Academic celebrations
Events such as History Day engage the entire school community in academic celebrations that encourage creativity. The school community recognizes students for their talent in a variety of ways, including costuming, project displays, dramatic skits, and readings. Teams can build a sense of community by preparing demonstrations and by inviting parents and the community to participate.
In the Spotlight
Rancho Cucamonga Middle School, Cucamonga Elementary School District, an On the Right Track School
To build student buy-in to testing, staff members host “Cat Chat” celebration days. Students who bring their STAR testing results to the celebration get raffle tickets. Staff members circulate and discuss the test results with the students, who receive encouragement for increases in their scores, as well as adult guidance in goal setting for future progress. At other times, team members cover for each other or they hire substitutes so that teachers have time to meet individually with each student and go over score results. This is one of the strategies the school (formerly on program improvement) used to increase API scores by 170 points over the past five years.
Students know in advance when the celebration will take place, and teachers talk with them about what reports to look for at home. If students cannot find the report at home, teachers can get copies of the test results for students who want to talk about where they are and where they need to go academically. Also, if students have moved, the administration contacts the other school to get copies of the test results for the students. The school staff members make every effort to ensure that they do not punish students because their parents lack an adequate filing system.
The principal reported that since the Cat Chat is now a standard practice in the school, students know to look for test results in the fall. If the results do not come, students complain to their teachers that they have not received them. The program has helped to raise student awareness about the value of using the results for educational planning. For example, one of the school’s resource (special education) students came on preview day (before school starts) to pick up her schedule. When she saw that she was scheduled to take a math intervention class, she said, “I have a math intervention class, but I got 355 on my CST math test and that’s basic, and that means I get an elective this year, right?”
Rio Norte Junior High School, William S. Hart Union High School District
Celebrations and having fun are central to maintaining a positive school climate at Rio Norte in north Los Angeles County. “Student of the Month” luncheons honor three students from each of the eight teams (or small learning communities). This means that 240 students (24 students per month times ten months) are recognized each year out of a total population of approximately 1,200 students. Honored students share lunch with their teacher and then receive an award in a ceremony that follows.
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Celebrations—a culture based on caring and success
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Effort/motivation celebrations