School of Excellence is high-tech
By Alvin A. Reid of the American
For the closing four years of a distinguished 33-year education career, Robert Ward wanted to prove a point to the St. Louis area.
The retired principal of Bel-Ridge Intermediate School in the Normandy School District said, “my staff, my teachers and I wanted to prove that the effective teacher is not a myth.”
“Even with all the concerns of society, we showed that these students can learn and can have positive results.”
Bel-Ridge’s student population is predominantly black, with many of its students being bused in from northern sections of St. Louis. Nearly all of its students participate in the federal free or reduced lunch program.
This is where many similarities with urban schools end.
A low dropout rate and outstanding test scores at the district’s only intermediate school are standard.
Bel-Ridge students consistently top state goals for the number of students scoring in the top two levels of the MAP.
In 2002, the goal was 8.3 percent and Bel-Ridge achieved 12.5 percent. In 2003, the state’s goal was 9.3 percent and Bel-Ridge more than doubled that mark at 23.1 percent. In 2004, Bel-Ridge placed 53.1 percent of students in the top two levels and the state goal was just 10.3 percent.
For its sustained success, Bel-Ridge has been selected as the recipient of the 2006 Monsanto School of Excellence Award and will be honored during the Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Banquet on Sept. 15.
Part of the school’s success blooms from its dedication to technology.
In each grade level, students use computers and other high-tech tools for writing, math problem solving and computation.
As part of its School of Excellence sponsorship, the Monsanto Fund, philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Co., is donating eight laptop computers to the school for use by teachers.
According to Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund president and director of social responsibility for Monsanto, says computer technology serves as a vital learning tool between academic curriculum and access to knowledge that supports student achievement.
Teachers can take laptops home to do research, plan assignments, communicate with school computers and also keep parents informed of student and class progress. In addition, teachers are also encouraged to further their own professional development through the Internet and online courses.
The computers also provide a more flexible learning environment in the actual classroom as opposed to students waiting for their turn to use the school’s computer lab.
Ward, who served more than 20 years in the St. Louis Public Schools district, was an administrator in the Riverview Gardens School District before being named principal at Bel-Ridge in 2002.
Under his leadership, test scores began improving and he developed the mission “to teach each child each day through maximizing classroom teacher performance and maximizing those conditions that allow students to learn.”
“We stepped forward and proved effective teaching works,” he said.
Ward, who admits that he misses the day-to-day responsibilities of a principal, has been offered opportunities to return to his education career.
“But I’m retired and I’m going to stay that way,” he said.
