Colorado is one of eight states selected by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in a state-level administration of the 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
“It’s important that we know how Colorado students are performing in math and science in comparison with the world’s strongest students,” said Colorado Commissioner of Education Dwight D. Jones. “Participating in this study will yield that information and we deeply appreciate the cooperation of those districts and schools that have agreed to assist with this study.”
Although more states volunteered for the study, only seven other states were selected to administer state TIMSS in 2011: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota and North Carolina.
In Colorado, approximately 50 schools in 28 districts have been selected to administer the mathematics and science assessment to a sample of eighth grade students beginning April 4 and continuing through May 27. The selection is done by the U.S. Department of Education and TIMSS administrators to ensure a representative sample of Colorado students.
By participating in the study, the Colorado eighth graders being tested will provide educators, state policymakers and the public with access to state-level TIMSS achievement data that can be compared to student achievement data in over 60 countries.
In the past, states have paid an estimated $500,000 to participate in state-level administration of TIMSS. Since Colorado was selected by the U.S. Department of Education, there will be no cost to the state, said Joyce Zurkowski, director of assessment for the Colorado Department of Education.
The assessment will provide international benchmarking data at the state level that would otherwise be very expensive to obtain and likely unavailable during these challenging times with the state budget, said Zurkowski. Just as with NAEP (the National Assessment of Educational Progress), individual student results will not be available. However, participating schools will receive school-level profile reports.
Students at Landmark academy at reunion celebrate first annual latin culture week
Landmark Academy at Reunion , a tuition-free public charter school, recently hosted their First Annual Latin Culture Week, a week focused on educating students on the various aspects of Latin culture, from music and art to sports and celebrities, through unique activities. During the week-long celebration, students were able to step into the lives of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans with Latin culture lessons through piñata making, cultural crafts, songs, traditional foods and more. Students made maracas and learned a traditional Mexican Hat Dance; created Aztec suns working with metal tooling; and studied different countries in Mexico , Central America and South America . Aztec dancers from the Colorado Folk Arts Council also visited with students and educated them on the spiritual and traditional aspects of Aztec culture through dance. “We reside in a community with strong Latin and Hispanic roots,” said Matt Carlton, principal of Landmark Academy at Reunion . “Our community culture is important to us at Landmark. By providing unique ways for our students to learn the various backgrounds of our diverse community they are able to understand and appreciate different cultures.” For more information about Landmark Academy at Reunion , please visit www.landmarkacademy.org.
