Helping Close the Achievement Gap at Pot Spring Elementary

This school year, the PTA is raising funds to support our staff in their efforts to make Pot Spring a more equitable learning environment. We are working closely with the administration to help close the achievement gap at our school, by providing resources for teachers to support our Bluebirds who are currently reading below grade level. The goal is to have all students reading at or above grade level by the end of this school year.

 

The PTA has donated the following resources to the ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers:

  • Picture dictionaries to boost students’ vocabulary;
  • Vocabulary photo cards;
  • Spanish-English matching game.

The PTA donated RISE handbooks to teachers. RISE (Reading Inspires Students to Excel) is an intensive reading intervention program that has been implemented with great success at other Baltimore County elementary schools. In this 8-week program, teachers and reading specialists work with a small group of students each day on each of the four language processes: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Typically, students in the program move up a reading level every two weeks. Their success is celebrated with a small graduation ceremony at the end of the 8 weeks.

 

We also purchased Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curriculum books for the primary (K-2) teachers.

 

Additionally, the PTA purchased a corporate Book Bank membership so that we can keep the Book Nook in the foyer well-stocked and get as many book as possible into the hands of as many Bluebirds as possible.

 

Finally, we would like to partner with Pot Spring administration to host monthly parent breakfasts on different topics (reading skills, math games, homework, Conscious Discipline, …) so that families have all the resources they need to help make their child’s potential a reality.

 

Success of these initiatives will be measured through data (reading levels) and conversations with administration and teachers. Outcomes will be shared with PTA membership.

 

For more information, watch these short videos:

 

 

 

 

*Update* Our first groups of 2nd and 3rd graders have graduated from Camp Rise & Shine! They enjoyed the program, and made amazing progress. Check out the data here:

Notice that almost all students jumped 2 reading levels or more. Congratulations, Bluebirds!

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