Making A Difference

Yesterday the results from state testing last spring were released on the superintendent of education's website. This, of course, is a big deal. You can see how the state did on an average at each grade level for each test. You can see how every district in our state did on average at each grade level for each test. Then you can also see how every single school performed at each grade level on each test.

Two years ago, I taught 5th grade with two other gals. In fifth grade the students take a state test in math, reading, and science. I always think reading and math are fairly straight forward, but science is just a hard test to prepare students for. The bulk of the test focuses on the scientific process, so that's what I spend most of my year on with my students. Then that spring they took the test. That fall, I saw the results. 35% of my kids passed the science test. I was surprised it was so low, but the state average was 34%, so I was pleased to have done better than the state average. However, my two teammates each only had one student pass the science test. Only one in each class. Therefore, our school's average was only 14.5%. What an embarrassment.

Last year, I had a different teammate who is very focused and intentional, and does a great job teaching science. We worked hard all year with our students. They took the state tests in the spring. Yesterday, we sat together in our school gym at our second day of preinservice training, waiting with baited breath for the state results to be posted online. The results were supposed to be up at 10 am, and we kept refreshing the page, waiting for them, while our assisstant principal talked about kid behavior expectations. Finally, the were posted.

We first saw the state averages. 5th grade science? 55%! Wow. That's high, we told each other with sinking hearts. We then clicked onto our district. 5th grade science? 44%. Lower, of course, than the state average but much higher than last year. Slowly, we clicked on our school and held our breath. 5th grade science? 71.9%! We stood up, right then and there in the gym, and cheered! Everyone thought we were just very excited about our new lining up policy...But we yelled out the good news! Everyone clapped and cheered, and we hugged each other and cried! We went from 14.5% last year to 71.9%! Then my teaching partner checked out every elementary school in our district, and we had the highest science score of the whole district! We beat out schools that have the gifted program, and schools that are very low free and reduced who usually get the best scores.

I tell you, I am still walking on a cloud. I could not even take in anything else that happened that day. We are the shining stars of our school, because for the third year now we have not met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) and so just recently we had to send a letter home to all families in our community saying we were a failing school (all becuase of Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, which Obama hasn't had the balls to change). But we are not a failing school (in fact, the only area we didn't improve on was with special ed math, which is another whole story). Now, I expect our office to get this news up on our reader board. A failing school doesn't outperform every other school in the district on a science test. We also outperformed two schools that have been continually thrown up in our faces the past two days: one is the school where our principal came from, and the other school is a high-needs school in a neighboring district that has made tremendous gains with their students. We, my partner and I, outscored them.

Another school we outperformed, much to my happiness, was my former school in a wealthy district. I was especially happy about this. This district has their own curriculum and it's all online. A few years ago I tried to get hired back into my former district, so a friend at my former school had me over to view the curriculum. At that time, I wanted to to move up to middle school, so that's what I focused on. A job never happened. I stayed at my school, moving to the 5th grade. I sent my pal an email, asking to see the 5th grade science unit on inquiry. She didn't reply to my email. I sent a reminder. Still no reply. Finally, I sent an email stating hey, if you can't send it don't worry, etc. Her reply was what made me feel hurt and angry. Basically, it said she started to copy things off for me, but then decided that she shouldn't since I wasn't in her district anymore...I wasn't one of them anymore.

I was pissed, replied that that was unfortunate in that no one creates anything new anymore anyway, they just put it together in new ways...Then I stopped contacting her. But this year? We even beat their scores! And my former school is maybe 20% free and reduced lunch. It's a well-to-do area. My current school? It's 51% free and reduced lunch! It's a high-needs school! And we outperformed so many people! I am bursting with pride for myself, my teammate, and all of my students who passed that test. I know it was a hard one; the science test is hard to prepare for and hard to take. But they did well. For the first time, I just truly feel like I've made a difference!

Something To Look Forward To

School starts September 1st. Just checked Skyward and I have 31 students on my class list. One boy is autistic. I predict lots of good stories this year...