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Moreland School District |
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Anderson Elementary School Showed Highest STAR Test Score Growth in Santa Clara County!Spirits are high at Anderson Elementary School, where students and staff recently learned that they earned the highest STAR test score growth in the Santa Clara County for both reading and math! The dedicated staff at Anderson has made tremendous academic strides in the last few years, using benchmarks to shape their daily instruction to increase their students’ overall achievement. According to Destiny Ortega, Principal at Anderson, there are several factors that have contributed to Anderson’s meteoric rise in test scores: skilled teachers, new programs and the support of the Moreland community. “Our teachers have been using benchmark assessments to focus and narrow instruction, making classroom time more effective,” says Destiny, “They have become experts at using data to drive instruction.” Last year Anderson began using Board Math. It uses a preview and review technique which allows students to solve problems that are aligned with state standards. All the problems in Board Math are formatted to be similar to what students see on the STAR tests, which has exposed them to different formats and increased their academic language. Anderson recieved a five thousand dollar grant from the Moreland Educational Foundation (MEF) to purchase the Board Math program, and is deeply grateful for the support of the Foundation. Another recently added program was Mind Research Institute. The spatial-temporal reasoning computer software initially takes out the barriers of language and academic symbols when learning math. It allows students to build a solid foundation of grade level concepts which increases student success in the classroom. There have been many people who have contributed to Anderson’s success. Destiny states, “For the past three years the Moreland community has supported Anderson by volunteering their time in the classrooms, donating supplies and giving students scholarships for science camp. We are thankful for their dedication to our students.” Tasha Quinonez, Assistant Principal at Anderson, sees benchmarks as a foundation for planning Language Arts curriculum maps. “Benchmark assessments help teachers build weekly goals for their students,” says Tasha, “Teachers have also implemented a learning aid called Reading Tools. Reading Tools are focused questions that teachers use to increase reading comprehension during read-aloud's.” When asked what she believes has been the largest contributor to Anderson’s growth in STAR testing, Tasha replied, “having a dedicated staff who delivers focused instruction based on student needs and grade level standards.” Board Math and Mind Research Institute (JiJi) programs have been big hits with students. Two students in Jodi Rubino’s fourth grade class responded enthusiastically when asked about the programs. “With JiJi you learn more, and can advance faster,” says one student, “my favorite game is division!” Another student observed that with Board Math “you can do the math in your head.” He also loves the JiJi program because “you’re having fun and learning at the same time!” Congratulations to the students and talented staff at Anderson for this remarkable achievement. The Moreland School District is proud to celebrate you! Click on links for more information on the Mind Research Institute and STAR testing.
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“For the past three years the Moreland community has supported Anderson...we are thankful for their dedication to our students.” |
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