2012 SCORE Prize Winners: Embracing High Standards | Page 15
EMBRACING HIGH STANDARDS
EMBRACiN
Educators at Covington High School not only want
their students to graduate from high school. They
want them to graduate with the skills they need to
be successful and competitive in the global economy. “It’s important to push our students to meet
those expectations and exceed those expectations,”
one teacher said. “We want to prepare our students
not only to compete in Covington…but to compete
globally.” These high standards are reflected in an
emphasis on preparing students for postsecondary education and career, the school’s expectation
that every student will make academic growth
every year, and the availability of interventions
and programs for any student who is not responding well to traditional instruction. Covington also
prioritizes strong outreach to families to ensure that
they partner with the school to promote student
success. “Our goal is to make sure everyone can do
what they want to do. And try to give them some
dreams,” said Murdock.
Preparation for postsecondary education and
career. Preparing students for success after
high school is an important part of Tipton County
Schools’s mission as well as Covington’s. For the
district, motivating students to think about their lives
after high school is where the conversation about
postsecondary begins. Beginning in middle school,
students are provided with opportunities to visit
colleges and attend camps, such as the Memphis
Belle Aviation camp, that expose them to potential
future occupations. Once they arrive at Covington,
the emphasis on postsecondary is reinforced and
supported through a variety of activities.
• Preparation for the ACT. Covington faculty have
spent time analyzing the areas that are measured
by the ACT and have modified their curriculum to
ensure that they provide instruction that reflects
the knowledge and skills that the exam expects
students to acquire. Every teacher allocates 20
minutes of their lessons to prepare students for
taking the exam. The standards for mastery are
posted on classroom walls so that students can
compare their performance to expectations. Students use the information to refocus their learning
in areas in which they performed poorly. Every
student is aware of his/her level of performance
and encouraged and supported to perform better
in every course. In common areas where students have not yet reached mastery or their ACT
predictions are low, the school goes into action
to improve the test scores, scheduling afternoon
ACT tutoring and other one-on-one sessions.
These sessions include training on skills that students will use throughout their educational and
professional careers, such as how to take notes
effectively.
• Mentoring. Pr