Worst to Among Best in Three Years #9

Many students don't have electricity and running water, and yet, in a rural school where 83% of students are poor and 80% are ELL, test scores soared from horrible to outstanding in just 3 years!

Tohatchi Elementary School has had some of the worst test scores in all of New Mexico. Due in part to the demographics of poverty and language. This all changed 4 years ago when first-year principal George Bickert took over. In fact, in order to be a principal at Tohatchi Elementary, George Bickert needed a special waiver. George immediately took the initiative to learn the name of each student right away, he also greeted them every morning, gave smiles, hugs, and high fives throughout the day. George also interacted with the students by playing organized basketball games with them in the mornings.

With the help of George Bickert and the staff, academics soon became a high challenge for students to meet...and within three years these students met those challenges and felt success at every level. Soon math scores ski-rocketed from 15% of the students being proficient in 2006 to almost 78% this year. Reading scores reached 71% this year compared to a meager 28% in 2006. Veronica Garcia, New Mexico's Public Education Secretary, commented on how "astonishing" the students of Tohatchi have progressed. So how did they achieve wonderful results in such a short time?

George Bickert had an enormous amount of motivational skills and a high amount of character. He expected nothing but the best from his staff, but most importantly he believed in the students and parents. George also knew EVERYTHING about each student when it came to data. He took the time to know who all the ELL students were, which students were poor, what skill a student may have been missing, and what their math and reading scores were. "Know your students," he said. "Everybody around the country is struggling with English language learners and students with disabilities, but you need to know what categories your students fit into and find out what your students need." Learning soon became fun and competitive with a great amount of appraisal from George and the staff.

Although George Bickert was promoted to another school as principal this past year, Vanesa Holly will now try to fill his shoes and go even farther as the new principal of Tohatchi Elementary School....and what's better than starting off in a brand new school filled with Navajo language posters and student artwork?