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Deer Park schools looking at ways to improve
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By KOSAKU NARIOKA
The Deer Park Independent School District adopted the campus improvement plan 2008-09 at the Oct. 20 meeting. Three representatives from schools highlighted some of their initiatives at the Oct. 13 workshop.
Ann Zesiger, a representative from Wolters Accelerated High School, said the primary goal at the accelerated high school has been for the students to graduate from high school.
Last school year, it graduated 153 students, or about 20 percent of the Class of 2008, according to the information listed in the campus improvement plan.
Zesiger said it will graduate 15-20 percent of the 2009 graduating class since the student demographics changed this year and approximately one-fourth of the student population is now ninth graders.
The representative from the accelerated high school said for the campus to be successful “it is imperative that we change the attitudes of our students.”
“School, for the majority of them, has not been a positive experience,” Zesiger said. “It takes time and process to change their thinking. With our new population, we are re-emphasizing the [relationship] building skills”
Zesiger said once the relationship between students and the staff are established, they are then able to have the students focus on each step of the academic ladder leading to graduation.
Terri See, a representative from Deepwater Junior High, said their goal is to increase student achievement by focusing their attention on the special population, economically-disadvantaged students and limited English proficiency students.
The campus is going to introduce science and writing tutorials this year in addition to ongoing reading and math pull-out tutorials.
The campus set the second goal to increase technology integration in the curriculum. Renzulli Learning System, for instance, matches student’s interests with their learning styles.
Besides efforts in academic coursework, Deer Park Elementary attempts to nurture sound characters in students
“We feel like we are getting strong academically, but also we think it’s our responsibility to do everything that we can to shape the student’s overall development,” said Laura Hicks, a representative from Deer Park Elementary.
The campus adopted Six Pillars of Character, or trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, and the students and staff will learn each trait through a variety of activities.
Victor White, assistant superintendent for instruction, said the presented campus plans are “just a representation of the quality of all of the rest.”
Ann Zesiger, a representative from Wolters Accelerated High School, said the primary goal at the accelerated high school has been for the students to graduate from high school.
Last school year, it graduated 153 students, or about 20 percent of the Class of 2008, according to the information listed in the campus improvement plan.
Zesiger said it will graduate 15-20 percent of the 2009 graduating class since the student demographics changed this year and approximately one-fourth of the student population is now ninth graders.
The representative from the accelerated high school said for the campus to be successful “it is imperative that we change the attitudes of our students.”
“School, for the majority of them, has not been a positive experience,” Zesiger said. “It takes time and process to change their thinking. With our new population, we are re-emphasizing the [relationship] building skills”
Zesiger said once the relationship between students and the staff are established, they are then able to have the students focus on each step of the academic ladder leading to graduation.
Terri See, a representative from Deepwater Junior High, said their goal is to increase student achievement by focusing their attention on the special population, economically-disadvantaged students and limited English proficiency students.
The campus is going to introduce science and writing tutorials this year in addition to ongoing reading and math pull-out tutorials.
The campus set the second goal to increase technology integration in the curriculum. Renzulli Learning System, for instance, matches student’s interests with their learning styles.
Besides efforts in academic coursework, Deer Park Elementary attempts to nurture sound characters in students
“We feel like we are getting strong academically, but also we think it’s our responsibility to do everything that we can to shape the student’s overall development,” said Laura Hicks, a representative from Deer Park Elementary.
The campus adopted Six Pillars of Character, or trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship, and the students and staff will learn each trait through a variety of activities.
Victor White, assistant superintendent for instruction, said the presented campus plans are “just a representation of the quality of all of the rest.”
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