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Photo by Bob Pennell Education resource teacher Candice Julian works with Jefferson Elementary School fifth-grader Josh Lawton in the school's learning center. Jefferson School wins state honors By VICKI GUARINO I t looks like it happened overnight. In 1997, only 34 percent of Jefferson Elementary School fifth-graders met state academic standards in math. Last spring, 87 percent met the standards. Other tests also showed marked improvement. So stunning were student gains across the board in just one year that the south Medford elementary school this week won state "Program of Merit" honors. The Department of Education distinction recognizes the school's climb from one of the lowest-scoring schools to one of the highest. The gains may seem sudden, but staff at Jefferson say the achievement has been a long time coming. "This did not happen in one year, it happened over 10 years," says teacher Sue Rogney, who heads Jefferson's federal Title I special assistance program. "We became academically serious and it really just now is paying off." "People think there should be a quick change, but it just doesn't happen that way," says sixth-grade teacher Virginia Mee. Jefferson is one of eight Oregon elementary schools serving largely low-income families to receive merit awards this year. The schools will serve as models for others to follow. State schools Superintendent Norma Paulus called the schools Tuesday to inform them of the honor. In addition, Jefferson is one of three nominated for federal "Distinguished Schools" status. The federal award will be made in May. Williams Elementary School, in Josephine County, also has been nominated. Last year, Lincoln Elementary, in Grants Pass, won federal distinction. The only other Jackson County school to be part of the merit program is Medford's Washington Elementary, which earned "Program of Merit" status in the 1996-97 school year. State education specialist Sharon Toland says the merit program is significant because it demonstrates that students can succeed academically despite economic hardship. "The test scores tend to reflect family income," says Toland. "These schools prove that low income is not a barrier to student success." All of the schools in the state merit program serve areas where at least half the families live in poverty. All receive federal Title I assistance, which targets the effects of poverty on learning. At Jefferson, the academic accomplishments involved everyone from Principal Phillip Meager to students who participate in curriculum decisions. Students, staff and parents meet regularly to work on lesson planning. Teachers say the academic gains stem from curriculum that over time has been closely aligned to the annual state tests -- incremental exams that lead in the 10th grade to the new Oregon Certificate of Initial Mastery. One result of the meetings was a decision to test a new math text last year, says Meager. The new curriculum stresses critical thinking and analysis of problems, says teacher Brad Pederson. "That is what the state tests are all about -- you have to figure out what it is the test is asking," Pederson says. Student Body President Adam Nelson, a sixth-grader who was part of the math curriculum committee, says the new math book helped him better understand the lessons. The experiment was so successful that the text has been adopted throughout the Medford district. Overall, says Meager, the school's success has been the result of the closer focus on the contents of the state tests. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA