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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2000)
Page A3 September 27, 2000 ii (Pbserutr (Elje ^Iorilanb ©bseru^r Education Revolutionary Math Finds Winning Combination Again O nce again, a group o f Portland inner-city kids participated in a sum m er m ath study program and scored notable gains. T he 15 students in this year’s program scored an aver age o f 2.6 years gain in m ath skills in 5 weeks. T he students w ere participants in R evolutionary M ath, a m ath/ study skills program designed es pecially for kids in Portland inner- city m iddle schools - kids w ho do not achieve their full potential in the Portland Public School system . T hese kids identified as being “at risk”, and they are. H aving basic m ath skills and know ing that they are sm art, capable learners is vital to their current and future perfor m ance and w ell-being. These are kids that could easily get lost or ignored by the system . T hey could easily rem ain “ under-achievers” , and even w orse, they could see them selves as such. Instead, they are picked up by Revolutionary Math. T he program is unique in its ap proach. Students m eet five days a w eek for five w eeks. High expecta tions, an em phasis on study skills, and parental involvem ent are the hallm arks o f this program . R evolu tionary M ath uses video to help kids learn, and to docum ent their learn ing process. T he kids participate in the video-m aking process, and walk aw ay w ith a kid-friendly video that they are proud to share with their friends. T hus, these “at risk” kids score gains for them selves, and they becom e ca ta ly sts for other k id s’ learning as w ell. This is the third sum m er this program has run, with consistently positive results. R evolutionary M ath helps insure that the m ath gains kids make during the school year are not lost during the sum m er m onths w hen they are not in school. Rather than losing ground during the summ er, the Revo- Aris Brooks and Emnet H. are part of a group of inner-city kids who increased their math skills over the summer vacation. Good Survey for City Schools Portland’s teachers, adm inistra tors, and s ta ff received a strong vote o f confidence from a satisfaction survey conducted w ith students, par ents and school s ta ff in Spring 2000. The satisfaction survey was given to students in grades four through tw elve, school sta ff and parents. M ost o f the 34,314 parents, staff and students w ho took part in the survey believe that Portland Public Schools are doing a good jo b (92 percent), and that children are team ing w hat they need to know (87 per cent). The survey results found that parents are w ell satisfied w ith the local sch o o l th e ir child attends. G enerally, parents, school staff and students agree that m any practices assessed on the survey are evident in their school. W h e n c o m p a re d to la st y e a r ’s r e s u lts , p a re n t s a tis fa c tio n sh o w e d s ig n ific a n t im p ro v e m e n t in fo u r a re a s: c h ild re n a re le a r n in g w h a t th e y n e e d to k n o w on s u b je c ts o th e r th a n b a sic s k ills ; s tu d e n ts d is c ip lin e is g iv in g a ll s tu d e n ts th e c h a n c e to le a rn ; c h ild r e n k n o w w h at is n e e d e d to m e e t S ta te sta n d a rd s a n d s c h o o ls a re v ie w e d as sa fe . P a re n ts g av e h ig h ra tin g s to school staffs ’ availability to talk with fam ilies about their concerns. In terestingly enough, parent satisfac tion declined sharply when asked if teachers often talked w ith fam ilies lutionary M ath kids are taking no table leaps forward. The program also gives kids the m essage that they are sm a rt an d cap ab le learn ers. H ence, the title for this y ear’s video. R evolutionary M ath: I Can Think! E very year, kids in this program prove that, indeed, they can think. This was the third sum m er R evo lutionary M ath has been available for inner-city Portland kids. In 1998, eight kids participated and scored an average o f 2.5 years gain in 6 w eeks, as m e a su re d b y th e C a lif o r n ia A chievem ent Test. In 1999, 13 kids participated and scored an average o f 23 points gain in 5 w eeks, as m easured by the C arat testing sy s te m ( u s e d b y P o rtla n d P u b lic Schools). In 2000, 15 kids p artici pated and scored an average o f 2.6 years gain in 5 w eeks, as m easured by the Stanford D iagnostic Test. LaN ita Duke, program coordinator, is beginning fundraising for next about im portant m