NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH CONNECTION
To establish a level playing field for all members of our community, so all may enjoy a better quality of life.
For the 16 million American children living below the federal poverty line, the start of a new school year should be reason to celebrate … But it doesn’t usually work out that way. Providing social services in schools is one way to address this problem, but NOC’s after school programs offer an alternative option.
Educators like to say that third grade is the year when students go from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” …
“If I were a parent and I had a struggling third grader, I would get whatever help I could to help get them up to speed,” said Deborah J. Stipek, dean of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. “But if I were a state policymaker or superintendent, I would say, ‘What can we offer these kids in pre-K, kindergarten and first grade so they aren’t behind when they get to third grade?’ ”
Compared with last year’s scores, the percentage of Beaufort County students meeting or exceeding standards decreased in three categories: English language arts, math and science.
Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/08/04/3241978/beaufort-county-progress-on-standardized.html
Educators in South Carolina have no clue what standardized test students will take next year to assess new state Common Core standards. However, one test is out of the running: the Smarter Balanced test the state had planned to use.
Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/04/14/3060438/zais-pulls-sc-out-of-smarter-balanced.html
Some of NOC’s most attentive and engaged students walk miles to get to The Oaks’ Program Center each morning. Yahir and Hector Urias and their cousin Marlín Ramirez could often be spotted racing down the pathway beside Highway 278 an hour before class began each day during the summer session. They were followed by Yahir and Hector’s mother and Marlín’s two small sisters pushing a stroller. Inocencia Ramirez, mother of one of the boys, says that she and the rest of their family value education, and they also enjoy the exercise she and the five children get on their long walk from Marshland Road each day. These students are dedicated learners and a joy to be around. They also have dedicated parents who care about their future and appreciate the importance of education for their children.
