|
Windsor Charter third-graders score 100 percent on CSAP
 |
Windsor Charter Academy third-graders in David Arnoff’s class pose with their Golden Carrots that they earned for scoring 100 percent proficient and advanced on the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests. They will use their carrots for a trip to Fort Fun on May 15.
Jennifer Moore
Browse Our Galleries
|
|
Jennifer Moore, (Bio) jmoore@mywindsornow.com
May 2, 2008
 Comments  Print  Email
Windsor Charter Academy third-graders are the talk of the school.
Windsor Charter Academy third-graders in Courtney Meyer’s class pose with their Golden Carrots they received after their success on the reading portion of the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests. The results were released on Thursday and 100 percent of the third-graders scored proficient or advanced, and were awarded with a trip to Fort Fun May 15.
Jennifer Moore
Browse Our Galleries
|
The class scored 100 percent proficient or advanced in the reading category of the 2008 Colorado Student Assessment Program tests. The results were released Thursday.
Windsor Charter is one of five schools in the state of Colorado to score perfect in that category.
And there is one very happy principal in Windsor.
"We are so excited," said charter principal Tracy Stanford, in her first year as principal at the school. "This is something all the kids worked hard on, but also it's a community effort and it has to come from within the whole school."
"I jumped up and down and then I started to cry," Stanford added. "I knew a week ago, and it was hard to keep a secret."
Stanford awarded both Courtney Meyer and David Arnoff's third grade class the Golden Carrot which entitled the classes to a special field trip to Fort Fun on May 15 in Fort Collins.
"We wanted them to know they did such a terrific job," Stanford said. "We are hoping we get to do the Golden Carrot again."
The charter academy wasn't the only Windsor third-grade classroom with bragging rights.
Other third-grade classrooms around the Windsor-Severance Re-4 School District scored above the state average (70 percent) in the proficient or advanced areas. Skyview Elementary School went up a percentage point from last year, scoring an 89 percent; Grandview Elementary School scored an 82 and Mountain View Elementary School scored a 77.
There are two third-grade classrooms at the charter academy (50 students), three third-grade classrooms each in Grandview (68 students) and Skyview (65 students) and six third-grade classrooms at Mountain View (130 students).
"If you look at the third-grade reading scores as a whole, we have so many students who are in the partially proficient range and just ready to move up to proficient," said Jeanne Findley, Re-4 director of instruction. "We are well above the state average, but we want to keep working because you never want to be at the state average."
Findley said the charter academy has worked hard using the Core Knowledge Curriculum, and the scores are a reflection of hard work from everyone involved.
"This is an amazing achievement on the part of their students and kudos to their staff, their principal and their whole community," Findley said.
The charter academy went from 25 students in the third-grade in the 2006-07 school year to 50 students this year. Last year, the charter academy scored 96 percent in proficient or advanced and had 1 percent in the partially proficient category.
"This is an amazing achievement on the part of their students and kudos to their staff, their principal and their whole community," Findley said.
The charter academy went from 25 students in the third-grade in the 2006-07 school year to 50 students this year. Last year, the charter academy scored 96 percent in proficient or advanced and had 1 percent in the partially proficient category.
Stanford said some incentives were used during CSAP testing, including CSAP snacks, a CSAP kick-off party, lunch with the principal and a limousine lunch to Old Chicago.
"We did some things to try and let them know that yes we know it's stressful, but that it's very important and we appreciate their hard works and efforts," Stanford said.
Grandview, Skyview and Mountain View changed the reading curriculum for this school year, and Findley believes it will take another year or two to see the effects of the curriculum change.
Skyview principal Tammy Seib said her teachers have set high expectations for the students, and they have put in the effort and time to meet those set for them.
"I'm so proud of the students because they took their time, going back over the tests. These are things we've asked them to do, we hope they do, but can't instruct them to do the day of the test," Seib said.
Seib also wants to credit the parents this year for making sure their students attended school during the testing days and providing support so their students felt confident in taking the tests. No third-grader in the district missed the test.
"It's that parent support that plays such a big role," Seib said.
Findley said the district will continue to focus on the students who are struggling, including those on the Individual Education Plans (IEP). She also said more focus will go toward the advance learners and continue to enhance their education.
At Skyview and the Windsor Middle School, Findley said the district is looking to implement Podcasts on iPods. The teachers will read the books into the iPods, and students will take it home and listen to the teacher and extend their learning. The idea come from a school district in Oregon.
Findley said the district is also looking to bring materials into the library that will be of high interest to students, and may get them hooked into reading.
"We want to keep growing and increasing the support for those areas that need it," Findley said.
The charter academy's board of education has approved an early release schedule for the school next year that will allow more time for teachers to analyze the data on an individual level and plan accordingly for each student. Every other Monday, the school bell will ring at 2:10 p.m. and teachers will work from then until 4 p.m.
According to the Colorado Department of Education, the third-grade reading tests were taken early in February so the results were available by May to assist teachers in preparing individual plans for students who perform below grade level. This is a requirement of the Colorado Basic Literacy Act.
Findley hopes the third-grade reading results are an indication of more success when the third- through 10th-grade results are released in July.
Breakout: Colorado schools scoring 100 on CSAP
Windsor Charter Academy, Windsor-Severance Re-4
Aurora Quest Academy, Adams County
Horizons K-8, Boulder Valley
Challenge School, Cherry Creek 5
Haxtun Elementary, Haxtun Re-2
Breakout- For more
For complete scores around Weld County, see the chart on page
|
