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Implementing
a whole new staff at Central Falls High school definitely had a positive impact
on the schools graduation rate.
According to CNN.com Central Falls High school had a graduation rate of
about 50% in 2010. The graduation rate
has now increased to about 71% in 2012. In
2010 when I graduated the school was a big chaos. I heard about how the teachers were all
losing their jobs and it was because of the low graduation rate and test
scores. In my personal experience I did
feel like the teachers genuinely cared about the students. I also saw the efforts that teachers were
trying in order to increase our performance, although all of the efforts
apparently did not work because the school’s graduation rate was not improving.
All of the teachers witnessed how the superintendent
Gallo did not hesitate to gut the school of teachers and implement a whole new
staff. In result the teachers who now
hold a job at Central Falls High school feel a new pressure to have students
perform at a higher standard in order to keep their jobs. In order for the students to perform better
the new staff needed to implement new strategies for teaching and make sure
students achieve higher standards.
In my opinion I think teachers were teaching the same way
for many years and were scared or plain lazy to actually make a change in the
schools performance. It shows that the
new staff has made a difference in the schools graduation rate because the
proof is in the numbers. If the school
has a better graduation rate it must mean that the new environment must be
helping students and keeping them from feeling like dropping out is an option.
I am a successful student here at Rhode Island College,
which goes to show, that the teachers that taught me did a good job. Now that the teaching staff has changed, the
graduation rate has obviously improved.
I think students are receiving a better education and are being paid
more attention to. I think the biggest
problem was that students were falling behind and did not have a way to catch
up and decided that dropping out was the best option. Teachers are more than likely paying
attention to those students instead of ignoring them. Also instead of giving less work to the
students who are not meeting the standards I think they are giving them more
work. I have a younger sibling who is in
Central Falls High school now and is graduating this year. I see how much she reads and it does not
compare nearly to the amount of books I read.
She is applying to colleges now and I think she has a better
advantage. The new strategies that Gallo
implemented were positive ones now teachers have to attend paid professional development
during spring break. They are also to
offer tutoring to students who are falling behind after school. The teachers are also spending more time with
students and they are required to sit in lunch at least once a week. I think through these strategies teachers are
actually building a bond with their students and creating a comfortable
community and environment for learning.
The change in Central Falls High school has been a
positive one and I hope that it keeps improving. The teachers and the staff are revamped and I’m
sure that it will only keep improving.
Also this example shows that low and middle class communities can be
proficient. I think it really goes to
show that the amount of time that teachers dedicate to their students has a
direct link to how the school is actually performing on exams and how many
students are graduating.
