HORSESHOE BEND - Horseshoe Bend Elementary School is celebrating a remarkable turnaround.
In just three years time it went from one of the lowest performing schools in Idaho to winning a National Blue Ribbon Award.
Cora Larson is the principal of Horseshoe Bend Elementary. She says it took a lot of planning from curriculum to instruction to scheduling.
"We took everyone's hard work that was going in different directions and kinda focused it in," said Larson when referring to the teachers.
She says that helped students tremendously.
"Then they have continuity through grades so we're speaking the same language and they don't have to learn a different system year to year."
Student intervention was also added. They get 30 minutes of help every day to help them in an area they may be struggling in, or in some cases to further challenge them.
Lastly, Larson says they raised the expectations for the kids and they met them. In three years going from a two out of five star school in Idaho to being nationally recognized.
"So the teachers committed and it's a lot of hard work for them, the students, the parents, but we saw immediate results in the data," said Larson. "We saw a lot of classes that had 99 percent growth. It really built our efficacy as teachers to realize we can do this for these kids and they all can achieve great things as long as we believe in them we expect them and then we support them to get there."
Students were asked what they wanted to do to celebrate their Blue Ribbon victory and they said a dance party. The kindergarten through six-grade kiddos will get their wish next week!