You've read a lot lately about the failures of public education, in The Roanoke Times and elsewhere.

For that reason, it's great to read a success story now and then. Staff writer David's Harrison's story about Hurt Park Elementary in Sunday's paper was the perfect example.

Let's make sure that what happens at Hurt Park definitely doesn't stay at Hurt Park.

The teaching techniques and student buy-in that underscored recent successes at one of Roanoke's perennially low performing schools are worth celebrating -- and duplicating.

Hurt Park's success on the Standards of Learning exams came in the spring. The in-depth look at the school in Sunday's paper revealed the secrets behind the school's performance jump.

Granted, Hurt Park's turnaround is a one-year measure. And as school officials examine attendance zones in light of system-wide declining enrollment, Hurt Park will receive scrutiny along with other schools as ones that could be closed in future years.

But the school's accomplishments are not the result of a building or a neighborhood but the result of commitment by staff and students. That's worthy of replicating throughout the system.

What makes Hurt Park's extra effort so vital is that it occurred at an elementary school. Grade school is where students develop their outlook on education.

Get them jazzed about school in the early years, and the chance of their long-term success in school is greater.

"If you can get them believing in themselves, they can do it," said Debbie Doss, principal of Highland Park Elementary, another quiet success where 78 percent of students receive free or reduced-cost lunches.

For the past six years, her students have passed the SOLs, Doss said. Highland Park, which is about half white and half black, has no achievement gap. This year, students' pass rates were 98.5 percent in math and 91.5 percent in English.

At Hurt Park, after years of dismal failure, the English and math SOLs increased by 25 percentage points and 15 percentage points respectively.

What occurred at Hurt Park last year didn't come by happenstance.

By virtue of its low enrollment of 185 students, Hurt Park's classes are small. That means students get more one-on-one time with their teachers. Beyond that, some classrooms have a teaching assistant or other adult to spend a few minutes with students.

Additional aides are a resource issue. Let's make sure that other struggling schools learn from Hurt Park's example and get what they need to duplicate its achievements.

Shanna Flowers' column runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays

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