The school harnessing character education and teacher effectiveness to lift students out of poverty
Cross County Elementary Technology Academy (CCETA), a public primary school in Cherry Valley, Arkansas, USA, has embedded comprehensive character education into its curriculum, combined with strategies for teacher effectiveness, transforming the school into a supported, high-achieving learning environment for marginalised students. Cherry Valley, a high-poverty rural area where single-parent and grandparent-led households often leave students without crucial at-home support, has also faced challenges with recruiting, retaining and developing quality educators. Recognising the impact of high teacher turnover and low student achievement, CCETA took decisive action to change educational outcomes.
Through a school-wide cultural shift grounded on the principle that students need more than just academic skills to be successful, supported by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), character education has been embedded into daily instruction. The school also worked closely with NIET to strengthen teacher effectiveness across all experience levels, with “Master teachers” serving as instructional coaches and mentors to provide real-time coaching in classrooms, model high-impact instructional strategies, and offer one-on-one mentorship to support novice and struggling teachers.
For students, having core values embedded into their daily instruction helps them develop self-discipline, respect and accountability, creating a culture where professional growth and socio-emotional learning go hand in hand.
Over the past five years, the school’s teacher retention rate has reached 96%. Schools in surrounding districts are starting to implement similar strategies, and visitors from different states regularly visit to observe the success of the model. Insubordination incidents have dropped by 52%, and suspension days have decreased by 34.56%. Enrolment has increased by 18.6% over the past three years, making it the only school in a 30-mile radius experiencing consistent growth. In 2024, the school’s summer feeding programme provided 29,486 meals for all children under 18, regardless of school enrollment, demonstrating the real impact of the school’s culture on the community.
Driven by the belief that a strong character builds a strong future, this rural school provides a space for teachers to develop into impactful instructional coaches and mentors and children to transform into thriving, high-achievers.
