This past spring, Achievement First Providence Mayoral Academy’s founding class was eligible to take the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test for the first time.
We’ve spent the last few weeks of the summer looking at what our results mean across our network, and we’re thrilled to see what we can learn from this new data in Rhode Island. This week, we’re wrapping up our “Behind the Numbers” series with a look at Providence.
In math, Achievement First Providence Mayoral Academy third graders outperformed affluent districts including Jamestown and East Greenwich, and they’re outpacing their peers in ELA as well.
But there’s more to it than just numbers. To bring you the stories of the teachers and students working hard to achieve these results, we sat down with the school’s principal, Morgan Carter.
Where were you when you learned about your PARCC results? Who was the first person you called or texted?
It was July 5, and I was actually celebrating my birthday with my family in Seattle. It was the perfect present, as nerdy as that sounds. I didn’t really know what to say because we were still on summer break at that time, so I wasn’t seeing anyone from school anytime soon. I actually didn’t tell anyone for a few days. Then my fiancée happened to peek over my shoulder one day as I was rereading our results, and she was like, “What? Why didn’t you tell me? This is so great!” Then I blushed.
Can you share a story that speaks to the level of commitment a specific student had in preparing for the PARCC?
The ’15-16 third graders (now fourth graders, as of a few weeks ago) are our founding class and because of that, they hold a truly special place in my heart.
It is hard to pick just one scholar to highlight here because all of our bumblebees (our mascot) truly gave it their all in preparing for PARCC. Our third graders were working hard every day, nailing their homework and sometimes even staying after school for tutoring, and they faced it all head on with a deep desire to grow FAST and be the best they could be.
What about a teacher?
All of our third grade teachers are superheroes. Truly, I can’t pick just one to highlight. We called this team of teachers “Team Trailblazer” for a reason—they rallied to do what we needed to do for kids, all while embracing our “crescendo” values: community, celebration, and pride. Our third grade teachers never, ever gave up on our kids or each other!
If you were going to pick a song that symbolizes how you feel about your team, what would it be?
It’s a tie between “Brush Your Shoulders Off” by Jay-Z and “One Tribe” by The Black Eyed Peas.
To see more Behind the Numbers reflections from our principals, check out the links below.