First Grade Team Celebrates Student Growth Through Focused Collaboration
At Lakenheath Elementary School, teamwork isn’t just encouraged — it’s embedded into weekly practice. The school’s first-grade teaching team meets regularly for Focused Collaboration, a structured time dedicated to analyzing data, aligning instruction, and setting goals to support student learning.
During a recent collaboration cycle, the team focused on strengthening a foundational reading skill: using context clues.
“Based on our most recent Benchmark CPA, we analyzed the assessment data and identified a significant need in standards related to inferencing and key details,” one teacher explained. From that, the team crafted a SMART goal to guide their instruction.
Using Benchmark Advance materials, the teachers implemented mini-lessons and close-reading exercises from leveled text guides, helping students practice and internalize strategies to improve reading comprehension.
Growth was tracked through weekly assessments and a second administration of the CPA. But teachers say the most powerful results couldn’t be measured in numbers alone.
“Seeing my first graders grow in confidence with context clues and inferencing was nothing short of amazing,” said Ms. Ussery. “They went from unsure readers to curious thinkers who aren’t afraid to dive into a text.”
Teachers noted that students began independently applying strategies typically introduced in higher grade levels. “They were doing what third graders do to find text evidence!” one teacher shared with pride.
The collaboration also strengthened bonds among the educators themselves. Many team members are new to both the school and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) system. The cycle helped them build professional trust and a shared sense of purpose.
“We’ve developed a strong sense of camaraderie,” the team shared. “We value each other’s diverse educational backgrounds and experiences.”
Focused Collaboration gave teachers the space to reflect, support one another, and celebrate student progress. “From quiet struggles to confident breakthroughs, my first graders made incredible gains,” said Ms. Washburn.
Ms. Marsella noted how the team pushed advanced learners as well. “We applied these strategies to higher-level texts for students who had already mastered the skill,” she said.
And Ms. Martinez summed up the experience: “What I witnessed was transformation. With teamwork, patience, and targeted support, every student — no matter where they started — found success.”
The first-grade team expressed gratitude to the specialists who supported their work and made the collaboration cycle possible. Their efforts have left a visible impact: empowered students, connected teachers, and a school community committed to continuous growth.
