When Robert Coleman became principal at T.Y. Fleming Elementary School, he knew people there had high expectations.
Now in his second year, T.Y. Fleming has been designated a Level 5, or superior, school again - and he knows they will still have to work hard. "Once you get there and you come in new, they expect you to maintain that," he said.
In fact, he added, the bar will be raised, much as it would be at a factory measuring production. "If you keep exceeding production and getting that bonus, they know you can reach that - they do what? They raise production levels," he said.
On Friday, the Minter City school will hold a special program to recognize those who helped make it a Level 5. Students and others will sport T-shirts with the words "Soaring Beyond Expectations."
Coleman hopes it won't be the last Level 5 program. "I'd love to say this is an annual event," he said.
Coleman said the school benefits from teachers who know elementary education well.
A former math teacher, Coleman also brings his own ideas about how to help students improve. In a small school with a limited budget, sometimes he has to get creative.
For example, he looks for games that can help younger students learn math while having fun.
Recently, he was looking for supplies in a store and found some math games at a discount, so he bought them. One, TurboTwist Math, talks back as the child learns basic math, fractions and decimals.
"They don't realize they're going to school when they're playing games," he said.
Sometimes he finds free materials on the Internet that can be used for testing, and he collects all kinds of free advice at conferences.
"You get success and you're not paying anything; you're just paying attention," he said.
The school also offers after-school tutoring in math and reading for those with lower scores - not just those failing. Because low standardized-test scores often help predict lower grades, those two sets of numbers are evaluated together.
But teachers at Fleming do more than teach course material, Coleman said. "They teach character along with curriculum," he said. "It's 'Yes, sir,' 'No, sir,' 'No, ma'am.'"
Having served as a teacher and administrator at Leflore County High School for more than 20 years before coming to Fleming, Coleman said he noticed that the younger students are more affectionate and more likely to speak to him in the hall. "Rather than speak to one, you've got to speak to 25 at one time," he said.
Virgie Johnson, a first-grade teacher now in her 27th year, said the school has a mix of great kids and a great learning environment that includes small classes.
With such experienced teachers, the school can keep succeeding even if the administration changes, she said.
Pam Eubanks, who teaches sixth grade, said the secret to Fleming's success is simple: The teachers teach every day, all day.
They also work well together, and the children are well-behaved and courteous, she said. "We really don't have discipline problems. They come to school ready to learn."
She also said Coleman has a lot to do with it. "He gives us any kind of support we need," she said.
