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Aurora nudging students to success

'Fifth block' isn't summer school in a formal sense

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 16, 2008 at 11:40 p.m.

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Teacher Ken Wu helps Aurora Central High School student Miguel Salcido with geometry Monday during in a new program called "fifth block." Not summer school in the traditional sense, the program is designed to boost students who are just shy of proficiency.

Photo by Darin Mcgregor / The Rocky

Teacher Ken Wu helps Aurora Central High School student Miguel Salcido with geometry Monday during in a new program called "fifth block." Not summer school in the traditional sense, the program is designed to boost students who are just shy of proficiency.

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Mario Composano could have been sleeping on this hot June morning.

Instead, Mario, 14, was at Aurora Central High School on Monday, constructing three-dimensional figures out of graph paper and tape in an effort to learn the mathematical concept of volume.

"I'm here because I have a high partly proficient level," Mario explained.

That's not a medical condition. It's his score on statewide academic achievement tests.

The CSAP tests grade students on a four-level scale: unsatisfactory, partially proficient, proficient and advanced. Mario is among 3,000 Aurora Public Schools students who are so close to proficient that educators hope a little boost will push them over the line.

Aurora schools have been struggling for more than a decade with low achievement levels. The one month mini-semester, offered for the first time this year, is among new approaches brought by retired U.S. Air Force Gen. John Barry when he was named superintendent two years ago.

The program reflects a strategy in which help is targeted for specific students based on test scores.

"That old practice of standing up in front of the room and just delivering the same message and thinking every kid is going to get that same message is false," said Amy Weed, one of four student achhievement coordinators.

The special semester, called "fifth block," is different from traditional summer school, where students make up courses they failed or try to get ahead by a semester. Aurora still offers that program to about 1,000 students.

The fifth block is not linked to specific courses, but stresses skills that are basic to math and reading. The voluntary program is offered in every Aurora school. It runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and includes breakfast and lunch. Eligible students are bused.

Participation is by invitation, which goes to the student's parents in an effort to involve them. Students must have good attendance and discipline records as well as be close to proficiency.

Class sizes are small - just 11 students in the math class that included Mario. They will be Aurora Central freshmen in the fall.

Natasha Elliott, 14, said the program is working.

"I got better on negative numbers and on graphing," she said. "I like being here. My mom said if I come here then I won't have to clean up the house or anything. She wants me to graduate from high school and go to college."

Mario said his initial thought was that the program would be boring. "Then my mom talked to me, and I thought about it because at home I got nothing else to do and here I could hang around with some friends. And usually my mom is always right so I just went along with it."

morsonb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303 954-5209