Congresswoman Jackie Speier

Teaching beyond the test

By Heather Murtaugh - San Mateo Daily Journal -- 

Three-year-old Jack Dean had a present for U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier who was visiting his Spanish immersion preschool class yesterday — flowers.

When Speier, D-San Mateo, asked Dean in Spanish what color the flowers were, he nervously answered yellow.

With help from others in the room, Dean answered the question a second time as amarillo, yellow in Spanish. Dean is one of a number of children attending a Spanish immersion preschool class at Parkside Elementary School in San Mateo. The program, in its first year, was one of three within the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District Speier visited yesterday to get a better handle on local educational offerings months before the federal No Child Left Behind Act is scheduled to be reviewed by Congress.

“I wanted to see these programs and look at changes first hand what can and cannot be done,” she said.

One large effect of No Child Left Behind is a need to improve test scores.

As a result, Speier pointed out, many schools simply teach to the test rather than engaging students.

Prior to the start of this school year, one of the district’s middle schools went through a change. THE Bayside S.T.E.M. ACADEMY focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Low test scores caused Bayside in 2003 to enter Program Improvement, a federal system under No Child Left Behind intended to improve schools with mandated changes, and the school strengthened its programs. Since then, a district leadership team composed of district officials, teachers and parents designed an instructional model called S.T.E.M. to improve student achievement, draw students from across the district and provide unique classes.

The test scores and renovation were both good and bad news, said board President Lory Lorimer Lawson. A lot of work comes along with it but it opens up funding to support change, she said.  

It was a S.T.E.M. class Speier was able to see first hand. Students were discussing the need for and construction of a windmill.

The assignment gave Speier a chance to quiz the sixth grade students on their knowledge of the importance of wind-based energy and how alternative resources such as wind can reduce the nation’s need for foreign oil.

Reinventing a school can be a large challenge, Speier said.

“This shows creativity and the ability to excite students to learn,” she said adding such connections will help the United States compete in the global market with other nations that surpassed us in education.

Two language programs are also gaining interest within the district — fee-based Spanish and Mandarin immersion preschool programs.

Both programs offer lessons completely in the foreign language chosen. It also gives students a chance to get a head start before entering immersion programs growing on local campuses.

Mandarin, for example, began as a part-day program in 2006 at College Park Elementary School, said Magnet Programs Director Irving Phillips. Now there are two full-day classes and a kindergarten.

The classes sang for Speier who was then asked to say a little something to the children.

“I’m very impressed that you are learning Mandarin. You are very smart,” she said. “I can’t understand anything you’re saying.”