With the statewide assessment of Mississippi public schools just around the corner, the Greenwood Public School District is trying out a few creative methods for preparing students.
On four Saturdays leading up to the MCT2 tests, the district will hold school for four hours to provide additional time for teaching state objectives.
“During Saturday school, teachers will target the highly tested competencies in reading, math and English,” Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Wilson said. “The students will work in small groups and receive intense remediation and enrichment on state tested objectives.”
The sessions begin March 27 and go through May 1 at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Students who attend the sessions are recommended by teachers, but attendance is voluntary.
Additionally, students will be taking home study packets that they will be required to complete over spring break. For all work completed, students will receive classroom credit.
The test packet will include standard study materials, but also the product of a new service project. This year, one project assigned to the gifted students at Greenwood schools involved utilizing their creative and intellectual skills to design test-prep study questions with step-by-step directions on how to solve the problems.
They also generated two questions similar to the test questions for additional practice in solving that type of problem.
“Students get to see the problem solved in easy-to-understand, student-friendly language. It also gives our gifted students an opportunity to provide service learning, while engaging in the highest levels of critical thinking, which include analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating,” Wilson said.
She said the reaction from the gifted students was positive.
“They were very excited about the project,” Wilson said. “They have turned in some really good work.”
“When students are able to analyze a problem, break it into its component parts, and then, from that analysis, create a new, authentic product, then they can leverage those skills and tackle any problem placed before them.”
The school is also increasing the time the students spend preparing in class. The district has scheduled double-block periods for Algebra I, Biology I, English II, and U.S. History beginning in April.
Additionally, teachers of non-tested areas are being assigned the challenge of integrating the state tested objectives into their curriculum as well.
“For example, music teachers will not only be teaching music, but also fractions because understanding fractional parts is a key component in understanding music,” Wilson said. “The (physical education) teachers will have students recite multiplication facts while jumping ropes or practicing free throws.”
Teachers are also asked to create their weekly tests solely in the MCT2/SATP format. In addition, this year at all schools 15 to 25 minutes of the school day is dedicated to academic and test vocabulary.
Students will also be tested with another district-wide practice assessment, the second this school year. The district will be offering incentives to students, classes and teachers who meet the performance target established by the superintendent.
Wilson said the district is focused on putting academics first. She added that scores on the state assessments should only be one indication of how well students and schools are performing.
