2005 Award Winners
Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards
Teamwork (Internal)
Washington Elementary School

Washington Elementary School
Kingsport, Tenn.

School Statistics
Total Enrollment: 502
Type of School: Public
Location/Size of School: Midsize, City School
Receive Free/Reduced Lunch: 34%
Student-Teacher Ratio: 20:1

At Washington Elementary School, it’s not uncommon to find 100 kids in one classroom—which is not that straTeamwork (Internal)nge when you realize it’s a multigrade learning center. There are 25 kids per instructor, four teachers to a room. But in this school, students are grouped in small learning teams based on ability level rather than on grade or age, with groups changing for every subject. The approach forces classroom teachers to work together as a team, like it or not. “We say the learning curve is straight up, because there are so many things to [pick up],” laughs Principal Cookie Greer.