CASE After-School Program

Student achievement at Morales Elementary School is skyrocketing straight to the nation's capitol and turning the heads of some very important people along the way.

U.S. Department of Education Senior Policy Advisor Kerri Briggs joined Morales students, teachers, and staff Monday to celebrate their academic success as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act.

"The U.S. Department of Education has made a commitment to ensure that all of our schools across the country deliver a high quality education," Briggs said. "On behalf of President Bush and Secretary Spellings, we want to thank the students and the educators at Morales for their hard work, dedication, and everything they've achieved."

The No Child Left Behind Act was designed to ensure that every child across the nation receives the same high level of quality education. Each state is required by law to set standards that are most appropriate for its school districts. Schools must meet "Adequate Yearly Progress," or AYP, in reading/language arts and mathematics. The act provides school districts with funding, resources and flexibility in efforts to close the achievement gap, and results show it has led the nation's schools to higher standards and greater accountability.

"It's schools like Morales that show No Child Left Behind is working," said US Department of Education Policy Advisor, Kerri Briggs. "To the students and educators within these walls, it's not just a law on a piece of paper. It's an attitude that has taken hold. These children are eager to prove they can learn under the highest of expectations. And the numbers show they're doing it."

Briggs toured the elementary school, catching a glimpse of the innovative lessons and activities used at Morales to help significantly increase student test scores. In one fourth grade classroom, students used helium balloons as a method of estimation and rounding.

"All the children seemed very focused on their work and were enjoying the teachers," Briggs said. "Looking around it's hard to believe that today is only the eighth day into the school year and the teachers already have things moving. It's apparent that everyone is continuously working hard. This kind of progress isn't something that can just be created overnight."

Principal Kathy Connolly uses the philosophy that every child in the school is just as important as if they were her own. "We make our decisions at Morales based on what is best for each individual child," Connolly said. "Our students deserve every opportunity that other, more privileged children receive, and they are capable of achieving anything that any other child in America can. We take our jobs very seriously at Morales and seek to provide a well-rounded educational program with high expectations and a focused vision. We don't accept excuses from our children or from ourselves."

Connolly said vertical alignment in staff development and between programs is essential for the success of the students. "We communicate with the grade levels above and below the student to see where they have been and where they are going, she said. "It provides us with more information. And the more information we have, the better we can serve our students. Constant communication between staff members and with our parents focuses on student achievement. This personal touch makes Morales teachers and staff members the best in the state of Texas."

A variety of programs are offered for Morales students such as the CASE enrichment program, HOSTS, Math Fact Land, Mountain Math, Accelerated Reader, bilingual, and enriching music programs. Connolly said that children need to be excited about coming to school, that student engagement is paramount in importance.

"This honor is overwhelming," Connolly said. "It excites me for our students, teachers and other staff to be affirmed of the greatness.

To know that someone in Washington, D.C. is thinking about the children at Morales and celebrating their success proves that we do have support for all of our hard work."