Achievement Snapshot—Sumner Elementary
Maria’s sixth grade teacher had these words to say about Maria’s school-family connection: “Whenever I see Maria, in my mind’s eye, I see the smiling faces of her parents, younger children in tow, along with the seemingly perpetual baby carriage. Maria’s parents speak little English, but that apparently, never stopped them from attending all major school events. Her parents were, in fact, a part of the Bilingual Parents’ Committee, and felt, like many others, that they were ‘in the know’ about the school’s activities, and that their voices were very much sought, heard, and responded to warmly.”

Maria started at Sumner in Kindergarten, knowing little, if any, English. Her support system, like that of over 50 other English Language Learners, has been extensive. Parent/Student/Teacher conferences for Maria were facilitated by a translator. Twice per week, she rode on a special bus to the Wellness Center to receive special help with her homework, as her parents were unable to provide her effective assistance with their limited education and limited English skills. Maria also spent time in the Title I program and the after-school Homework Club. She attended summer school every summer. She was in the Free Lunch program, and throughout her years at Sumner often received clothing from the “Shoes that Fit” program. Maria never had a doubt that Sumner School cared about her and her lovely family in every way.

Maria’s first grade teacher remembers that she struggled academically. She was very sweet, cooperative and had excellent attendance. She was shy and sometimes reluctant to speak in English. Her teacher could speak a little bit of Spanish to her, and that helped strengthen a special bond. Indeed, Maria benefited from Cross-Cultural Language Development certificated teachers and English Language Development lessons in her primary years.

Maria’s sixth grade achievement scores in language expression were at the 73rd percentile. In language mechanics, she achieved at the 68th percentile. In math processes she scored at the 80th percentile, problem solving 65th percentile.

The sixth graders participate in a writing evaluation through the Educational Research Bureau. Writing pieces are scored on a rubric of one to six, six being the highest proficiency in writing. The rubric is rigorous. Even so, Maria managed to score a “5,” excelling beyond the average of “4.” Maria never gave up trying, through she had her share of low report card grades. And the Sumner family never gave up on Maria. With gentle love, support, and coaxing, shy, sweet Maria certainly found her voice. Her writing scores testify to this. (But we already knew it!)