At schools across the Gilroy Unified School District, the
countdowns are on and the California Standards Test craze has
begun. Posters and prizes and motivational speeches abound as
teachers prepare their students to prove again how much growth
they’ve made in the past eight months. At Brownell Middle School,
however, the craze has taken a yellower shape this year.
At schools across the Gilroy Unified School District, the countdowns are on and the California Standards Test craze has begun. Posters and prizes and motivational speeches abound as teachers prepare their students to prove again how much growth they’ve made in the past eight months. At Brownell Middle School, however, the craze has taken a yellower shape this year.
The CST is the state’s measure of student proficiency and is given to each child in the state in late April and early May. How the students perform on the CST configures into school ratings and various scores that determine a school’s success. Furthermore, for students, the tests indicate how well they compare to other students across the state and often dictate their placements for the following fall.
Due to the clear significance of these tests, schools often spend time impressing upon their students both the importance of their performance and the confidence that they should have walking into these exams. The most puzzling question, typically, is: how?
As with any other educational dilemma, creativity is the key, and creativity is exactly what this project, dreamt up by Assistant Principal Kristen Shouse, is all about. Based on the popular television show “Cash Cab,” Brownell students wait at “stops” across campus for the appearance of the very yellow CST Cab. When the Cab arrives, they have the opportunity to answer CST release questions and win Bruin Bucks, which will eventually give way to some serious prizes. The easily spotted cab made its debut Tuesday and has since become consistently lost in the mob of students looking to test themselves and win big.
“It has been a tremendous sight to see groves of students accepting the challenge of demonstrating what they know each and every day that Cab rolls out,” Shouse said.Â
“It’s been really incredible to see students doing problems in their free time because it means they feel like they can do it,” seventh and eighth grade math teacher Amy Patel said. “Seeing this has empowered me to challenge them and hold them to even higher expectations.”
High praise, but of course, the lingering question-is it working? Though the test isn’t for another month, and the results won’t be available for another five months, Shouse believes that “giving students opportunities to review the material they have learned and show their mastery is essential to building a successful learning community.”
And with word and action, the students seem to agree.
“The Cab is getting kids enthusiastic about studying,” seventh grader Morgan Young said.
“It’s fun! And I know the hard questions are getting us ready for what’s coming up,” eighth grader Andrea Leon added.
It seems this year Brownell really is pulling out all the “stops” for students’ success.
