Posted Date: 06/03/2022
COPPERAS COVE, TX (May 11, 2022)— Third grader Laila Rogers smiled as she walked toward Hettie Halstead staff members who anxiously awaited to see which she would select to receive a pie in the face. Rogers reared back and filled teacher and interventionist Aaron Ruggles’ face with whip cream and other delicious pie ingredients.
Third grade teacher Torrre Moore challenged students in third through fifth grades to increase their math STAAR review scores by at minimum of at least 15 points or maintain at least an 80 percent or higher score.
"I wanted to do well in math, so that I could throw a pie in a teacher's face,” said Jason McKinnon. “I worked on input and output tables to make sure we would go past our goal."
Each class will set a high, achievable goal to reach for their math STAAR review score average. ALL third graders took the STAAR math test this past week. Students were able to show their knowledge and skills of math using the STAAR math review.
“As teachers, we can pinpoint what students need to focus on to improve their learning,” Moore said. “There is more freedom to slow down and reteach complex concepts including composite figures, 3D shapes, and two-step word problems. It can be difficult to accommodate several students at once knowing their strengths and weaknesses can be so different.”
Teachers were keenly aware that some students could be fearful of not meeting the challenge goal and may feel like they were not successful. Teachers worked with students to use and recognize math vocabulary, understand how to solve word problems, and recognize previously taught math concepts.
“Students who seemed disinterested at first did a complete 180 degree turn and participated in class discussions, problem solving, as well as helping their peers,” Moore said.
Teacher Aaron Ruggles serves as an interventionist working with students from all grades to improve their academic skills and meet grade level requirements. Ruggles proved to be a student favorite, getting hit in the face with a pie six times.
“The event helped me push myself to work on division and two by one-digit multiplication," third grader Isayah Barbour said.
STAAR test scores will be sent to school districts and parents later this summer.
“In order to reach my goal, I felt that I needed to work on three-step problems and graphs because I'm not always sure which numbers to use,” said student Jelena Gittens. “I did feel confident that (the class) would reach its goal."
###