Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/969549
educated and ahead of many schools in current practices." Located just minutes from the state's largest ski resort, it's not your typical rural district. Some affluent residents own second homes and enroll their children in Mammoth schools four or five months out of the year. Sixty percent of students are Hispanic, with a high percentage of English learners whose parents work in the service industry. "ere is not only a huge disparity but a significant achievement gap," says Quirsfeld. " We spend a lot of time helping students catch up." ME A members have embraced a u n i q u e a ppro a c h c a l l e d "c o n - ferencin g " w h ere stud ents w ork i n d e p e n d e n t l y t o w a r d p e r s o n - a l i z e d g o a l s , w h i l e t h e t e a c h e r makes time each day for one-on- on e c onfer r i n g . It i s b a s e d on a program called Daily Café. In Judy Burgenbauch's first-grade c l a s sr o o m , a stu d e n t d i s c u s s e s what he needs to do better — look- ing at the first letter of each word to determine its sound — and prac- tices with his teacher. Meanwhile, other students work alone, quietly re a d i n g b o o k s a n d l i st e n i n g t o books on computer. "It's nice being able to focus on one child at a time for a few min- utes," says Burgenbauch. "It helps a child reach his or her goals, and other students get valuable expe- rience working independently to practice reading and writing." The district has a Spanish dual immersion program. Silvia Mendez, who teaches first grade, says it helps newcomers feel more connected to school and become literate in their primary language, building a foun- dation for success. When the middle school finally received funding for a new computer Mammoth Elementary School's Silvia Mendez works with students. 30 cta.org Mammoth Elementary School's Michelle Quirsfeld reads with Piper Kastor. Feature Michelle McMillian with student Davin Wolter at Mammoth Middle School.