[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 69 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           CONGRATULATIONS TO WESLEY GAINES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 1997

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the Wesley Gaines 
Elementary School, located in the Paramount unified school district. 
Wesley Gaines is one of 99 schools being honored as a title I national 
recognition school, by the Department of Education and the National 
Association of State Coordinators of Compensatory Education, and is one 
of five from California. 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. Wesley Gaines met 
the six criteria required for this honor, and received their 
recognition in Atlanta on May 6, 1997, at the International Reading 
Association Conference. In April, Wesley Gaines was recognized by the 
California Department of Education as a California title I achieving 
school. I am proud to have such an honored school in the 38th 
Congressional District.
  This achievement has not come easy. Paramount school Superintendent 
Michele Lawrence and Wesley Gaines Principal Susan Lance have made a 
commitment to develop and maintain the Gaines 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 Gaines 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 Gaines 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 Gaines 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 Gaines 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 
Gaines' K-5 campus; redefining each school's attendance boundaries, 
which at Wesley Gaines led to an increase of 850 new students; and 
implementing a new school uniform policy.
  It is obvious that Wesley Gaines 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 Gaines 
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 
Gaines 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 Gaines Elementary School 
community. I wish them many more years of success.

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