Data from Phase I schools indicate that training and implementation components of RtII are having a positive impact on teachers and students. Primary teachers are seeing an increase in student achievement in the areas of phonemic awareness and phonics which will lead to stronger readers and writers in the later grades. Watching data from the assessments for a specific group of students in the Phase I population shows that they continue on an upward trend toward the goal of 100% proficiency. Specific sub-tests in the targeted area of phonemic awareness and phonics are also yielding positive growth.
Phase II and Phase III schools, which include the remain- ing nine elementary schools, are busy learning to incor- porate the instructional components of RtII that have been so successful in our Phase I schools. Data from these Phase II and Phase III schools will be available following their first full year of implementation.
Elementary students are evaluated in multiple ways including classroom work, benchmark assessments, homework and, of course, the PSSA. NPSD elementary students continue to score well above the state average on this state assessment. Some highlights of the 2010-2011 results include:
• About two-thirds of elementary students scored at the advanced level on the PSSA math assessment.
• Significant increases occurred in elementary writing.
• Over five years, the elementary math and science scores consistently exceeded 90% proficient and the elementary writing scores consistently exceeded 85% proficient.
• Gwynedd Square and Nash elementary schools exceeded 90% proficient in reading.
• Bridle Path increased its reading scores from 79.6% in 2010 to 88.3% in 2011, an increase of 8.7%.
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• In reading, Knapp increased from 76.9% in 2010 to 81.4% in 2011, an increase of 4.5%.
• Almost 60% of elementary students scored at the advanced level on the PSSA Science assessment.
• Kulp elementary school scored 100% proficient in writing.
Success Stories •
Knapp Elementary School fifth grade teacher Sabrina Milles was selected as one of 23 finalists for the 2011 Voices of Inspiration Award for Teaching Excellence.
• NPSD celebrated its 20th anniversary of the
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Program. The RIF Program in NPSD has inspired approximately 20,000 first grade students to love reading over the course of 20 years. More than 60,000 books have been donated to children through the program.
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Nearly 300 fourth and fifth grade students participated in the 24th annual Young
Authors’ Conference. Various workshops were presented by local experts in the fields of writing, illustrating, publishing and more.
The Oak Park Elementary School Robotics Team earned the “Teamwork Trophy” for their excellence in teamwork at the Body Forward–Tune UP in PA Lego Robotics Competition.