atters, such as te a c h in g p la n s o r h o m e w o rk . “Clearly, we need to look at this data, particularly trends over time, continue to do well where we are doing well, and focus on improving where we are not," stated Benjamin Canada, Ph D., Super intendent o f Portland Public Schools. The issue o f school communication continues to be o f particular concern to parents. C om m ents from som e individu als recorded as part o f the survey show that w hile m ost are very satis fied w ith their school, som e w orry about a lack o f funding, large class sizes, school com m unications, stu dent safety, and discipline problem s that detract from learning. Schools Gear Up for Mock Election O v e r 3 0 0 M o c k E le c tio n “ toolkits” are on their w ay to schools that have registered to p articip ate in O reg o n S tudent M ock Election program this fall. “ T h is p re sid e n tia l elec tio n year, w e have an enorm ous op portunity to teach young people about the electoral process and to engage them in that process,” sa id S e c re ta ry o f S ta te B ill Bradbury, w hose office coordi nates the M ock Election program. “ Seizing this opportunity will re quire parents, candidates, and the m edia to jo in the hundreds o f schools that are co m m itted to helping students understand the electoral process, w hat is at stake, and w hy voting m atters.” The O regon T eacher’s G uide to the m ock Election provides an overview o f O regon election in form ation including sections on voter registration, the initiative, re fe rra l an d re fe re n d u m p ro cesses, cam paign finance, voting by m ail, and the elected offices and m easures on the m ock elec tion ballot. The mock vote will take place O ct 26-31. The results o f the state wide student mock election will be announced at a student-led press con ference at the Capital on Nov. 2. su m m er’s group; she hopes to be able to offer Revolutionary M ath to 25 students in sum m er 2001. P rior y ear’s program s w ere open only to girls. This year, the girls voted and agreed to allow boys into their group. Three o f the fifteen kids in this y ear’s program were boys. Each year there is a prem ier party to release the video and honor pro gram participants This year’s party will be held the evening o f S eptem ber 28. Call 297-9074 for m ore inform ation. Summer 2000 Revolunonary Math was sponsored by the PGE f oundation Youth Involvement Network, as well as Metro, North Portland Enhancement Committee, Caring community o f north Portland, GIFT Multnomah County D e partment of Community & Family Ser vices, Portland Parks & Recreation Youth Trust Fund, and the Multnomah County Department ofCommunity Cor rections. Students of Color Welcomed at OSU M ore than 250 people are ex p e c te d fo r O re g o n S ta te U niversity’s student o f Color W el com e and Orientation Barbecue on Friday, Sept. 29. Developed by the OSU M inority Education Office, the barbecue is designed to reinforce the m essage that OSU values and honors diver sity and offers equal opportunity for all students. People can leant w ays to be involved, and discuss issues o f diversity in a relaxed at m osphere. The event, whichis by invitation only, is set from 5 to 10 p.m., starting in the Marketplace West Patio. The gathering will later move to the campus’ Memo rial Union Recreation Center. T o b e tte r serve a g ro w in g p o p u la tio n an d its increased reliance o n m o d e m s, w ireless p h o n es, fax m ach in es, an d Westport p ag ers, th e p h o n e c o m p a n ie s o f O re g o n have ad d e d a Jewell new 971 area c o d e to th e 5 0 3 area. Forest Grove T h is k in d o f c h a n g e is n o t just o c c u rrin g in Vancouver O re g o n , b u t th ro u g h o u t th e co u n try . A n d because th e n ew codes differ in fo rm a t from Portland previous codes th a t c o n ta in e d e ith e r a ‘ I ’ o r a ‘0 ’ in th e seco n d d ig it, you sh o u ld check all specialized C e n tra l O ffice-b ased system s fo r co m p atib ility . S o m e o f th ese system s m ay require re p ro g ra m m in g o r u p g rad in g . C e llu lar p h o n e s m u st b e rep ro g ra m m e d by • Grande Ronde y o u r cellular service provider. * Salem To test y o u r e q u ip m e n t, call th e new O re g o n area co d e test lin e at T 8 0 0 0 0 0 -0 0 0 0 . I f y o u h av e an y d iffic u lty d ia lin g th e n ew area code, please call y o u r o p e ra to r to assist you in p lacing y o u r call. The Oregon Telecommunications Association and Your Local Telecommunications Froviders I < I »
