Jenell M. Bear

Edwin Loe Elementary School
New Town School District 1
New Town, North Dakota
jenell.bear@k12.nd.us

Jenell M. Bear has served Edwin Loe Elementary School for 24 years as a classroom teacher, as an instructional coach, and as principal since 2017. Her leadership has been instrumental in guiding the school out of a period of low academic proficiency, in which reading and math scores were in the 15th and 5th percentiles, respectively. Aware that reversing this trend would require patience and hard work, Bear led the implementation of the Success For All program, playing the dual role of principal and literacy coach in the program’s first year. This comprehensive school improvement model emphasizes collaborative learning, family engagement, and cultural change and has had a positive holistic impact on the school community. Seven years later, the school’s reading and math scores are in the 47th and 49th percentiles, respectively, and the school earned recognition for exhibiting the highest overall growth of any participating school in 2023. The program has facilitated a shift in school culture toward positivity, enthusiasm, and shared ownership, which has enabled the operationalization of multiple school improvement goals, including increased family engagement and more inclusive and culturally responsive teaching practices. Located on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes, teaching and learning at Edwin Loe reflect the cultural richness of the community. Principal Bear holds two master’s degrees from Concordia University and Valley City State University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson State University.