Departmentalization in elementary schools can truly make a difference for student achievement in your school or district.

2. We have specialists in the areas of Music, Physical
Education, Art, and Media Services – Why not create
specialists in the areas of Language
Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies?

5.  Are your ISTEP scores where you  What kid doesn’t get excited about
want them to be? shooting off rockets in science?
 Are students excited about Social  Test scores in 5th grade science from
Studies & becoming better writers? 17% passing to 42% passing in one
 Do you spend more time putting out year!
fires than teaching?  Intentional, on task instruction in
 Is science something you fit in when each subject area every day for each
you can? student
 Do you and your colleagues share  Focused time on planning
what works best each day of instruction in a subject you love to
instruction? teach
 Do you spend more time planning  Increased engagement in each
for instruction in subjects you know subject for every student
the least about?  Personality conflicts among teachers
and students are minimized

7.  Propose new ideas
 Operate from strong
beliefs
 Create explicit goals for
change
 Define success in terms
of goals
 Collegiality and
professionalism

8.  Subject area you love
 Concentrate on fewer
standards/strategies
 Creative planning
 Focus on fewer ideas
 Become an expert in your
subject area
 Hone teaching skills with
best practices

9. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can
use to change the world.
---Nelson Mandela
If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should
teach the way they learn.
---Ignacio Estrada

10. Teachers Students
 Teachers willing to work  Greater chance of academic
together success in their favorite
class
 Idea sharing
 More opportunities to be
 More heads are better than understood by teachers
one
 Management/discipline  Higher engagement in
subject areas
support
 Little tracking, just
 Lessened opportunities for increased focus on subject
teacher/student conflicts areas
 Instructional time is better  Exposure to different
utilized teaching styles &
personalities

11.  Team members who can work together
 Guidelines for consistent student management
 Administrator who is good with creative scheduling
 Compromises are necessary among staff
 Your schedule is “sacred”; maintaining
equitable, intentional, instruction time is non-negotiable
 Be prepared to “eat crow” & lose a battle once in a while

12.  Administrative support
 Teachers willing to change & be
part of a strong team
 Find teachers with a passion for
their subject
 A building schedule to support
the plan & implementation
 Plan on compromise & lots of
meetings
 Convince team members they
will be a huge part of student
success
 Maintain the integrity of the
schedule and daily instruction

13. Chan, T. C. & Jarman, D. (2004, September, ).
Departmentalize Elementary Schools. Principal.

14. Donna M. Smith
Media Program Coordinator
Forest Manor Professional Development Center
4501 E. 32nd Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46218
317-690-8657 cell
smithdm@ips.k12.in.us