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Medal of Excellence Winner Shares Experience of Transforming Her Tulsa Public School

Cindi Hemm, Principal of Eugene Field Elementary, Explains How the School Went From a "Prison" to a Place of Learning in Upcoming Webinar

Since Cindi Hemm arrived at Eugene Field Elementary School in 2003, academic scores have risen from the lowest in Tulsa to some of the highest in the district. According to Hemm, "The school was falling apart both physically and academically. It looked more like a prison than a place of learning."

Hemm will discuss the school's impressive transformation in a webinar titled, "Developing A Customized Action Plan," on August 24th at 10:30am CDT with an encore presentation at 2:30pm CDT. This is the second installment of a nine part school transformation webinar series sponsored by ENI.

Just one year after the implementation of ENI's School Transformation and Turnaround model Eugene Field won the 2006 Oklahoma Academic Achievement Award as one of the most improved schools in the state. By 2008, Tulsa Public Schools met all the academic requirements for the second consecutive year of AYP as a district. In 2010 Tulsa Public Schools was removed from the Districts in Need of Improvement list.

Hemm says, "I developed a plan. I began re-inventing the school by creating a culture of kindness and caring. I replaced half the teaching staff with those who shared my vision for putting students first, and we went to work implementing the changes our students needed, with TargetTeach® as our academic anchor. The resulting successes have impacted not only our students, but their families and the entire community."

ENI's president, Tami Zale, said, "I am excited to have Cindi Hemm share her success story with districts that have similar circumstances. We are proud to have partnered with Eugene Field Elementary since January 2005. It is a great example of how changing the school culture has positively impacted growth in student achievement."

During the webinar participants will learn how to set measurable growth targets for leaders, teachers, and students, develop customized and flexible action plans using best instructional practices and proven strategies, and ensuring leaders and teachers feel supported throughout the transformation process. The remainder of the series will feature other educators sharing similar success stories.

Hemm is also scheduled to present at the ENI Common Core State Standards School Transformation Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona from October 5-7, 2011. For more information or to register, please contact Melissa Myers at 800.443.0544 or visit www.evansnewton.com/symposium.

About Eugene Field Elementary School
Located in West Tulsa, Oklahoma the school has approximately 415 students in grades PK-5. Its mission is to, "provide excellence every day." Eugene Field Elementary is named after the poet, Eugene Field, who wrote many poems and short stories in the late 19th Century. It was originally built in 1922 and completely rebuilt in 2005.

About Evans Newton Incorporated
Since 1973, the professionals at Evans Newton Incorporated (ENI) have been working with schools to improve student achievement using innovative, customized programs tailored to state objectives and standardized tests. Our TargetTeach® process has been used by schools and districts across the country to create dramatic improvement in student performance while empowering teachers and school leaders by establishing a research-based foundation for sustainable change. The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Learn more at: evansnewton.com/turnaround.