Five middle schools in the Socorro Independent School District have been recognized for having the highest algebra I scores on the State of Texas Assessment of Academics Readiness, or STARR, exam in El Paso County for the 2022-23 school year.
The Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development, or CREEED, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education and educational attainment for all El Paso students, surprised faculty and staff from Col. John O. Ensor Middle School, Montwood Middle School, Ernesto Serna Fine Arts Academy, Spc. Rafael Hernando III Middle School and William D. Slider Middle School with nearly $60,000 in cash gift cards at a reception Oct. 16 at Socorro High School.
The event launched CREEED’s new Algebra In Middle School (AIM High) initiative, whose purpose is to raise student achievement and attract and retain high-quality educators by recognizing and rewarding the region’s top-performing middle schools.
“I’d like to welcome and thank CREEED for this wonderful recognition ceremony today,” said SISD Superintendent Nate Carman, Ed.D. “AIM High is certainly an admirable initiative to raise the bar for achievement in algebra I and college and career readiness for all students in the region.”
Early introduction to algebra provides a strong foundation for success in high school and college. On this basis, the AIM High Initiative builds off CREEED’s commitment to increase the number of students taking dual credit classes, by preparing them for access to dual credit classes earlier in high school. Studies confirm that students who complete 9 to 12 dual credit hours double their completion rate for college. In addition to recognizing the school teams who are leading efforts at the region’s top performing middle schools in algebra I, the AIM High initiative provides grants to expand existing programs to reach more middle school students.
Teachers gave a rousing round of applause after CREEED Board Chair Richard A. Castro said they should be very proud that the top schools in the El Paso region were all from Socorro ISD. He also recognized and thanked employees at each school for their roles in helping students succeed.
“From the administrators to the teachers, support staff, custodians, nurses, cafeteria workers, all play a role in working with those students in their respective areas,” Castro said. “To the algebra I teachers at these middle schools, thank you for teaching our students and encouraging them to do better.”
During the event, Ensor Middle School was recognized as the top-performing school with students achieving 84 percent meets rate. Montwood Middle School students earned 65 percent and Ernesto Serna earned 62 percent. Both Spec. Rafael Hernando III and William D. Slider middle schools achieved 59 percent.
Daniel Vasquez, an eighth-grade algebra teacher at Ensor, said the recognition not only celebrated the school’s employees but also the success of the students. Although he thought it was not necessary, he and his colleagues loved and appreciated the gift cards they received.
“It was so nice, but it’s beyond the gift card,” Vasquez said. “It’s more just the recognition of ‘Hey, you guys did a good job, and we appreciate what you’re doing.’”