Blackstone+Valley+2013



Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 1 291 Broad St Cumberland, RI (401) 335-3133

__**Introduction **__
Located in Cumberland Rhode Island, lies Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary School 1 as well as Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary School 2. Catering to scholars from the surrounding areas of Central Falls, Lincoln and Pawtucket; BVP serves students in Kindergarten through Fifth grade. They argue that students are so much more then just students; they are scholars. At BVP, educators try to prepare students for success later in life as well as in their higher education career. Both schools provide an education to a majority of Hispanic children along with white, African American, Asian, Native American, and Multiracial students. In the state of Rhode Island, only 6% receive an ESL or bilingual education, however at BVP 2, 29% of students receive this education. Attendance rates at these schools are much higher than that of the state which is 17% at roughly 97%. Overall, these schools are extremely stable and successful with the success of students. (RIDE, n.d.)

__ Test Scores __
One of the main goals of charter schools like BVP is to have their students achieve a certain level of success on standardized testing. When students preform amicably on these tests, it shows the community that the school is successful in preparing students for higher education. BVP is no exception, during the 2012-2013 school year both the third grade math and reading scores were much improved over that of the state. In math, over eighty percent of BVP students achieved or succeeded the target score. The same percentage was met with the reading section of the NECAP. These scores are much different than that of the state which was sixty percent in math and seventy in reading respectively. The reasons for these impressive scores include the teachers and the dedication of students. At BVP, all of the teachers are certified in elementary education. Students show their dedication through their impeccable attendance rate of ninety eight percent (Surveyworks-2012-2013-Blackstone-Valley-Prep-Elementary-School). Due to the fact that test scores at BVP are higher than that of the state implies that the education of students is better than that of the state. The reasons for this might be the way in which the materials are taught or event the teachers who introduce the information.

__ Teacher's Role __
Teachers play an important role in starting the preparation of young students for higher education. At BVP, teachers range in experience from less than a year to more than twenty years. This provides new teachers with a mentor who can show them some of the tricks of the trade while newer teachers can provide innovative and new teaching strategies. In the state of Rhode Island, most teachers provide students with the ability to revise assignments. This can cause the child to not work as hard the first time around. It is for this reason that unlike the forty five percent of Rhode Island teachers who allow this, just under ten percent of BVP teachers give their students this option. Teachers at BVP view different things as the "most important" than the state, this can be seen in the way they weigh grades. At BVP, end of the year exams account for double what they do in the state. In Rhode Island they are weighted at about forty percent. At BVP, they are almost eighty percent. The reason behind this might be the fact that teachers at BVP work hard to make sure that students understand the information. They might be proud of the information that the students learn and want to showcase that in end of the year exams. Rhode Island schools might not do this because as a majority, schools probably do not have great overall final exam grades. On the opposite end, Rhode Island schools put more emphasis on classwork, accounting for almost eighty eight percent (Surveyworks-2012-2013-Blackstone-Valley-Prep-Elementary-School). At BVP, classwork accounts for only seventy percent. The homework assigned is also different. At BVP, they will assign more work out of class, making homework take a little longer than that of other schools in Rhode Island. It is all a balancing act, the more homework, the less emphasis on classwork and vice versa. Thus, the role of the teacher and the way in which they choose to lead their classroom will have different effects on students.

__**Parents Role **__
A parent's role in a young child's schooling can have a great impact on their lives later on. At BVP, parents are very involved in activities for the school. Whether it be parent teacher conferences or after school program events, the presence of parents is easily seen. While parent's participation can be seen throughout the state, it is more popular at BVP. Unlike the rest of Rhode Island, the parent's relationship with BVP is overwhelmingly, with eighty two percent, viewed as an important partnership. In Rhode Island, only forty two percent of people strongly agree with this fact (Surveyworks-2012-2013-Blackstone-Valley-Prep-Elementary-School). If a parent ever needed to get in contact with the school or vice versa, it is important to have a good relationship between the two. Without this, it would be difficult to ever meet the student's needs. While this comparison of parent involvement is vastly different between BVP and Rhode Island, these are not necessacarily equivalent to one another. In Rhode Island, schools can be public, private or charter. At BVP, the school is a charter. Charter schools are run differently than public or even private schools. In public schools, parents can just go to the school board if they have a problem with how their child is being taught. Due to the fact that they pay taxes to the school, the board should do anything possible to meet the needs of the child. In charter schools, those in charge do not need to listen to the parents. They can basically do whatever they want as long as it somehow benefits the student. No matter if the school is charter or public, parents involvement is important for the achievement of the student. The relationship between the teacher and parent helps to make sure that the student is getting the best education possible. Schools that do not provide these positive relationships should do everything possible to change them.

