MAHONING VALLEY State designates 5 area 'Schools of Promise'

Successful schools look at pupils as individuals.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
Four of the Mahoning Valley's elementary schools and one of its high schools are among 52 in the state that have been named "Schools of Promise" for having pupils who succeed in academics despite high poverty levels.
State Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman announced the schools Monday, saying they "demonstrate that demographics should not determine a student's academic destiny."
Local schools on the list are Campbell Memorial High School; Addison Elementary School in the Brookfield School District; Mesopotamia Elementary School in the Bloomfield-Mesopotamia District; Rogers Elementary School in Beaver School District; and MacDonald Elementary School in Wellsville School District.
While the poverty level for the schools selected is 50 percent or higher, pupil performance levels were at 75 percent or higher on 2003 report cards, which listed 2001-02 proficiency test data. The recognition program was recommended by the Ohio Board of Education's Closing Achievement Gaps Task Force.
"I think this award is because we reach every group, every ethnic or racial group ... and our rates went up," said Campbell Memorial Principal Richard Gozur. "When you talk about the spectrum of students we have that meet our goals, we do very good compared to the rest of the state."
High passage rate
Campbell Memorial was especially recognized for its 96.3 passage rate among ninth-graders on the reading test.
Gozur said many different approaches were taken to reach the goal, including re-evaluating curriculum based on test scores and addressing each pupil's individual strengths and weaknesses. Technology programs have also been introduced and the school uses members of both the school and surrounding community to create its "continuous improvement" plans.
In areas with low socio-economic status, he said, fewer pupils have parents who are college graduates, families don't spend extra money on magazines and newspapers and reading may not be reinforced. Further, pupil population is transient with a turnover of 8 percent or 9 percent each year.
At Addison Elementary, fourth-grade pupils were singled out for their performance in both reading (81.7 percent proficient) and math (79.6 percent). Rogers Elementary School fourth-graders gained attention for a 78-percent proficient level in reading.
An 82.5-percent proficiency in fourth-grade math earned Mesopotamia Elementary its recognition. And MacDonald Elementary earned kudos for 88.2-percent fourth-grade proficiency in both reading and math.
Working together
Diana Morris, a fourth-grade teacher at Rogers, said staff and pupils work hard together in programs such as after-school tutoring, the Ohio Reads program and specific proficiency tutoring in January. Teachers look at pupil performance individually, have frequent in-services and share ideas between grade levels.
"All the staff is working toward fourth-grade proficiency, starting in kindergarten," she said. " ... We work hard, and I think the students do, too. It's a goal we strive for together."
Pupils in low-income areas may not have access to reading materials, parents may work more hours, there may be few nearby libraries and transportation to programs may be difficult for families with one vehicle, Morris said.
Tim Filipovich, principal at Addison, said the Brookfield district also looks at proficiency test success beginning at the kindergarten level -- in the Stevenson and Brookfield elementary schools. Tactics include pre-fall meetings with kindergarten parents to make sure children are ready for school; phonics activities at young ages; smaller class sizes; reviews of individual pupil academic performance; and teachers who are willing to make classroom changes.
"It's not just a fourth-grade test, it's a kindergarten through fourth-grade test," he explained. " ... It's a combined effort of the school and community and students taking an active responsibility for learning. Couple that with a certified, classified staff, and you can achieve some things."
Taking responsibility
While the school is in a low-income area, Filipovich said, educators don't use it as an excuse to perform lower. They do try to assume full responsibility for each pupil's education, understanding that some parents work two jobs or raise families single-handedly.
Regardless of poverty status, Campbell's Gozur said, it remains important to support the specific needs of each student.
"When they graduate high school, whether they're from Boardman or Cleveland Heights or Arlington or Worthington or Cincinnati, they're applying for the same jobs, the same scholarships," Gozur said. "They're equal."