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Andrew Jackson Elementary School

"Let us not think of ourselves, but of our children's children."
"SuccessMaker has given the children at Andrew Jackson Elementary the practice they can't get anywhere else."
     Dr. Nancy Hill, Principal, Andrew Jackson Elementary School

Highlights

• Andrew Jackson Elementary has exceeded its Advanced Placement goal in reading and math for the 2001-2002 school year.
• In STAR testing, students using Pearson Digital Learning SuccessMaker improved from the 18th percentile in reading as fourth-graders in 1999 to the 26th percentile as fifth-graders in 2000. The same group of students jumped from the 39th percentile in 1999 to the 45th percentile in 2000 in mathematics.
• Students in grades two through five have seen substantial improvements in their National Percentile Rank in reading and mathematics from 1998-2000.

School/District Profile

Andrew Jackson Elementary is located in a low-income suburb of Palm Springs, and enrolls approximately 660 students. The school is located in the Desert Sands Unified School District which enrolls almost 25,000 students. The district ethnic population consists of fifty-eight percent Hispanic, thirty-five percent white, and seven percent other.

Challenge

Andrew Jackson Elementary's challenge was to help close the digital divide and improve skills by providing low-income students with access to computers both during and after the school day.

Site Goals

The students needed help bridging the digital divide and building skills in reading and mathematics. The school also needed to raise students' scores and provide them-and their parents-with a place to practice what they had learned in class and set goals for future success.

Solution

Andrew Jackson Elementary's success began in November 1998 with a grant from the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program and a pilot of SuccessMaker software.

The administration and staff at Andrew Jackson Elementary were thrilled to receive a grant from the 21st Century Community Leaning Center program. Supported by the U.S. Department of Education, the program enables school districts to fund after-school community education centers in public schools. With 86% of their students receiving free lunch and a large population of latchkey children, Andrew Jackson was the perfect candidate for a 21st Century school.

"We know that our students don't have computers in their homes," said Dr. Nancy Hill, Principal of Andrew Jackson Elementary. "If we don't provide our kids with access to technology, they'll fall into the digital divide."

In November 1998, all 15 elementary schools in the Desert Sands Unified School District participated in a pilot program administered by CTAP, the California Technology Assistance Project. Each school tried out different educational software, and Andrew Jackson was assigned to pilot SuccessMaker. "We all committed to using whatever CTAP chose at the end of the pilot," said Dr. Hill. "But we would have died if they had taken SuccessMaker away from us." After evaluating the different software programs, CTAP chose SuccessMaker and implementation began in earnest.

Building a Lab for the Whole Community

Andrew Jackson Elementary wanted a place where students could go both during and after school to practice what they had learned in class. "We know that the children at Andrew Jackson don't read or do math at home," said Dr. Hill. "No matter how good the teaching is, if kids don't practice they don't learn at the same rate."

The 40-computer lab at Andrew Jackson is open every day after school from 4 - 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. "Kids love the computer work," said Dr. Hill. "And the lab is a safe, supervised place to go after school. We see kids who come every day, including Saturday."

The lab is also popular with parents in the community. Two nights a week, an ESL class is held at Andrew Jackson Elementary from 6 - 8 p.m. Jackson was able to use money from Proposition 227 to purchase Pearson Digital Learning software. Adults use the lab from 7 - 8 p.m. to practice on SuccessMaker software. "We made a commitment to the parents to get adult education software in the lab," said Dr. Hill. " It's very popular because parents at all levels of ESL are able to benefit from the software."

One Cycle for Every Child, Every Day

Each student at Andrew Jackson Elementary uses SuccessMaker for one reading cycle and one mathematics cycle each day. Dr. Hill stressed the importance of committing time to SuccessMaker and commented, "It takes a staff that believes in the power of technology to help students succeed."

The state of California also provides funds for tutoring students who are not meeting standards. However, the state requires that at least twelve students must be in the tutorial. To help teachers tutor such a large group at once, Andrew Jackson holds tutoring sessions in which a teacher will teach half the group while the other half uses SuccessMaker for reinforcement. The two halves then swap. "The combination of directed instruction and computer work makes it manageable to tutor a large group of students," said Dr. Hill, "and the kids love the computer work."

Empowering Students to Set Goals

To help students track their progress, teachers at Andrew Jackson Elementary began using the reporting functions of SuccessMaker. "The most successful classrooms use the reports to help students set goals," said Dr. Hill. "Kids are competing with themselves for improvement and have become very goal-oriented."

During family conferences, students present their own portfolios to parents. According to Dr. Hill, "One of the most powerful reports for parents is when their child tells them, 'This is where I am, this is where I need to be, and this is how much practice I need.'"

Results

After a year of using SuccessMaker, students saw measurable gains at all grade levels. Andrew Jackson Elementary's computer lab also provides latchkey students with a safe place to practice what they have learned after school. And parents use the lab for ESL instruction two nights a week.

Third, fourth, and fifth graders at Andrew Jackson Elementary have used SuccessMaker since November 1998. Each student from grades K-6 now uses SuccessMaker for one reading cycle and one mathematics cycle each day. "We know that SuccessMaker has made a difference in test scores," said Dr. Hill.

In STAR testing, students improved from the 18th percentile in reading as fourth-graders in 1999 to the 26th percentile as fifth-graders in 2000. The same group of students jumped from the 39th percentile in 1999 to the 45th percentile in 2000 in mathematics. In 1998, before SuccessMaker was implemented schoolwide, those students were scoring in the 12th percentile in reading and the 24th percentile in mathematics as third-graders.

Students in grades two through five have seen substantial improvements in their National Percentile Rank in reading and mathematics from 1998-2000:

STAR Reading Results

STAR Mathematics Results

According to Andrew Jackson's current principal, Mick Wilhite, "Students, teachers, and parents continue to be excited about SuccessMaker, and it has proven to be a valuable addition to their daily routine. It's a part of our everyday language."

To find out more, visit the Andrew Jackson Elementary website at http://www.dsusd.k12.ca.us/schools/jackson.

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