In Case You Missed It ...
May 19, 2009 6:15 pm US/Central
Two Troubled DISD Schools Making Improvements
DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Facing closure and/or state takeover, the Dallas Independent School District proudly announced that student performance improved at two troubled high schools.
The news is a morale booster for the two schools in question and for the school district. To put things in perspective, both W.W. Samuell High School and H. Grady Spruce High School, in education terms, were on death row.
Tuesday, DISD proudly showed off the enthusiasm found among students studying biology in Samuell High School. A year ago, most kids there failed state science exams. Samuell students had the same low scores in math and had four straight years of low performance ratings. That's not the case anymore.
"And I'm so proud of the principals, and staff, and the teachers, and especially the students," said Superintendent Michael Hinojosa.
Both Samuell and Spruce saw wholesale changes in teacher and school leadership. Both had faced closure by the state, if students didn't show substantive academic growth.
Veteran teacher Sandra Winkley said the difference this year: focus. "The administration was focused. The teachers were focused and the students became more focused. And I think that's what really pulled us over," she said.
Samuell High Principal, Israel Cordero, is excited about the positive changes. "I just want to say that I'm really pleased with the students and I'm really pleased with the teachers for the amount of effort that they really put in this school year," he said.
While Samuell and Spruce were the poster campuses for underachievement, extra attention pulled them out of the failure category. Unfortunately, DISD officials say there are other schools in the district that will receive a low performance rating.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
RAW VIDEO: 100-Mile Police Chase
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments