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Test scores on the state assessment
tests at Mt. Hope High School in Bristol, Rhode Island were
extremely low
at the inception of the course in the 2001-2002 school year not
because of the lack of intelligence of our students but because of
their lack of interest in taking a test that ‘didn’t count’ towards
their grade.
In the first year that the Strategies
program was offered, the creator/instructor offered an academic pep
rally to the classes taking the assessment that year. Those
assemblies are now held yearly and incorporate some of the unique
strategies that are in the curriculum.
The
'Strategies' curriculum also offers students not only the tools to perform well
on tests of all kinds, but also develops within students the motivation and
desire to achieve.
The scores
have risen at Mt. Hope High School. There are many reasons - from the
strategies shared at those assemblies, to the actual strategies
classes, to all the hard work from the staff and by the students.
But without a doubt, what students learned in the Strategies
classes and assemblies contributed significantly to the students
‘buying into’ taking the tests seriously. Once they had a personal
reason to excel, they were able to demonstrate the knowledge learned
from a very dedicated school staff.
Update:
As of
October 11, 2007,
Mt. Hope High
School is now among the state's top high schools. Cited as one of the reasons
for the improvement were the academic assemblies that were begun in 2001 as part
of the 'Strategies of Success' program. In fact, the improvement has been
steady since the implementation of the success program which began in the
2001-2002 school year.
To read the article in the Bristol Phoenix,
click here.
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