Jefferson Elementary is one of seven K-4 elementary schools within the Norfolk Public School District.
The curriculum includes: careers, HAL, computer/technology, English as a Second Language, health,
language arts (including listening, reading, writing, speaking), mathematics, multicultural education, music (vocal/instrumental), physical education, science, social studies, special education, and visual arts.
Additional programs include: guidance services, hot lunches, breakfast, library skills, etc. Parent
involvement is encouraged through a parent-teacher organization.
There were 242 students enrolled at Jefferson Elementary as of May 23, 2023 . 65% of the students were registered as free or reduced, 9% of the students were classified as ELL and 15% of the students receive special education services. The Jefferson student population is comprised of 3% American Indian, 3% African American, 32% Hispanic, 56% White and 6% students who marked two or more races.
The mission of Norfolk Public Schools is to prepare all students to pursue their goals for the future. The vision of Norfolk Public Schools is to be a top performing school that provides outstanding educational opportunities for every student and is a source of pride and an asset to our community. Our Title I school improvement action plan focuses on reading comprehension and math number sense which also supports the district’s strategic action plans.
Jefferson staff takes a great deal of pride in implementing RTI scheduling and strategies to respond to the varying needs of our students. We have identified learning targets, created common formative assessments and allocated time to respond to the data. We are at the point where we can provide interventions as well as enrichment and extension activities for the targeted skills. We continue to develop and grow in the area of prioritizing time to allow for collaboration between colleagues to plan these activities and pool resources as a professional team as well as recognize the opportunities within the core instruction to assess (check for understanding) the needs of the class and respond accordingly at the point of instruction - keeping the focus on the specified learning targets.
Teachers have been working diligently to incorporate technology into their instruction when appropriate. They utilize the SMARTBOARD technology in their daily lessons, as well as the use of Chromebooks and IPADS to enhance instruction. We are currently 1:1 in all of our classrooms; IPADS in K-2 and Chromebooks in 3-4. Wireless capabilities and the use of Google Education have made it easier for teachers to collaborate. The NPS District offers a variety of opportunities for professional growth in the area of technology. Mickie Mueller, our district technology integrationist, spends at least one day a month at Jefferson helping teachers learn about technology integration.
Strengths of Jefferson Elementary school:
- During our PLC and grade level meetings we interpret and analyze data to monitor programs, interventions and student growth.
- Our achievement scores continue to improve.
- We have a highly qualified, energetic, caring staff.
- At the district level we have been identifying learning targets and creating common formative assessments.
- We created and implemented a school wide behavior model and rethinking recess philosophy that has resulted in fewer behaviors.
The Jefferson staff will continue to collaborate to effectively meet the challenges of Jefferson students
and help them achieve academic and behavioral success.
