|
PETERSBURG - Robert E. Lee Elementary School pupil Tiffany
Williams was struggling in math and science last year. Ditto,
Diaira Winfield in science.
But the girls, who were third-graders last year, saw their
grades jump significantly - Tiffany brought up two D's to
A's, Diaira brought a C to an A after the arrival of a portable
computer system called "eBuddy." The academic improvements
of Tiffany and
Diaira were part of a bigger trend at the Lee School. On the
2000 Standards of Learning tests administered by the state,
pupils at Robert E. Lee achieved bigger gains from the 1999
SOLs than any other school in Petersburg.
That's quite a gain for a school that battles some tough odds.
Studies have concluded that a major determinant of standardized
test scores is the socioeconomic status of the pupils who
take it. Students from poor households generally score lower
than those from affluent households.
With 100 percent of its pupils qualifying for free or reduced
breakfasts and lunches, and the highest rate of economically
disadvantaged families, the Lee School is the poorest elementary
school district in the city, according to Petersburg school
officials.
"We're not making any excuses," said principal Norma
Wingfield. We know our kids can do it. We know it can be done.
So we're just trying to move in the right direction with that."
The biggest gains were made by last year's third-graders.
In science, overall SOL test scores increased 31 percent,
in history, 29 percent. Math scores jumped 19 percent and
English scores 8 percent.
"Hopefully, in 2001, we'll do even better with these
scores," Wingfield said.
|
Torrie Brown checks the online progress of her pupils during
a recent class. She can monitor each child from her desk by
using the screen on a nearby wall.
|
|
The scores didn't top the marks that the state Department
of Education has established as a way to determine which schools
will be accredited beginning in 2006-07.
"Even though we made the most gains, we didn't take a
big step. We took a little step," said Lee's assistant
principal, Rudy Stephenson."But we're on the verge. We
think we can do something with these kids."
Stephenson said the major factor in the increase was Lee's
teachers. "The teacher's the most important thing you
can have."
An SOL practice book called Blast Off was probably the second
most important factor in the improvements, Stephenson said.
The eBuddy system, which allows pupils to access EduTest,
an SOL practice test site on the Internet, was third.
Manufactured by EarthWalk Com-munications Inc., in Manassas,
eBuddy allows 25 pupils in a classroom to connect to the Internet
at the same time from portable computers.
No elementary school in Petersburg has the electrical capacity
to support five computers per classroom, said Superintendent
Dr. Wallace M. Saval. The state Department of Education mandates
that every public school classroom have at least five computers
in it. The city is seeking a $1 million, interest-free loan
to upgrade electrical capacity in its elementary schools.
|
"Most of our classrooms have two to four computers,"
said Torrie Brown, who teaches fourth-and fifth-grade social
studies at Lee. "But with the eBuddy, everyone [in a
class] can get on the Internet at one time. That way, everybody
can get that hands-on experience that is so valuable."
The eBuddy system, which features a wireless hookup to the
Internet through Petersburg High School, cost approx-imately
$40,000. It was delivered around Christmas last year. Third-,
fourth- and fifth-grade classes have priority over its use,
but all of the pupils get a chance to use it, including the
4-year-olds in the Head Start and pre-kindergarten programs,
said Brown. Its also used by the school's Technology Club.
Using computers on a regular basis paid off for last year's
fifth-graders, whose SOL score on the technology test improved
23 percent from 1999.
"Any time a student is working on a computer, whether
they realize it or not, they're learning technology,"
Brown said.
But just using the eBuddy system doesn't take the place of
hard work and persistence.
"You have to keep on doing it over and over until you
get it right," said fourth-grader Tuesday Johnson. "If
you take your time and really get into it, it helps you a
lot."
Download
PDF
of this article
|
