The staff at Waters School has shown what true "Best Practice*" believers can achieve. Over ten years of steady commitment, they have turned the school into an extraordinary environment for children, filled with art, books, nature, ideas, writing, music, achievements, and delight. They have energized the parent community, enlisted local artists, planted a beautiful community garden, stewarded eight nearby nature areas, and raised the test scores. The school slogan really fits: Waters School, where fresh ideas flow. Integrated Curriculum The Fine Arts Program, technology and environmental studies are used to weave concepts and themes across all subjects for more engaging and holistic instruction. Experiential Learning Children learn through hands-on activities and interaction. Differentiated Learning Full-time reading specialists assess the students three times a year. The specialists then work with the teachers to form reading groups so the children are learning at their appropriate levels. This type of learning is designed to meet the needs of every child. Reading and Literature Focus A partnership with National Louis University, which is known for innovation in education content and methods, provides ongoing training and consultation to Waters' teachers to help them maximize their techniques for teaching reading. As a result, the school has seen reading test scores rise over the past several years. The reading research coming out of the University of Oregon is state of the art. They have developed a pre-literacy screening called DIBELS (dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills). Waters is doing this. It has helped increase their test scores 30% in the past 3 years. What DIBELS does is allow for individual assessment of EACH student, the idea being that every student is challenged at his/her own level, and no one gets left behind or held back. The Reading First program brings additional resources to the school for K - 3rd grade. Our literary specialists consult with teachers on specific reading strategies. These strategies address the individual student's needs for instruction. The music teacher leads Kindergarten and First Graders in the revolutionary Reading in Motion curriculum that takes an arts-based approach to teaching reading skills. Children learn about letter sounds and symbols through songs, games and interaction.