Dana L. Nally

Bedford Elementary School
Bedford Community School District
Bedford, Iowa
dnally@bedford.k12.ia.us

With Dana Nally at the helm for 16 years, Bedford Elementary School (BES) has earned academic distinction against the odds as a rural, high-poverty school. Nally credits this success to her ability to build a culture of collaborative inquiry, enabling holistic solutions to student wellbeing and academic growth. With the help of a specialist, for example, Nally launched a highly engaging STEM curriculum that emphasizes confidence, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills through hands-on projects with real world application. To target SEL goals, Nally built the school’s “Leaders of the Pack” program following a two-year process of internal study, training, and development. This program embeds the Leader in Me habits across all aspects of school culture and allows students to practice leadership and take a front-seat role in their educational experience by setting self-defined goals and tracking their progress. Under Nally’s leadership, the U.S. Department of Education has twice recognized BES as a National Blue Ribbon School. In 2010, the school was recognized for successfully narrowing the achievement gap among students with IEPs and students receiving free and reduced-price meals, which includes approximately half the student population. Again in 2021, the school was honored for its overall academic excellence. Nally holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, an M.Ed. in Guidance and Counseling, and an S.Ed. in Superintendency from Northwest Missouri State University.