[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONGRATULATIONS TO WESLEY GAINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN PARAMOUNT, 
                               CALIFORNIA

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                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 1997

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to praise the Wesley Gains 
Elementary School in the Paramount Unified School District. It is being 
recognized by the California Department of Education as a California 
title I achieving school. Wesley Gains is also a candidate for the 
competitive Title I National Recognition Schools Award.
  This award is sponsored by the National Association of State 
Coordinators of Compensatory Education. The Association's goal is to 
focus the Nation's attention on programs in high poverty areas where 
disadvantaged students demonstrate unusual success in raising their 
achievement levels in basic and more advanced skills.
  Paramount School Superintendent Michele Lawrence and Wesley Gains 
Principal Susan Lance have worked hard to develop and maintain the 
Gains community, which is not just physical buildings, but a philosophy 
that underscores the importance of education as a joint venture between 
the home, the school, and the community. The goal of the Gains 
community is to prepare students to become responsible citizens and 
productive members of the society. To achieve this, students need to be 
proficient in reading, writing, mathematics, and have a positive 
character behavior--which includes good work habits, teamwork, 
perseverance, honesty, self-reliance, and consideration for others.
  Through several key features, the Gains community has been able to 
achieve these goals. The primary component has been a balanced literacy 
program, utilizing title I funds. All existing and incoming teachers 
receive training in specific, researched-based reading and writing 
strategies, including theory, program expectations, and implementation 
expectations. Additionally, Wesley Gains has five reading recovery 
teachers who work with targeted at risk first graders and provides 
assistance to staff, as well as a site literacy teacher, who acts as a 
partner-teacher to all staff.
  Parent involvement is a critical part of the effort, and programs for 
parent-training help to support students' reading efforts at home. 
Program examples are ``I Have A Parent Who Reads To Me'' for 
kindergarten and first grades; ``WOW! I Can Read'' for second grades; 
and ``Book Bridges'' for off-track students. A parent task force is 
very active with the site-based decision-making model and coordinates 
support activities, such as a minimum of three parent visitation days 
and Family Nights each year. One example of this program's success is 
the parent attendance rate at parent conferences: more than 97 percent 
of Wesley Gains parents attend their parent-teacher conferences.
  The overall success has been achieved and maintained regardless of 
some district wide changes: extension of the school day; implementation 
of a four-track, year-round schedule, adding grades 6 to 8 to Wesley 
Gains' K-5 campus, redefining each school's attendance boundaries, 
which at Wesley Gains led to an increase of 850 new students; and 
implementing a new school uniform policy.
  It is obvious that Wesley Gains deserves this honor. The students, 
teachers, and staff have worked hard and it has paid off. They 
recognized where their focus needed to be, devised a plan that 
efficiently used their resources, implemented their plan, and continue 
to reevaluate and reassess the quality of work they do, making changes 
as they go. And I am pleased to see that they recruited the best 
support group possible: parents. The level of commitment Wesley Gains 
parents show has been, without a doubt, a key to their success. I would 
wish that all schools could have as much parental support as Wesley 
Gains does. After all, it will take the entire community to educate and 
prepare our children for the 21st century.
  I congratulate Superintendent Lawrence, Principal Lance, the entire 
staff, faculty, parents and students of the Gains community. I wish 
them many more years of success.

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