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This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Dramatic Improvement an Educator at a Time



           It's amazing to see the impact a motivated person can make.
        If you want proof, consider Eldorado High School principal Martin Sandoval and Bernalillo High School band director Bo Rogers.
        Sandoval decided to do something about lagging math scores, particularly those of Hispanic and low-income students.
        In 2008, 43.8 percent of Hispanic students at Eldorado tested proficient in math. Of the students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, only 22.2 percent were proficient.
        So he followed through on his decision and enlisted the help of Eldorado's math teachers..
        A year later, the proficiency numbers jumped to 62.9 percent for Hispanic students and 41.7 percent for poorer students.
        Talk about closing the achievement gap.
        That's 19.1 points better for Hispanic students overall and 19.5 for students in the lunch program.
        And this dramatic improvement came about in only one year and without throwing large wads of dollar bills at it. Amazing.
        Sandoval energized his math teachers and encouraged a team-teaching approach that focused on results. Teams were set up according to subject, and teachers coordinated curriculum more closely than before.
        They created and used the same tests, compared how their students scored and shared teaching strategies. They individualized work based on a student's ability and offered tutoring or one-on-one help.
        Students also were placed in the appropriate math level so they didn't get lost or bored.
        Sandoval is quick to give credit to his teachers, but the results came from his push to make a difference. Now, APS is hoping Sandoval's methods can be used to help close the achievement gap at less affluent schools.
        In Bernalillo, Rogers virtually created a marching band program from scratch. When he was hired in the summer of 2008, there were just eight band students. So Rogers went recruiting and had rounded up 25 students by the time school started. In the spring, the band earned a superior rating at a local band competition for the first time in two decades.
        Now there are 30 students in the high school band, and more than 50 are expected next school year. The band attends every home football game and most home basketball games — which had not been done in years.
        More than 140 kids are part of a districtwide elementary music program that Rogers started at Placitas, Algodones and Carroll elementaries. The district made sure every student had an instrument, a band book, a chair and a music stand.
        In just a year and a half, Rogers had built a districtwide program.
        Now Eldorado students are excited about math and Bernalillo students are equally thrilled with their budding band program.
        And that means they are more likely to be enthusiastic about school in general.
        The lesson here?
        That it doesn't necessarily take task forces, studies, and higher across-the-board salaries — although those involved in these efforts surely deserve extra recognition and a performance raise — or an infusion of state and federal money to make a real, measurable difference in student performance.
       

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