Nearly eight years ago I was a second year teacher at Lester Prairie leading the elementary special education classes (grades K through six). We had an early morning meeting in the first week of school (only teacher preparation days) and the principal went through the MCA scores from the previous year.
With MCA scores there are areas or groups that are considered “red” and when you have a “red” area that means that a certain group of students was not meeting the level it needed to for a long period of time.
The entire Lester Prairie staff saw that a group of students under my direction did not need the progress needed after a year, I heard a teacher say “Mr. James” not in a way that I was hoping for in my second year at the school, and my head went down to the floor.
At that moment something needed to change. The special education students of several differing abilities had more potential than what those scores showed.
Fast forward six and a half years to this winter. At Lester Prairie Public Schools we now take a practice test named the “OLPA” (Optional Local Purpose Assessment) and shortly after the students take the test we can see those scores.
Getting a good score on these tests is not easy because the material on the test includes items that our staff still has to teach to students in January, February, March, April, and May (when the MCA tests are taken).
That said, student after student in special education was receiving scores already of “meeting standards”, “partially meeting standards”, and a few were listed as “did not meet the standard” but are only a point or two off. And this includes material they haven’t even been taught yet!
Improvement? Without a doubt. Exciting improvements! These scores are competitive with same age peers throughout the grades regardless if those students are receiving no additional services, Title One services, or any other additional help.
It’s more proof that regardless if there is a disability of any kind, students can still prosper and succeed just like any other. And the scores we saw this winter were not just a one time thing. We at Lester Prairie have seen a spike in the elementary test scores for several years now.
So over the past several years when those scores are passed out showing where our students are with others, and when the special education students portion of the scores is shown, I no longer look at the floor. I smile. Why? Because your young boys and girls have done a wonderful job of working hard both in the daily academic course load and in the standardized tests that must be taken year after year.
Good job Lester Prairie!
No comments:
Post a Comment