Testing for placement of new students is serious business at Miles Park. New students are given the Star Test for reading and Computer Curriculum Corp. for math, says Miles Park s Assistant Principal Kelley A. Dudley. Both tests assign a grade equivalent based on the student s score and prescribe what students should study to close any achievement gaps, Dudley says. Star Test scores correspond with grade-appropriate books in Accelerated Reader. Computer Curriculum aligns math with grade levels and allows students to work on problems during math lab and after school.
Students work independently or get tutoring from retired professionals who volunteer.
Paris, a new student in Smallwood s 4th-grade class, moved up a grade level to 3.6, Dudley says. He s still behind, but look where he came from, she says.