Searcy MAP day

Searcy Elementary School students participated in the first of four MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) Days on Tuesday, Oct. 29. MAP Days, a program specifically targeting reading and writing skills at each grade level, is made possible through the Charting the Way grant.

The Charting the Way grant is intended not only to improve daily performance, but to help students feel more comfortable when it comes to participating in the classroom and performing on assessments. It is geared toward helping students understand what they are reading and gain the skills necessary to express themselves in writing

In order to accomplish this task, new and different strategies are incorporated to teach students and help them reach their learning potential.

During the year, teachers are required to incorporate MAP activities into their lessons, but with the help of the Charting the Way grant, four times a year (October, December, February, April) the school will have parent/student workshops that highlight MAP activities.

The workshops involve a coordinated effort between students, teachers, special education instructors, title teachers, parents, and community members to involve students in productive lifelong learning.

Through participation in the workshops, parents and community members can be assured that students are participating in new and exciting opportunities to improve reading comprehension and writing skills. Teachers, in turn, will feel more competent than ever when it comes to preparing MAP activities.

Expected results of the grant include the improvement of student performance in the following areas: Increased reading scores on the reading section of the Stanford 9 for grades K, 1, 2, 5 and 6; improved communication arts results on the third grade MAP Assessment; improved math results on the fourth grade MAP Assessment due to better performance with writing skills.