Little Longhorn Fifth-Graders Complete Elementary School with Outstanding TAKS Scores and Many Attending Competitive Middle Schools
The University of Texas Elementary School’s fifth graders attended their completion ceremony and banquet on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m., at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center.
William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin, George Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of the University Co-Operative Society, and Dr. Gregory Vincent, vice-president of diversity and community engagement, spoke at the ceremony. All offered words of congratulations to these students, who have achieved great heights with the support of their teachers and their families. Mitchell also donated a $25 gift card to each of the students as a parting gift.
These fifth graders earned a 100 percent passing rate in science and 97 percent passing rate in math and reading for 2009 in the Texas Academic Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests. The scores for these students compare to average statewide fifth-grade scores of 83 percent in reading and 84 percent in math. Statewide scores for fifth-grade science are not yet available for 2009, however; the 2008 average was 81 percent passing. The rest of the school also earned over 90% passing in TAKS in all grades, subjects, and subgroups; which should lead to a rating of “Exemplary” from the Texas Education Agency later this year.
Most of the students moving on to middle school were enrolled when the research-based demonstration school affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin opened its doors in fall 2003. Dr. Ramona Treviño, founding principal of UT Elementary School, said “Every morning in assembly these students commit to doing their absolute best, and it shows in these test scores and in their all-around success in completing rigorous coursework. They are already looking to the future- most of our elementary students will be first-generation college students.”
After a few months of summer break, more than one in three of these students will go on to attend competitive middle schools, including Fulmore Humanities and Law Magnet for International Studies, Kealing Magnet for Math, Science and Liberal Arts, and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. Several others will attend the new East Austin College Preparatory Academy or their designated Austin ISD middle school.
Mary Ledbetter, fifth-grade teacher, explains “We work very hard to get our students thinking about the future of their academic careers, with college in the long-term and middle school in the more immediate future. At the very beginning of fifth grade, we help facilitate the application process by holding parent information sessions, organizing presentations from the middle schools, and giving our students the tools they need to submit successful applications.”
As a research-based demonstration school, UT Elementary takes research from various departments at The University of Texas at Austin and applies it in the classroom. The goals of the school are to provide an educational alternative for East Austin families, to serve as a training and development site for the university’s students and to be a model of an exemplary educational program for diverse learners.
UT Elementary School is achieving its goals and building a culture of excellence to serve as an example for schools across the state, said Principal/Head of School Melissa Chavez. She said her message for the fifth-grade class of 2009 is “Little Longhorns, go show the world how great you are!”
