Alabama: State: Locals help scores

More from Alabama. Check out the local initiatives to get kids excited -- named a flagship school for NAEP, they were ambassadors for NAEP, called NAEP Heroes and received a letter from the governor.


SOURCE: Brewton (AL) Standard (The)
AUDIENCE: 1,930 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings]
DATE: 10-18-2007
HEADLINE: State: Locals help scores



The Brewton Standard - News

State: Locals help scores

By Lisa Tindell

news editor

Are you smarter than a fourth-grader?

The answer could be "no," according to scores seen recently by Alabama students - including those at Pollard-McCall - in the National Assessment of Education Progress.

Students, chosen randomly by the U.S. Department of Education, took a battery of tests in reading and mathematics in February. Scores were released in September and found Alabama fourth-graders among the best in the nation in both subjects for improvement.

Pollard-McCall Junior High School was chosen as the only school in Escambia County to participate in the testing.

"When we were chosen to be a part of the process, we were happy to represent Alabama," Principal Hugh White said. "We had a picture made of the students who would be taking the test and sent it in a card to Dr. Joe Morton."

White said the card asked Morton to "believe in each of us. We won't let you down." Morton responded to the card by passing a special resolution in honor of the fourth-grade students at Pollard-McCall Junior High School.

"A resolution was passed for our school naming us as a Flagship School for NAEP," White said.

"We were even named ambassadors for NAEP."

White said last year's fourth grade students who took the test worked hard on their studies and when taking the tests, and their hard work paid off.

"These students worked really hard to do their best," White said. "I'm so proud of them. In doing so well, our students here helped to make our state look good in education. We're very proud."

Dubbed NAEP Heroes, the school received a letter of congratulations from Gov. Bob Riley and state superintendent Morton.

In the letter, school officials were told that Alabama led the nation in reading score gains with an improvement of eight points.

"This is the largest state gain in reading ever recorded by NAEP," Morton said in the letter.

"We also made wonderful progress in mathematics in grades 4 and 8 with growth of 4 points in each while the national growth was 2 points."

(c)Copyright (c) 2007 The Brewton Standard.