Contact: Maridith Geuder
At-home activities, one-on-one tutoring and interaction with professionals in a variety of occupations are part of a new collaborative project between Mississippi State University and two Oktibbeha County schools.
Approximately 150 K-6 students and their teachers at Alexander Elementary School and Moor Attendance Center are part of a yearlong effort called "SPIRIT," or Supporting Partnerships Involving Reforms in Teaching.
Headed by Diane C. Greene and Joe Sumrall of the department of curriculum and instruction, the project seeks to increase achievement levels of students in all subject areas. Funding is provided by the state Department of Education's Goals 2000 program.
"Our goal is to instill in the children who participate a desire to become lifelong learners," Greene said. An additional goal is to provide field-based experiences for approximately 60 participating MSU education majors.
"We knew that our students would have a positive experience working with students who are representative of county schools in Mississippi," Sumrall added. "The educators at Moor and Alexander were interested in participating, and we believe the collaboration will be mutually beneficial."
variety of activities will invite increased parental involvement and promote improved reading and writing skills. "We know that parental involvement in education is a critical factor in student success," Greene said.
Research assistant Melissa Nail, a graduate student from Louisville, and other MSU students have designed a "Backpack Bookbag" featuring activities to be shared by parents and their children. Including award-winning children's books, educational games and a variety of creative activities, the take-home learning kits can be checked out by elementary students.
University students and elementary teachers also will use electronic mail, Internet searches, hypermedia, and other technologies to enhance classroom activities. The focus will be on reading and writing as a way to increase skills in mathematics, science and social studies, Sumrall said.
University faculty will visit classrooms for career discussions, presentations about research and academic interests, and demonstrations.
"Community mentoring will be a part of SPIRIT," Greene said. "For example, Starkville Police Chief Larry Sisk will talk about law enforcement in a career component of the project."
When the project ends in 1999, the elementary teachers will participate in a two-week workshop designed to evaluate and refine the project. Standardized assessments and other measures will help document the level of parental involvement and quality of classroom lessons.
Both MSU faculty members agreed, however, that the ultimate success of the project "will be measured by the students' achievement levels."