Written by Lizz Wiles —
O’NEALS — In May 2016, Minarets High School hosted the newly adopted Common Core State Standards method of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress.
The test was given to me and other juniors over a four-day period. English and Mathematics alternated daily to give us plenty of breathing periods throughout the exam. Teachers monitored their assigned students and headed the lesson activities prior to the tests. It was proven that the student body felt equipped and prepared for the assessment through our results.
Minarets scored the highest in all of Madera County schools, with 86 percent passing or exceeding standards in English, and 40 percent in Mathematics for the high school. As for the charter students, 37 percent passed or exceeded Math and 76 percent passed or exceeded English.
As well-prepared as the Minarets students proved to be, the build-up toward the test itself was not obvious and blended in very smoothly with the everyday curriculum that Minarets provided us.
While utilizing the method of Project-Based Learning, Minarets teachers take real-world scenarios and incorporate them into lessons, constructing projects that are fun and people can relate to, in order to encourage the students to delve deeper into what we are learning and form valuable knowledge that lasts through, and past, testing.
“We are a Project-Based Learning school and this allows me to have a more professional approach to my education,” says student Alma Chairez, who took the test. “Project-Based Learning is a great idea. I feel I have learned more at Minarets than at any other school I have attended. I was prepared for the CAASPP test in a very relaxing way. The projects helped me learn to manage my time and when it comes to tests, this is extremely useful.”
Alma’s experience with the test was a good one, she says.
“I felt that I was challenged in a positive way because I was still able to accomplish the test. Later on in the year, I took the SAT and it had helped me with the longer tests.”
Minarets’ Project-Based Learning is intriguing to teachers, granting them the opportunity to exercise their passion to create memorable lessons for their students, and not work from the prescribed, rote learning style of textbooks.
“Project-Based Learning is learner centered not teacher centered,” explains Minarets English teacher Michael Vaughan.
“It is about being able to solve any problem at any time with a variety of tools and skills. Teachers provide the tools and skills and students solve the problem. This type of problem solving requires adaptability and creativity, something demanded by colleges and employers. Project-Based Learning aims to foster a love of learning and create lifelong learners out of students.”
Adding to our knowledge of relevant situations allows students to adapt to the setting of Common Core testing.
“I feel like I’m learning more here at Minarets through project based learning, instead of tests and worksheets,” says student Skylar Wayte. “It has brought me forward in my learning, instead of struggling through tests,” says Skylar Wayte.
In English, 43 percent of the high school scored a 4, the highest possible rating, and 10 percent scored a 4 for Mathematics. On our Charter list, 38 percent exceeded English standards while 11 percent exceeded Mathematics.
“Minarets has a great academic environment for students so we can be prepared for challenges and problems of any kind on a day-to-day basis,” says senior Melissa Regalado. “Hearing about Minarets’ CAASPP success was not a surprise to me for those reasons.”
We, as an entire student body, are proud and even further motivated by Project-Based Learning to enable professionalism in our high school careers and beyond.
Lizz Wiles is a senior at Minarets enrolled in Creative Writing and Digital Editing.