=**Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 2 School**=
 * ~ Year ||~ This School ||~ Statewide ||~ Details ||
 * Stability Index (Elementary Schools) ||= 2011-12 ||= 93% ||= 87% ||= — ||
 * Mobility Index (Elementary Schools) ||= 2011-12 ||= 7% ||= 14% ||= — ||

At Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 2 School, students have a very coordinated daily schedule. The goal of the school is to help children who are scholars, and will one day attend a university. Every program in the school is designed to incorporate a strong foundational diverse culture. The classes are supposed to be rigorous for students and include art and physical activity. 62.2% of parents agree that this school has an adequate art program and sports program for students. (Blackstone Valley Prep, n.d.)
 * ~  ||~ Year ||~ This School ||~ Statewide ||~ Details ||
 * Attendance Rate (Elementary Schools) ||= 2011-12 ||= 97% ||= 95% ||= [[image:http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/images/icons/view_details/target.png?1361324433 caption="view details" link="http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/blackstone-valley-prep-elementary-2-school/attendance/attendance-rate-elementary/2011/1"]] ||
 * Chronic Absenteeism ||= 2011-12 ||= 0% ||= 17% ||= — ||
 * __DAILY SCHEDULE:__**
 * Sample Daily Schedule **
 * **7:40-8:10 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Arrival, Breakfast, and Morning Work ||
 * <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">**8:10-8:40** || <span style="color: #456896; font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">[|Classroom Community Meeting] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">8:40-9:00 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">School Community Meeting ||
 * <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">**9:00-9:30** || <span style="color: #456896; font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">[|Phonics] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">9:30-10:10 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Special (Art, Music, or P.E.) ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">10:10-10:15 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Snack ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">10:15-10:50 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Read Aloud/Vocabulary ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">10:50-12:10 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Small Group Reading ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">12:10-12:40 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Lunch ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">12:40-12:55 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Recess ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">12:55-1:45 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Math ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">1:45-2:30 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Special (Art, Music, or P.E.) ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">2:30-3:00 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Science or Social Studies ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">3:00-3:10 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Handwriting ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">3:10-4:00 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Writing ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">4:00-4:05 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Prep for Dismissal ||
 * **<span style="font-family: georgia,palatino;">4:05-4:15 ** || <span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: 10pt;">Dismissal ||

A school would not be a school without teachers. At Blackstone Valley Elementary 2 School most teachers have been teaching for four to ten years. This is less that the state average, but still a high amount.The majority of teachers have either a masters or bachelors degree, and a few have a doctorate degree in education. At Blackstone Valley, there are no librarians or volunteer teacher aids, but there are paid teacher aides, along with many other teachers as shown in the graph below. Most teachers assign their students half an hour to an hour of homework which is more than the state average of no homework to half an hour of homework. The school requires teachers to have weekly, or monthly meetings with their department to touch base on how they're doing, and talk about what's working and what's not. (RIDE, n.d.)
 * __TEACHERS:__**

__ **SCORES AND RESULTS:** __ Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 2 School is a highly recommended school by families of children who attend it. About 98.4% of families with children who attend the school recommend it to other families. The average grade for student performance is a B+. The grade for subgroup performance is a B, and the grade for the attempt to close this achievement gap is a C+. This means what this school does not do a good job of creating equal achievement for students of different races, and socioeconomic groups. These grades are higher than those of the Cumberland School District as a whole though. Cumberland received a B for student performance, a C for subgroup performance, and a C- in closing the achievement gap for students. (“Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary School,” n.d.)

The majority of parents say that they are very involved with their childrens education at Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 2 School. 94.9% of parents said they know what their child is studying in class, and 98.3% said they feel very welcome in the school. Parents at this school attend many events that are held, as shown below. Parent to teacher communication is very common at this school, whether it's in person, over an e-mail, or a phone call. Most parents agree that it is very easy to get in contact with their children's teachers and principal. The fact that parents are involved at this school, is consistent with other schools in the area. Most parents in other charter schools close by said they feel involved with their child's school. The table below shows the number of parents that are involved in different events at Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 2 School. (RIDE, n.d.)
 * __FAMILY INVOLVEMENT:__**


 * Parent Participation:**
 * Parent-Teacher Conferences || 103 ||
 * Special Events || 76 ||
 * Plays, Concerts, Dances || 101 ||
 * Book Fairs || 46 ||
 * Sporting Events || 8 ||
 * PTA Meetings || 52 ||
 * Workshops about helping children || 34 ||
 * Department Nights || 53 ||
 * Field Trips || 47 ||
 * School Improvement Meetings || 23 ||
 * IEP Meetings || 16 ||
 * After-School Program Events || 32 ||
 * Other || 4 ||
 * I am not Aware of any of these || 0 ||

__**CONCLUSION:**__ Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 1 and Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary 2 schools are both very successful schools. They beat the average for the state of Rhode Island on test scores, and overall student performance. The teachers at these two schools are extremely dedicated, and work hard to provide the most they can for their students. Blackstone Valley Prep victoriously sticks to their motto of P.R.I.D.E., perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm.

Citations:

Blackstone Valley Prep. (n.d.). Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy. Retrieved from http://www.blackstonevalleyprep.org/about-us/our-approach RIDE. (n.d.). InfoWorks. Retrieved from http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/school/blackstone-valley-prep-elementary-2-school

Blackstone Valley Prep Elementary School. (n.d.). //RI-CAN//. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://www.ri-can.org/report-cards/blackstone-valley-prep- elementary-school

“RISchools - Blackstone Valley Description.” Accessed November 1, 2013. http://rischools.wikispaces.com/Blackstone+Valley+Description.

“Surveyworks-2012-2013-blackstone-valley-prep-elementary-school-student-parent-teacher-es.pdf.” Accessed November 1, 2013. [].