Our Savior’s Lutheran School’s average test scores across all subjects have been at the 89%ile or better for the past four years. When looking at just reading and math, we do even better - 90+%ile. This is an amazing accomplishment for our students! If you read my last blog you know that it can’t just be attributed to high socio-economic and educational levels of our parents. In that blog I shared a recent study of international test scores which showed that even in among US students whose parents have high socio-economic and education levels, the US doesn’t compare well with international scores.
So what does make adifference? The difference, of course, is in the school and the teachers. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) put out some findings about what raises the level of student performance. Here’s some of what they found and what they proposed.
….therein lies the lesson: all countries can improve their students’ performance, given the right policies and the will to implement them……An agenda to reduce the incidence of low performance can include several actions:
• Dismantle the multiple barriers to learning
• Create demanding and supportive learning environments at school.
• Provide remedial support as early as possible.
• Encourage the involvement of parents and local communities.
• Inspire students to make the most of available education opportunities.
All of this and more is part of the daily education at Our Savior’s. With our small classes and talented teachers, students have more time on task, or more actual instruction/learning time. Our curriculum is demanding, but comes with the necessary supports to ensure students are successful. When there is a need for remediation, teachers catch it sooner and provide support to students and parents. Our parent involvement is very high and all you have to do is visit the classrooms to see that students are iengaged and making the most of the learning opportunities! Additionally we provide supplemental and enrichment programs both during and after school. Lastly, our students learn in a Christian environment which teaches them to love God and to love each other.
Our Core Values Statement says it best:
At Our Savior’s Lutheran School:
1. We will provide excellent education in a Lutheran Christian environment.
We will consistently challenge our students to be successful academically, loving and accepting of their neighbor and grounded in God’s love.
2. We will instill in our students the traits necessary to form healthy relationships based on character, integrity and mutual respect.
We will consistently challenge our staff, students and families to honor and respect all people to speak kindly of them and explain their actions in the kindest of ways.
3. We are students, parents, educators, and church members who celebrate and honor the diversity of gifts, abilities and backgrounds each contributes to the school community.
4. We will facilitate opportunities for our students and their families to provide Christian service to our school community and the world beyond.
We at OSLS are dedicated to providing the best instruction in a small nurturing environment. The implementation of these values makes a difference in our students’ lives, not just in test scores, but in giving them the best chance for overall success in school and in life - ask any parent of a recent alumni who is now in middle school or high school!