Nine Cleburne ISD have been named Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools for 2020-2021.

            School Board members recognized campus administrators for the achievements at their June 21 meeting. Leading off Cleburne’s list of honored campuses is Coleman Elementary, which has been named a CKH National Showcase School for the fourth consecutive year. Honorees for the third consecutive year include Adams, C.C. Cooke, Gerard, Irving, Marti and Santa Fe Elementary Schools and Lowell Smith and A.D. Wheat Middle Schools.

            National Showcase Schools are chosen annually through a rigorous selection process that includes measuring key performance indicators, gathering campus data and surveying staff and students. The results represent the implementation of CKH processes as well as the culture and climate that has been created at the campus due to successful use of the program and its strategies. 

According to the Flippen Group and CKH founder Flip Flippen, this year’s selection process began with 555 campuses across the nation and resulted in 325 awardees.  

“Recognition as a CKH National Showcase School celebrates campuses where educators are exceeding expectations and creating an environment where students feel safe, connected and eager to learn,” Flippen said. “Many of these schools honored this year started with some or all students engaged in virtual learning, with teachers providing hybrid and asynchronous instruction in addition to face-to-face engagement in the classroom.”

 “It has been a roller coaster of a year for students and teachers but, despite the challenges, our National Showcase Schools have demonstrated what it looks like to consistently implement Capturing Kids’ Hearts processes,” Flippen said. “These recognized campuses found unique ways to continue to build positive learning environments where students were excited to attend, whether virtually or in person.”

Dr. Kristi Rhone, assistant superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, told Trustees the level of representation of Cleburne ISD on the National Showcase Schools list for 2020-21 was a true team effort.

“These schools are being honored at the national level for the exemplary effort put forth by the entire campus team, from custodians to the cafeteria staff to teachers in the classroom, in putting the CKH principles into practice—every day,” Rhone said. “The results of their commitment to make Capturing Kids’ Heart a standard within their campus culture and climate are reflected in improved student attendance, classroom performance and an ongoing drop in discipline referrals. They have created an environment where students, and their parents, know they are loved and valued.”

             Many of the District’s 2021 Campus Teachers of the Year listed Capturing Kids’ Hearts as the key initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall school culture.

Jennifer Gaston, who is an educator at Adams and the CISD Elementary Teacher of the Year, was among those attesting to the impact of CKH practices at work on her campus.

“This initiative is here to stay at my school,” Gaston said. “It is apparent, as you walk the halls, that the teachers love what they do, and we have ensured our school provides an atmosphere where students are excited to walk through the doors every morning.”