provided specific data points showcasing how CKH had not only affected the behavior of students but also instruction. The data showed that teachers had increased instructional time, better test scores, and more parent engagement.
After the initial nomination and submission of the data, the Flippen Group then sent a neutral auditor to come and visit. During the visit the specialist interviewed students and parents, monitored random classes, and conducted surveys. That information was then examined by the Flippen group.
Schools across the country were considered for the CKH National Showcase Award based on the following criteria: nomination based on observation by Flippen Group personnel; level of staff implementation of Capturing Kids’ Hearts processes as measured by online surveys; perceived climate and culture of the campus as measured by staff surveys; and a student survey to measure their attitude and connectedness to school.
Moving forward Selma Elementary will serve as a model school for other schools striving to become a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School.
