Spotlight on Additional Academic Time
Saturday Academy at William C. Lewis Dual Language Elementary School
Red Clay School District
Thanks largely to a diverse and motivated teaching staff, multiculturalism, bilingualism and acceptance are embedded in the culture of Lewis Elementary School. With a student population that is 83 percent low socioeconomic status, 58 percent English Language Learners, and 99 percent minority students, the school maintains a "Commendable" rating and continues to meet targets for adequate yearly progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind legislation. All students attend classes in both English and Spanish, and in effect, learn two languages.
In the past, the school offered traditional after-school programs to provide extra support to students, but the long school day proved tiring for teachers and students. For the 2006-07 school year, some of Lewis' teachers and Principal Nancy Weaver decided that a Saturday Academy might be a more effective way to provide extra time, learning and support to the students with the greatest academic needs.
How does it work?
- Students were selected for the Academy based on their scores from a standardized test, Measures of Academic Progress, which is administered in January. Students were identified as needing help in reading, writing and math.
- The Academy runs every weekend from January through the first week in May. Teachers arrive at 9:30 am for 30 minutes of planning. Students arrive at 10:00 am for a snack, then have 2˝ hours of lessons and activities in the core areas of reading, writing and math.
- The environment is casual and the usual school uniform is not required.
- Funding to support 48 students and 4 teachers (12 students per teacher) was provided by a grant from the Wilmington City Council.
What are the results?
- It's too early to know if the Saturday Academy will improve student performance on tests, but program staff are encouraged by the successes so far.
- Far from viewing the Saturday Academy as punishment or a mark of failure, "the kids love it!" says Principal Weaver. Students view the Academy as a prestigious opportunity. They like the attention they get from the teachers and they enjoy being in the school building outside of normal school hours. Teachers also are highly motivated and enthusiastic about the program.
- Principal Weaver is engaging parents as well. "Parents bring their kids to the school and wait for them. Why not create programs that include them in the learning process and help them increase their literacy and parenting skills too? It's great for students to see their parents learning and it helps the kids in the long run with their academics," she states. Parent groups now meet twice a month in conjunction with the Academy. The school social worker and a reading teacher lead workshops on how parents can best help their children learn by reinforcing and supporting what's being done at school, by providing consistent quiet time for homework, and by reading with their children often. Many of the parents also are English Language Learners or are illiterate in English themselves. Combined literacy workshops, such as Partners in Print, for students and parents may be the next step for the Saturday Academy.
- Academy students will take additional assessments at the conclusion of the program in May to monitor their academic growth in the core areas.
How does Vision 2015 address achieving high standards for all students?
Vision 2015 recommends:
- making our standards challenging — and supporting each student in a variety of ways to make sure they can meet these standards.
- encouraging parent involvement in student learning.
- increasing academic time to allow for a diverse range of programs to meet individual student needs.
- offering training to families and strengthening school-family ties.
- promoting innovation in schools to best meet students' needs.
Where can I learn more?
William C. Lewis Dual Language Elementary School Web site
Vision 2015 Web site
