Harding Elementary

A California Gold Ribbon School

Core Values: Kindness, Curiosity, Courage, Perseverance

Vision: Harding students will flourish in the global community.

Mission: Harding is a safe and supportive learning community where we empower each other to excel in and shape the future.

Diversity: 33% white, 24% Hispanic, 5% Black, 23% Asian, 15% Two or More Races, 16% English Learners, 37% socio-economically disadvantaged, and 13% students with disabilities in five programs that serve students with special needs: Counseling Enriched Classroom (CEC), Instructional Support Program (ISP), Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH), Full Inclusion (FI), and 504, with a school-wide culture that values and supports understanding, accommodation, inclusion, and belonging.

Discipline systems are focused on student engagement, with specific and positive feedback, and social emotional learning through Caring School Community, Welcoming Schools, Responsive Classroom, Upstanders Alliance, and Restorative Justice. Visual and Performing Arts (Seele Stars TK-6, Band 4-6) are embedded in the instructional day along with hands-on science with FOSS, Mystery Science, Discovery Education, and in the school garden. Harding is close to BART and walking opportunities for study trips that receive PTA funding.

Common Core Standard Instruction is delivered through the workshop model of instruction using Teachers College Units of Study in Reading, Writing, and Phonics, and increased student discourse across curriculum areas. Mathematics instruction includes showing understanding using multiple methods, open problems, and math talks. Harding has been awarded a Hewlett Packard grant to shift to student centered learning in math for the 2020-2021 school year. Teachers will use lesson study protocols to improve their instructional practice in math using a number of curricula such as the district adopted text, My Math, as well as Illustrative Math, and Zearn. The principal and teachers are also supported by ongoing professional development with Teachers College at Columbia University, Lead In Math with the Principals Leadership Institute at UC Berkeley, and the district math and science coaches.