J.B. Atkinson Academy for Teaching and Learning

J.B. Atkinson Academy for Excellence in Teaching and Learning--a University of Louisville Partnership Magnet Program

2800 Alford Avenue

Louisville, KY  40212

Serves students in Kindergarten thru 5th grade; students are exposed to art, music, technology, physical education, and humanities curricula.

Partnership programs include:

• Student field placement - Students from education, social work, and nursing are placed in the school as part of their program requirement.  Education students provide assistance to teachers in the classroom while nursing students provide health education classes offering students tips to stay healthy.  Social work students are placed with the Family Resource Center where they develop programs to enhance students' leadership and social skills.
• Kent School grant offers Professional Development on how abuse affects students and offer counseling
• Professional Development - In collaboration with the College of Education and Human Development, professional development is offered to teachers in literacy as part of the Kentucky Reading Project and the Louisville Writing Project.  Follow-up support is provided to teachers during the fall and spring semesters.  Professional development is also provided to teachers in Positive Behavior Management.
• Summer Regression Program - Summer programs are offered to students and parents with the assistance of university faculty.  The goal is to minimize the impact of the long absence from school during the summer by providing students and parents with tips on how to remain engaged academically.  UofL students enrolled in summer classes provide individual help to students who participate in the summer program.
• With the redesign of the school to a magnet school connected to the University of Louisville, the redesign team has been phased out.  One faculty member from the College of Education continues to spend several days each week serving as a consultant to classroom teachers.
• Suzuki String Program - This program facilitated by the School of Music provides support and assistance to school's music program.  Tutoring is provided by University students to elementary students in the music program.
• National Board Certification - A pilot program to have a cohort of teachers pursue National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification was developed.  The larger goal of the program is to recruit high-potential teachers to the school and to encourage them to stay.  Teachers who participate in the program have all fees paid and are required to remain at the school for at least three years.  To date, six teachers have completed National Board Certification, while one is on schedule to be finished in the next few months.
• Special Education - Positive Behavior Management: Faculty from the Kent School of Social Work and the College of Education and Human Development are working on a program called "Steps to Success".  The program works with children who are experiencing home problems and strategies are identified to assist them in addressing those issues.
• Five classes in education are currently taught on site, bringing UofL students into the building.  UofL students are familiarized with the school environment and provide assistance to the school.
• Faculty members from the College of Education and Human Development are working with teachers on behavior issues in an effort to minimize student suspensions.
• With funding from the Oxley Foundation, a teacher-in-residence has been placed in the school, providing additional expertise to teachers.  Additional professional development for teachers on cognitive training was conducted in the summer by faculty from the College of Education and Human Development.  Several teachers have co-presented at national conferences in collaboration with university faculty members on research and other programs implemented.

Programs in which the University of Louisville was previously involved

• Consultation on School's Redesign - Several faculty and staff from the university serve on the school's redesign team.  The team assists in identifying university resources to enhance the work of the school as well as ways to strengthen the school-university partnership.
• School's "Wish List" - Members of the University of Louisville Staff Senate have embarked on a program to collect educational supplies for students who cannot afford to purchase them.  The Staff Senate plans to conduct their collective drives on a regular basis to benefit all schools in the Signature Partnership area.

For more information about the school, contact:

Stephanie Nutter,  Principal

You can also visit their website.

You can also view Atkinson's 2010 NCLB Data