Week+2+Discussion

We inform the community about AYP data and AEIS reports as a **district** at various locations throughout the summer and into early fall. This allows for parents to learn about the data and to ask questions if they have any. In addition, the results are posted on the district website for parents to browse if needed. Due to budget constraints, food/drink is not served at the meetings. At our school, we have various tutoring programs to help at-risk students, even though we don't have an official SSI program. For example, if a student fails Algebra I or Geometry in a six weeks, they can go to the JIT (Just In Time) Lab during one of their electives (like PE) to try to get that grade up to passing. They have a computer program specific to the concepts covered in that six weeks and if the student passes, then they go back and change the grade for that six weeks. It is not a perfect system by any means, but is one we use. Also, about a month before TAKS, teachers get paid stipends to give up their conference periods to tutor students who have failed TAKS or are on the bubble. Teachers have 6-8 students they can work one-on-one with to help give "almost individual" attention and hopefully pass the TAKS tests. We also use Eduphoria and are able to look up students' past TAKS tests and District Assessments. It is helpful to see how students scored, especially for placement in accelerated classes. At the beginning of the year, I actually had 2 students in my Pre-AP Algebra II class that were also concurrently taking Pre-AP Geometry, and neither one of them had passed last year's TAKS tests. I was stunned!!! After inquiring about why in the world these girls would take not 1, but 2 advanced math classes after not passing the TAKS test in math, one of the girls responded that she needed to "get her GPA up". She dropped my class the next week because she had a 50-something and didn't know any of the prerequisite skills needed to be successful. I guess my point is that the COUNSELORS need to be looking at this information BEFORE placing students in classes they are not ready for. I am not saying to not let students try to be successful, but at least have a conversation with the student and parent to verify correct placement. Oh, and this girl had also failed Algebra I as well.....sigh.....