Mr. LaPaul Shelton, Principal

ED S. COOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Ed S. Cook Elementary School is located at 211 Memorial Dr. SE, near the downtown area. It is approximately five blocks from the State Capitol and Georgia State University, and three blocks from City Hall. Our current enrollment fluctuates between 355-365 students as a result of the closing of Capitol Homes and the relocation of the families in the immediate area. While the school primarily serves students in the Grady Homes Housing Community, the Martin Luther King Village and portions of Cabbage Town, Reynolds Town and Inman Park Areas, it is considered to be in a prime location. Cook is a Title I school, and ninety eight percent of the students are on free or reduced lunch.

During the 2000-2001 school year, the Success for All Reading Program was adopted as Cook’s reform model. The gains in reading, as well as in other subject areas, have been phenomenal. Based on our students’ performance on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test, Cook came off the list of failing schools 3 years ago, and we are committed to staying off that list. Additionally, 100% of our fifth graders passed the Competency Based Assessment in writing during the 2002-2003 academic year. With such positive changes, the school is attracting a more diverse population, and all stakeholders take pride in the school. We are known as a kind of “Oasis in the Desert” as a result of the transformation that the school has undergone in the past 3 years.

Cook’s dynamic staff is committed to ensuring success for all, and our students are highly motivated. We have a core of volunteers and mentors from the Capitol Area Mosaic (CAM) and Emory, Clark Atlanta and Georgia State Universities who work with our students on a regular basis. It is our intent to continue providing a positive climate for learning and a safe environment that is warm and inviting for all stakeholders.

The Success for All Reading Reform Model at Cook Elementary

SFA National Website

Success for All is a comprehensive reading, writing, and oral language development program taught in all kindergarten through fifth grade classes at Cook Elementary School. The components of the program include KinderCorner for kindergarten students; Reading Roots for students reading at the first grade level; and Reading Wings for students reading at the second grade level and above. The goal of Success for All is to help all children achieve the highest levels utilizing research based instructional strategies. The Reading period consists of a 90 minute block of uninterrupted instruction daily where children are grouped by reading level across grade lines.
Unique features of the Success for All Program include:
• Reading classes with students of a variety of ages working at their ability level
• Assessment of students every eight weeks; allowing students to be monitored frequently and moved appropriately
• Cooperative learning between students maximizes students’ opportunities for involvement as a team member and active participation in their own learning
• A close alignment with the five essential components of Reading First ( Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension)
• Interactive and informative Parent workshops to bridge the gap between home and school
The students at Ed S. Cook Elementary have made significant gains in reading achievement following the Success for All program.