Student Success Department
Students, parents, and teachers have a centralized resource to turn to that sets students up for success from their acceptance to Corbett Prep through their 8th grade graduation.
The Student Success Department formed in Fall 2021 and highlights the value that Corbett Prep places on the uniqueness of every learner. Two veteran Corbett Prep educators, Ashley Davis and Cristina Ferrone, lead the team. With teachers Ashley Mabry and Amy Ragg, Davis and Ferrone advocate for students' learning needs and bring together existing sources of support while also vetting new programs to benefit all students.
The Student Success Department works directly with teachers and families to strengthen communication, augment classroom strategies, and ensure best educational practices for different learning styles. That could mean finding extra help for some students in specific subjects or offering creative projects to challenge students to go above and beyond.Ferrone, a 25-year educator with classroom and student services experience, also teaches the SMARTS executive function curriculum to Middle School students once a week. This program empowers students by helping them understand their learning strengths and challenges and teaches them organization, time management, goal setting, study skills, progress tracking, and other executive functioning strategies.
Ferrone has an additional role helping eighth-grade parents navigate the high school admissions process. She oversaw the Student Success Department its first two years, and it has proven so helpful to teachers and parents that it has been expanded to add an additional director. Ferrone will continue to oversee Middle School needs, and Davis, a Corbett Prep kindergarten teacher for 12 years, will head the elementary program.
Working Together for Students
The Student Success Department consists of two directors and two teachers who work closely with classroom and resource teachers as well as parents to develop strategies to help students reach their fullest potential.
Elementary Student Success Director Ashley Davis joined the team this year, bringing 18 years of experience teaching at the intermediate and primary levels and a deep understanding of the needs of elementary students. She has a passion for lifelong learning and student achievement and is thrilled to lead a resource team for students, families and teachers. Her two children attend Corbett Prep.
Middle School Student Services Director Cristina Ferrone has taught at Corbett Prep since 2008 and is the mother of two alumni. Her role in the Student Success Department allows her to get to know the personalities and passions of all the students and give them tools to grow. That's been the best part of her teaching career, she says: "I love watching students succeed."