RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL TUTOR PROGAM MAKES A DIFERENCE
Effort at Rancho High succeeds in helping students pass required proficiency
exam
By ANTONIO PLANAS
REVIEW-JOURNAL |
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Rancho High School seniors, from left, Jetzen Hipolito, Marja Azucena,
Alicia Farrell, Lisa Pham and Hyesun Lim prepare to tutor students on parts
of the state's high school proficiency exam on Dec. 6. The seniors are among
15 honor students who are helping students in the after-school tutorial
program paid for by the school's alumni association.
Photos by John Gurzinski.
Rancho High School freshman Charles Graham, left, is tutored in geometry by
senior Adetaye Adeseye on Dec. 6. The Rancho High School Alumni Association,
which put together a tutoring program last year, is raising money to pay
tutors.
Virginia Johnson failed the math proficiency exam five times during her high
school career, leaving one final attempt to pass the test and earn her
diploma and admission into Alabama State University last spring.
"I was really frustrated. ... I felt like giving up. I was like, 'Why can't I
get this?'" said Johnson, who was then a senior at Rancho High School.
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Johnson was one of 53 seniors last spring who had yet to pass the math part
of the exam but were tutored through an after-school program paid for by the
school's alumni association and by campus funds such as vending machine
sales.
All 53 passed the exam on their final try.
When Johnson got word she passed, she was ecstatic. "I was running around and
screaming. I did just about everything except fall on the ground," she said.
Last year's 100 percent success rate for seniors is a goal that the Rancho
High School Alumni Association is working to duplicate again this year.
To earn a diploma, high school students must pass all parts of the Nevada
High School Proficiency Exam, which includes reading, writing and math.
About 16 percent of the 13,181 Clark County School District seniors in last
school year's senior class failed to pass one part of the exam, with most in
that group failing math.
Students who fail to pass all parts of the exam are given a certificate of
attendance rather than a diploma.
Rancho's tutorial program began with $2,600 donation from the alumni
association, which was matched by school funds.
The money was used to pay four full-time teachers who worked as tutors. They
were helped by 10 honor students who volunteered their time to tutor
students.
The teachers and honor students held one-hour study sessions in the school's
library two times a week.
About 200 students attended the tutorials last spring, but school officials
tracked the progress of seniors only. Last spring's program focused on the
math part of the proficiency exam, but some students did get tutored in other
subjects.
The success of the program caused the school's alumni association to continue
to raise money to help students on their proficiency exams.
"If students take the time and are willing to do it, then it's a proven
formula for success," Principal Bob Chesto said.
About 30 students are being tutored for upcoming proficiency exams, and most
of them are underclassmen. The alumni association has raised about $2,300 to
pay for the tutors this semester. The money is used to pay for five teachers,
who are being helped by 15 honor students who are volunteers.
Larry Lermusiaux, a member of the school's alumni association, said
fundraising is a concern. He said he expects demand for the program to be
higher next semester than last spring's sessions, which had about 200
students.
"It's an expanding program that needs expanding funding," Lermusiaux said.
"The general inquiries from students who want to sign up far exceeds what we
can accommodate."
He said he would like to see the alumni association raise about $15,000 for
next semester's program to be successful.
Johnson said she has been getting tutoring in math since eighth grade. She
attributes the success of the program to tutors being willing to reteach her
some of the fundamental aspects of math, starting with algebra and then
moving on to more advanced mathematical principles.
Rancho senior Nelson Araujo attended tutorials in the spring to pass the
writing part of the proficiency exam. He said he probably did not need to
attend the tutorials but did so to increase his score.
Araujo said he stuck with the program as a tutor because he likes to see his
classmates prosper.
"I saw the effect it had on people, and I didn't want it to die," Araujo
said.
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