Session 45: Broad Prize Finalist: Aldine Independent School District, Houston, TX
Printer-friendly versionPresenters:
Mrs. Nadine Kujawa, Superintendent of Schools
Ms. Margarita Byrum, Area Superintendent
Ms. Rose Avalos, Principal, MacArthur Senior High School
Mrs. Holly Fisackerly, Principal, Oleson Elementary School
Aldine doesn’t just believe in having high expectations for all students – It puts them in writing, monitors progress, actively uses data to plan and adjust instruction, and helps teachers turn high expectations into action. Aldine believes it is important for all administrators, teachers, students, and parents to have an understanding of what each student is expected to learn at specific levels during their academic career in Aldine. Therefore, the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, curricular program directors, and classroom teachers have collaborated to produce the Aldine Benchmark Targets, which document specific skills that students must acquire at certain grade levels. The district also has created a coordinated approach to measuring student progress using Benchmark Assessments administered at the end of every semester or 9-w2eek grading period. Schools administer their own teacher-created mini-benchmark assessments every two or three weeks. Teachers use the results to provide individualized instruction and identify students who need extra help. The district recently created a Web-based data system for feeding assessment results back to teachers on a quick-turnaround basis. Aldine supports it teachers by offering district-wide professional development firmly grounded in and focused on the Benchmark Targets and the strategies to ensure mastery learning. The assessments also identify areas of strength and deficit in the instructional program.
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