September 14, 2000
Denver Rocky Mountain News
by Julie Poppen
BOULDER — What makes Summit Middle School's science program tick?
Sixth-grader Sheela Vivekanandan has an answer: the teacher. Specifically, Stephanie Donaton, a teacher known to make sleepy kids do jumping jacks in class.
"She thinks of creative ways to teach classes," said the 11-year-old, as she put the finishing touches on an experiment to determine whether potatoes grow faster in darkness or light. "She makes sure you know stuff before you move on to the next subject."
Wednesday's sixth-grade science class was one part of a typical day at the Boulder Valley School District charter school, one of the highest scoring schools on the Colorado Student Assessment Program eighth-grade science and math tests.
Summit's teachers credit their school's curriculum. Designed by teachers to match state standards, the curriculum creates a solid knowledge base at each grade level.
"I was really delighted," said Sharon Sikora, an educator with a doctoral degree who teaches ninth-grade chemistry and physics to eighth-graders under the school's condensed science curriculum. "There are moments when I think, 'Am I pushing these kids too hard? Am I doing this right?"'
That Summit is small doesn't hurt. Its demographics don't hurt either. Like many top-scoring schools, Summit has few second-language learners because it doesn't offer an English as a second language program.
Further, the school's parents are very involved and have selected the school because they agree with its philosophy and academic rigor. Its kids are willing to work hard.
The board and staff have secured several grants to pay for professional development for teachers so they have adequate time to refine the curriculum. Only 4 percent of students receive free and reduced-price lunches, compared to an average 11 percent in the district. Five percent of its students receive special education services, compared to a district average of 13 percent.
Principal Bernie Grove said student demographics are a "huge predictor."
"Poor schools with a huge number of students in the classroom don't do as well," Grove said. "We should probably get intelligent as a nation and do something about that."
Summit was one of only three schools to make the grade on the new CSAP math test, with 81 percent of its students scoring at proficient or above.
Summit's secret is dividing students by ability, an unpopular concept with teachers who strive to mix students of various backgrounds, so they can learn from one another. Summit, with only 251 students, offers seven math courses ranging from pre-algebra to algebra II/trigonometry.
"Our goal is for every single kid to leave us with a really solid algebra background," Grove said.
Still, the hard-driving principal was a little disappointed by the CSAP math results.
"Math education is all over the globe," Grove said, referring to the preparation students get in elementary school. "Some standardization will help all of us."
Boulder Valley's Horizons Alternative K-8 school, whose students were away on a school field trip Wednesday, had the highest score on the math test, with 97 percent of its 33 test-takers scoring proficient or above.
Summit, Horizons and Boulder Valley's Centennial Middle School were among the 11 schools statewide that had 80 percent or more of their students score at proficient or above on the eighth-grade science test. Horizons topped that list too, with 100 percent of its students scoring at proficient or above. Summit was not far behind, with 97 percent scoring at that level.
Centennial, a non-charter school, had 81 percent of its 226 test-takers score proficient or above.
Principal Cheryl Scott said her school was on the cutting edge of creating a standards-based curriculum. She also credited involved parents and quality teachers.
"They are the most dedicated, committed group of educators I've ever worked with," Scott said. "They go above and beyond every single day."