News
It was reading time in Ms. Tobin's first-grade Columbine Elementary class. First-grader Jillian Willard headed over to the audio corner, put on a pair of headphones, picked up an iPod and scrolled through her choices. She settled in with a "Word on the Street" podcast from Sesame Street.
"Pollinate," she whispered as she listened and watched Elmo ask other characters what they thought the word meant.
In another part of the room, Samantha Martinez read a Tumble Books e-story about pirates on the classroom laptop computer.
"That was really fun," she said. "I like pirates."
"Reading time is so much more productive since we introduced the students to our technology," teacher Melissa Tobin said. "The kids are very engaged and self-motivated."
The technology was provided through a $1.88 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to the St. Vrain Valley School District's Title 1 schools. The federal Title 1 program provides funding to school districts to assist with the highest student concentration of poverty. Six St. Vrain Valley elementary schools share the funds -- Columbine, Indian Peaks, Loma Linda, Northridge, Rocky Mountain and Spangler.
The district has spent nearly one-third of the funding on acquiring technology and providing professional development time for teachers to learn and use the technology in their classrooms. The district has purchased a total of 180 laptops, 60 desktop computers, six charging carts and 60 licenses for reading intervention software programs. The district also bought 240 iPods, carry packs, books and supplies for its "Take My Teacher Home" project.
Money also was used to add a part-time literacy and English language development teacher at all the Title 1 schools.
"There is progress," Tobin said. "I have more students this year who are reading at or above their grade level."
Providing technology in classrooms is just one move the district is making to boost academic achievement in Title 1 schools, said Regina Rinaldi, director of priority schools.
"Research has shown that children from economically disadvantaged families start school already falling behind their more affluent classmates," Rinaldi said. "We want to stop the achievement gap before it happens."
According to 2008 statistics provided by The Community Foundation of Boulder County, slightly more than 50 percent of St. Vrain Valley third-grade students from economically disadvantaged families tested proficient and advanced in reading on Colorado Student Assessment Program tests, while more than 80 percent of their more affluent classmates tested at that level.
To combat the achievement gap, St. Vrain Valley is offering summer programs to selected students at Spangler and Rocky Mountain elementary schools. From June 7 to Aug. 7, about 100 high-risk students at those schools will attend school and focus on reading and language skills for four hours in the morning.
The district is also using federal funding to hire bilingual family liaisons to work with parents and families next school year.
"We want to get our parents more involved, and help them find the resources they may need so that their children can be successful in school," Rinaldi said.
"Pollinate," she whispered as she listened and watched Elmo ask other characters what they thought the word meant.
In another part of the room, Samantha Martinez read a Tumble Books e-story about pirates on the classroom laptop computer.
"That was really fun," she said. "I like pirates."
"Reading time is so much more productive since we introduced the students to our technology," teacher Melissa Tobin said. "The kids are very engaged and self-motivated."
The technology was provided through a $1.88 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to the St. Vrain Valley School District's Title 1 schools. The federal Title 1 program provides funding to school districts to assist with the highest student concentration of poverty. Six St. Vrain Valley elementary schools share the funds -- Columbine, Indian Peaks, Loma Linda, Northridge, Rocky Mountain and Spangler.
The district has spent nearly one-third of the funding on acquiring technology and providing professional development time for teachers to learn and use the technology in their classrooms. The district has purchased a total of 180 laptops, 60 desktop computers, six charging carts and 60 licenses for reading intervention software programs. The district also bought 240 iPods, carry packs, books and supplies for its "Take My Teacher Home" project.
Money also was used to add a part-time literacy and English language development teacher at all the Title 1 schools.
"There is progress," Tobin said. "I have more students this year who are reading at or above their grade level."
Providing technology in classrooms is just one move the district is making to boost academic achievement in Title 1 schools, said Regina Rinaldi, director of priority schools.
"Research has shown that children from economically disadvantaged families start school already falling behind their more affluent classmates," Rinaldi said. "We want to stop the achievement gap before it happens."
According to 2008 statistics provided by The Community Foundation of Boulder County, slightly more than 50 percent of St. Vrain Valley third-grade students from economically disadvantaged families tested proficient and advanced in reading on Colorado Student Assessment Program tests, while more than 80 percent of their more affluent classmates tested at that level.
To combat the achievement gap, St. Vrain Valley is offering summer programs to selected students at Spangler and Rocky Mountain elementary schools. From June 7 to Aug. 7, about 100 high-risk students at those schools will attend school and focus on reading and language skills for four hours in the morning.
The district is also using federal funding to hire bilingual family liaisons to work with parents and families next school year.
"We want to get our parents more involved, and help them find the resources they may need so that their children can be successful in school," Rinaldi said.
