The analysis accounted for key factors, such as low-income and bilingual student populations, to determine the bright spots, said Leila Santill\u00e1n, the partnership\u2019s chief operating officer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re really showing that it\u2019s possible for all students to achieve at high levels,\u201d Santill\u00e1n said.<\/p>\n
C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Elementary saw a 25 percentage point increase in students meeting grade level on reading and a 9 point bump in math on this year\u2019s STAAR, or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. Now, 56% of students are proficient in reading and 39% in math.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just didn\u2019t happen overnight,\u201d said Ordaz, who has led her school for 13 years.<\/p>\n
Much of the work, she said, began before the COVID-19 pandemic. C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Primary was on the cusp of hitting its stride before the virus upended the world.<\/p>\n
Ordaz credits C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Elementary\u2019s improvements to a consistent focus on student growth that permeates from pre-K through fifth grade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teachers work together to ensure they prepare students for their next grade level. They closely track data on students and make adjustments to their instruction in real time, Ordaz said. Sometimes that means adjusting lessons to ensure teachers are providing students a bridge to their next grade level.<\/p>\n
Teachers also set goals for their grade level and focus on it all year, Ordaz said. They work together. They learn what\u2019s working and not. They share their classroom systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really helps to improve the craft of the teacher and the skill set of the students,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This kind of collaboration requires trust, Ordaz said. It took years to build up that faith among teachers, support staff and campus leaders. At the same time, Ordaz ensured her staff was supported as the school worked to improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are high expectations, but there\u2019s also high support,\u201d Ordaz said. \u201cCulture trumps strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Culture was crucial for academic success across the quartet of schools, Santill\u00e1n said. The ingredients for success are available at all schools, but these four stand out for how leadership brought them together for students.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just what a school has in place, but how the elements are used together,\u201d Santill\u00e1n said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ordaz and Santill\u00e1n agreed the formula for success at the bright spot schools can be replicated across Fort Worth.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it should,\u201d Ordaz said. \u201cThis is how school should be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @_jacob_sanchez<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Disclosure: The Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which supports the Fort Worth Education Partnership, has been a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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