THE WINNERS: Elizabeth Dyson, a fifth grader at Pamela Hodson Elementary School in Owasso, works on a computer while fellow student Matt Sanders, fifth grade teacher Kelley Bush and principal Joy Hughes look on. They all combined their talents to give their school high marks on the Oklahoma Academic Performance Index.
DAVID JONES for GTR Newspapers
Teachers at Pamela Hodson Elementary School and Ator Elementary School are about to get the kind of pat on the back for doing an excellent job that is better than, say, a pat on the back.
The two schools received a top 1,500 score on the 2006-2007 school year Academic Performance Index (API) tests and as a result each teacher at the schools is going to receive a $3,000 bonus check from the state.
The winning faculties join teachers in 61 other schools state wide being recognized for excellence or for improving school performance on the test. Bonuses from $500 to $3,000 will go to the teachers of those schools as a result of the passage of House Bill 1593 last year.
The API not only tests reading and math but includes such criteria as attendance figures and, for the higher level schools, dropout and graduation rates.
“None of us really understands the state’s formula,” laughs Pamela Hodson Principal Joy Hughes. “They (state officials) distribute the tests, pick them up and grade them. We never see them.
“We are very honored, and we are very proud of our students. They work to the best of their ability and we have a wonderful staff. Everyone from the secretaries in the office to the teachers to the custodial staff touches these children’s lives. It’s a total team effort.”
“The students take this seriously. They know they have to take responsibility for their own academic success.
Hudson and Ator may have been the prize winners but, says Hughes, all seven of the Owasso elementary schools did themselves proud. In the case of Hodson the point total barely nudged past the previous year’s total of 1,497.
Several other schools in the greater Tulsa area also achieved top honors. In Tulsa Hoover, Carnegie and Eisenhower International Elementary Schools were hailed as was Jenks Southeast.
Other high scores in the area were posted by Tulsa’s Greeley Elementary School and Cedar Ridge Elementary School in the Union School District.
Vast improvement was noted for Springdale and Skelly Elementary Schools in Tulsa. Springdale rose from 641 in 2005-2006 to 1284 last year for a dazzling hike of 100.31 percent. Skelly rose from 682 to 1107 for a hike of 62.32. All teachers will be rewarded by the state.
