The classroom teacher is the single most significant contributor to student achievement. Teachers have a greater impact than parents, peers, schools, and even poverty.
That’s the mindset of Eric Jensen, renowned educator and author of “Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement.” Released in 2013, the book digs deep into engagement as the key factor in the academic success of economically disadvantaged students, like those attending Montezuma-Cortez Re-1’s three in-town elementary schools. About 7 in 10 of the district’s elementary students qualify for free or reduced lunches.
Recently discovering Jensen’s book, Mesa Elementary Principal KD Umbarger told school board leaders last week that she now incorporates it into her career. She believes Jensen’s approach – teachers must make it a priority to build better student brains rather than make excuses – could help turn the tide of failing schools in Cortez.
“I’m the leader of a poor-performing school,” Umbarger told board members last week.
At the elementary level, Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 students are 26, 24 and 29 percentage points behind federal and state expectations in reading, math and writing, according to the district’s new Unified Improvement Plan (UIP).
Unveiled last week, the report further revealed that the number of elementary students who are proficient and advanced in both reading and math is steadily declining. In 2011, for example, only 53 percent of elementary students were proficient or advanced at reading. Last year, that percentage fell to 45 percent. In math, there was a similar decline, from 55 percent in 2011 to 46 percent last year.
Misguided blame at Mesa
Mesa’s individual UIP states the root cause for its failed academic success was due in part to “biased and irrational” misplaced fault.
“We tended to put the blame on our students and families instead of ourselves,” Umbarger wrote in the school’s UIP report.
To achieve greater academic success, Umbarger told board members that the school was now committed to providing needed skills and supports for minority children rather than charging them for entering the school unprepared.
“We’re accepting our responsibility,” she said.
Entering year two of priority improvement in July, Mesa Elementary serves 380 students. Roughly 45 percent are white, 34 percent Native American, and 20 percent Hispanic. About two-thirds of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch.
Teachers challenged at Manaugh
To achieve greater success at Manaugh Elementary, Principal Donetta Dehart said her school was looking from the top down, adding that she challenged teachers to examine their own barriers to success. She said that if parents aren’t engaged, she wants to know what teachers are doing to increase parent involvement.
“We’re a struggling school,” Dehart told board members. “We have to change the trend that we’re on.”
Entering year four of turnaround starting in July, Manaugh Elementary serves 279 students. Roughly 50 percent are Native American, 24 percent Hispanic, 25 percent white, and 1 percent black. About 8 in 10 students receive free or reduced lunches.
Manaugh’s UIP report states the school’s root cause for poor academic achievement is due in part to a “lack of forward-thinking opportunities to engage parents.”
A new plan at Kemper
To help improve academic success at Kemper Elementary, Principal Angela Galyon said school officials were meeting weekly with interventionists and parents. She said the school was committed to providing full wraparound support for individual students, and sometimes even entire families.
“It’s time that we need to start seeing change,” Galyon told board leaders last week.
Expected to enter year five of turnaround status starting in July, Kemper Elementary serves 353 students – roughly 25 percent Native American, 20 percent Hispanic, and 50 percent white. Nearly 7 in 10 students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Kemper’s UIP report linked the school’s poor performance in part to parental involvement, stating that it hadn’t “intentionally and strategically planned for and implemented” opportunities for parents to become involved, which “negatively impacted achievement and growth and perpetuated growth gaps for all demographic groups in all content areas.”
Manaugh, Kemper and Mesa elementaries are currently part of a three-year University of Virginia school turnaround program. The strategic partnership utilizes a systemic approach to help failing schools identify key issues and develop specific strategies.
Teachers raise concerns
Also included in the district’s overall UIP report, more than half of all district teachers indicated in a recent survey that they didn’t have sufficient instructional time to meet the needs of students.
Last week, Re-1 board member Sherri Wright specifically asked each principal from the district’s in-town elementaries what steps they were taking to ease those teacher concerns. Umbarger, Galyon and Dehart all pointed to the fact that the district’s academic calendar was shorter when compared to other districts across the state.
“We have to add more days to the school year,” Umbarger said.
Until then, Umbarger reiterated that she would continue providing tidbits from Jensen’s book with her teachers, adding the book has also been shared with Gaylon and Dehart. Umbarger said she’s hopeful that Jensen’s lessons can help serve as a catalyst toward a new upward trend of academic success.
“We’re going to make it a book study next year,” Umbarger said.
To view full district and individual school improvement plans, visit www.cortez.k12.co.us.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com