NH Elementary School Credits Dramatic Increase in Science Scores to PLT
For nearly two years, New Hampshire Project Learning Tree has been working closely with Nashua District’s Bicentennial Elementary School, a model “PLT GreenSchool”. The school’s principal, Kyle Langille credits PLT in part for the school’s dramatic increase in 4th grade science scores announced today by the New Hampshire Department of Education.
In an email to the school staff, Principal Langille said, “It is with great excitement and pride I let you know our NECAP [New England Common Assessment Program] Science scores for grade 4, released to the public today at 10:00 AM, show significant improvement. Our renewed emphasis on the science GSEs, our continued partnership with Project Learning Tree and your highly motivating and engaging lessons, are all contributing factors. Congratulations! It takes a collective effort to see this kind of change.”
NH PLT began working with Bicentennial Elementary last year as part of its Connecting Schools to People and Place (CS2P) program, a model school improvement program. NH PLT helped the school construct an outdoor classroom and has worked with teachers to incorporate the use of the outdoor classroom and the study of the environment surrounding the school into the school’s curricula.
Last spring, teams of students and teachers investigated their school’s solid waste and recycling by pilot testing one of PLT’s GreenSchools! Investigations. A set of five PLT GreenSchools! Investigations help students assess environmental issues at their school to discover if there are ways that the overall health and environmental impact of their school can be improved. This fall the students plan to complete two more investigations: one for their school site, and one on energy use.
CS2P was launched in January 2003 as a pilot project between Woodsville Elementary School and NH PLT. As part of this project, NH PLT helps connect teachers with local community resources (that includes people!), secures funding for teacher release time and field trips; purchases natural science supplies; facilitates monthly meetings; models natural science and PLT activities in and out of the classroom; and shares natural science and curriculum-planning expertise.
