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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE N.R. #215, 3/25/03 Date: March 25, 2003
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE FIRST NORTHERN VIRGINIA SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE NATIONAL MAGNA AWARD Prince William County Public Schools is one of only two school divisions nationwide to receive multiple awards in American School Board Journal’s 2003 Magna Awards. This recognition of the school division’s “Mathematics Intervention Program” and its Curriculum Management Program is the first time that a Northern Virginia school division has been honored in the Magna program. American School Board Journal initiated the Magna Awards in 1995 to recognize local school boards for taking bold and innovative steps to improve their educational programs. An independent panel of school board members and other educators selected this year’s winners and seven honorable mention recipients from almost 400 applicants. Prince William County Public Schools was one of 24 winners in this year’s competition. The Mathematics Intervention Program is designed to reach at-risk students in kindergarten through second grade before they fall too far behind their peers. Teachers participate in a year-long development class where they learn how to identify student ability levels and the techniques required to help those struggling in math. Currently, 23 teachers are fully trained, and another 50 are enrolled in the class. By the end of this school year, 120 kindergarten to second grade teachers will be fully trained and there are plans to expand the program to grades 3 through 5. Participation is voluntary, but the program always has a waiting list. The cost is about $135,000 to train 50 teachers. About $90,000 is federal money through the Fund for Improvement of Education. Congressman Tom Davis (R-11) was instrumental in obtaining these grant funds to support the program. According to Linda Zborofsky, elementary Mathematics Intervention Coordinator, the program is yielding results. In a school where all K-2 teachers were trained in the program, Zborofsky says scores on the second grade Stanford Achievement Test rose 19 points over the previous year. The program also played a part in the district’s increased passing rates on the third grade Virginia Standards of Learning exam. In 1998, 66 percent of the students passed the test; 77 percent passed in 2002. Zborofsky will be recognized at the American School Board Journal’s Luncheon for School Leaders at the National School Board Association Annual Conference in San Francisco on Monday, April 7. The American School Board Journal awarded the Curriculum Management System an Honorable Mention. Known as CMS, the electronic system aligns standards, instruction, and assessment. Teachers use the system to develop tests and receive immediate feedback on student achievement for each curriculum objective. A more extensive CMS testing program for grades two to 11 was started in the fall of 2002 to monitor student achievement in math, language arts, social studies, and science. Holly Hess, Director of Planning and Assessment, submitted the nomination packet. The school division’s programs, along with the other winning programs, were cited in a special supplement to the April 2003 issue of American School Board Journal. ### Year
Also see
News Release of March 21, 2003 for more information.
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