District 428 Staff Links:

This picture represents a variety of parents, teachers, community members, and educators from District No. 428 and Northern Illinois University that dedicated their time and talents in the development of Paul T. Wright Elementary School.

Paul T. Wright Elementary is a professional development school that was developed during the 2003-2004 school year in partnership with Northern Illinois University. The school is unique in several ways:

• Northern Illinois University students enrolled in their first student teaching clinical placement, participate in morning classroom activities with students enrolled at Wright Elementary and attend college coursework at our school site during the afternoon. While in the classrooms, clinical interns participate in various activities including one-on-one interaction with the children and small group work.

• Classroom teachers, specialists, and liaisons from the university work collaboratively to incorporate Fine Arts and Technology activities into the district Language Arts Curriculum.
• Classroom teachers and specialists incorporate Robert Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Instruction in daily classroom activities as well. For more information regarding this subject please visit the following sites:
  o www.uwsp.edu/education/lwilson/learning/sternb1.htm
  o http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/KeyTheorists/Sternberg.htm
• Students in grades kindergarten through fifth are invited to participate in engaging and motivating after school enrichment and remedial classes as part of the "Wright After School Program."
• Students enrolled in kindergarten attend school all day.

Last updated 11-23-04