The Alsalam School in Ar’ara is only two years into the Tamkin program and already the atmosphere in the school has completely changed. “The sense of commitment and camaraderie among teachers has grown tremendously, students are highly motivated, and parents are more engaged than ever,” says Principal Muhammad Abu-Aqel.
The Alsalam School began working with ICEI in 2021 within the framework of Meisharim, the Turnaround Schools Strategy joint venture of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, and Yad Hanadiv.
The Alsalam School faced significant challenges in the years prior to ICEI’s intervention, according to Principal Abu-Aqel; poor leadership and management, budget deficits, resource shortages, low teacher confidence, inadequate academic achievement, high dropout rates, a history of failed interventions, and an overall poor public image. The COVID-19 pandemic only compounded the situation.
When Abu-Aqel became principal of Alsalam in 2019, he decided to overhaul the school. The opportunity to partner with ICEI through Meisharim was the turning point in catalyzing a much-needed transformation. The faculty initially dismissed ICEI as “just another program,” but it was not long before they too realized its potential. “It was like the school was given a great prize,” Abu-Aqel explained, “in terms of strengthening the teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, as well as our status in the eyes of the local council and other schools.”
ICEI’s first step was to pair Abu-Aqel with a Principal Mentor, who helped him to map the school’s needs and create an organized plan for addressing them. At the same time, an ICEI Literary Coach was brought on board to provide school staff with ongoing, hands-on support for dramatically improving teaching methodologies and tracking student progress.
“The school atmosphere has completely transformed. The program has done wonders for both our students and our teachers,” Abu-Aqel reports. In the past, the faculty felt neglected and invisible. Today, the faculty are more confident and feel seen and appreciated.
Abu Aqel attributes the program’s success to the “ongoing monitoring, data-driven instruction, and carefully structured approach to teaching, leadership, and management. Thanks to Tamkin and Medida, ICEI’s data system for tracking academic progress, my staff and I have a clear status report of every student, enabling us to maximize their potential and give every child the opportunity to excel.” Abu Aqel credits ICEI with getting the school “back on its feet.”
Parents are also more engaged in their children’s education and have more constructive communication with teachers. Parents are much more likely to attend school to celebrate their children’s accomplishments. More parents help their children prepare for their turn to be “King/Queen of Reading,” and attend the class to watch their kids in action, when beginning readers read a book of their choosing aloud to the class and lead a class discussion about it.
In 2023, the Alsalam school saw improvement in the school’s scores in the nationwide standardized ASIF exam for fourth graders, improvement which Abu-Aqel attributes to ICEI’s Tamkin program. Even though Tamkin is not yet working directly with fourth grade classes, the schoolwide change has positively impacted all grades, according to the principal.
In June 2023, under the guidance of ICEI Principal Mentor, Lotfiah Raida Shehab, Abu Aqel produced a special community program to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the school in 1923. In honor of the centennial, students researched the heritage and history of their community. Students toured and visited heritage sites, nature sites, and holy places, meeting with famous figures, writers, and poets who live in the community. The research culminated in a celebratory banquet, in which the students’ shared their learning through theater, music, and text. The heads of the local council, esteemed guests, and parents joined the banquet, strengthening the students’ sense of pride and belonging, as well as elevating the image of the school locally. Across the entire community, there is newfound pride and optimism in the Alsalam School’s potential for success.
