Roosevelt Elementary School is situated on a quiet street in a working class neighborhood in Kingsport, a community of 45,000 nestled in an Appalachian valley in Tennessee. The school looks typical from the outside, but what happens inside is anything but typical. Immediately put at ease by the bright and colorful entry way and halls filled with student work and beautiful photographs of the children who live work and play there, visitors to the school quickly realize there is something very special about the people and place.

As schools across the nation report that the federal government’s restrictive No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation has resulted in low morale, teaching to the test, narrowing curriculum and the virtual elimination of learner-centered teaching practices, there is no hint of any of these conditions at Roosevelt. And while schools report that their students are failing to make what NCLB calls “adequate progress,” Roosevelt’s students soar far beyond minimum standards.

Here, far off the beaten track, teachers, administrators, community members, parents, and students have joined together to create a learner-centered environment where high quality teaching and learning thrive. And much of the credit for this remarkable educational environment and its high levels of success are often credited to the school’s principal, Berea alumnus Dwain Arnold.

Tour Roosevelt Elementary and you can witness the impact of Dwain’s ability to build community in the school as you walk through the hallways and observe the classrooms. You’ll see great attention to individuality and commitment to community demonstrated in children’s beautifully framed art work and bulletin boards and displays that reflect the personalities and interests of those who constructed them.

You may see Dwain bend to hug a kindergartner or slap a high-five with each child who walks past him on their way to lunch. Significantly, you’ll notice classrooms arranged with spaces for children to work alone and in small groups and a large carpet where the whole class meets to work together. And most importantly, whether meeting in small groups, pairs, or working individually with teachers and other support personnel or on their own, you’ll see students busy, focused, and learning.

Here at Roosevelt no textbooks or reading programs are in use in the classrooms you visit. That’s because, Dwain explains, “the school’s instruction is highly individualized, hands-on, and driven by assessment. Spelling, reading, writing and grammar are integrated and linked with the social studies and science curriculum. Math grows out of real world experiences infused in units created using the district’s curriculum maps.”

“The money saved by not purchasing textbooks allows us to purchase other, more child-centered materials,” Dwain continues. One important resource funded by these savings is the reading resource room filled with high-interest books arranged by reading level and topic and tied directly to the themes taught on various grade levels.

District reading coordinator Karen Reed-Wright explained that one of Dwain’s strengths in building such a strong community within the school is his commitment to professional development. “Dwain really emphasizes professional development,” Karen reports. “At Roosevelt, teaching is really an intellectual process and everyone is constantly growing in knowledge and practice.”

Somehow, Dwain has been able to create a rich, individualized and successful learning environment in a time when NCLD has forced other schools into standardized, teacher-proof programs. Asked how his school has thrived under NCLB when so many others have not, Dwain explains, “It really isn’t that hard if you understand the law. The trick is taking it apart and understanding how each part works—and learning the research. We really know the research and we use that research to create child-centered learning environments.” They can do that “because we study everything and then we twist NCLB in ways that make it work for our kids.” So many schools around the country are paralyzed by NCLB because of fear, he says. “Fear stops everything. People can’t think when they are fear-struck.” Clearly Dwain can think, and he creates an environment where teachers and students can think too.

“Berea made all the difference for me,” Dwain says. He believes his college experience and his years in Knapp Hall prepared him to be a visionary leader with the courage and intellectual strength necessary to build a learning environment based on what is best for children.

Berea College and Knapp Hall salute Dwain, his strength of commitment, and his innovative leadership. He is one of many alumni who help us see the power of Berea’s Great Commitments and the importance of continuing the college’s efforts to help our students make a difference in the world.

You can learn more about Roosevelt Elementary School and view many more pictures on the Education Studies web site at www.berea.edu/educationstudies/ and at www.k12k.com/roos/. You can also read about Education Studies Department chair Bobby Ann Starnes’ visit to the school in her December 2007 column “Thoughts on Teaching” in Phi Delta Kappan.