Working Smarter

In 2004, Forest Hill Elementary, a rural Title I school in Rapides Parish, Louisiana-where 84 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch-adopted the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP)™ to make sure they had the most effective teachers to educate every student.

All teachers were held accountable for their performance through TAP's fair evaluation system built on clearly defined, research-based standards. According to Principal Nancy Rials, teachers were not only working harder, but also "working smarter."

"TAP gives new teachers effective teaching strategies and encourages veteran teachers to look at different ways to do things," said special-education teacher Denise Bankovic. "It's a great help to me."

Rewarding Results

The results reflect their efforts. According to state LEAP fourth-grade test results, the number of Forest Hill students reaching basic and above in math proficiency grew from 73 to 90 percent and from 76 to 85 percent in English/Language Arts. Similarly, Forest Hill's School Performance Score, based on state assessments, increased from 105.2 to 114.7 after just one year of TAP, and by the end of the 2005-06 year, jumped to 124.5 - the largest growth in the entire parish. And the recognition didn't stop there.

Because of its extraordinary achievements, the State of Louisiana named Forest Hill a Distinguished Title I School of the Year, an honor presented to only two schools in the state. To mark this achievement, the school was honored at the National Title I Conference in Long Beach, California.

Given Forest Hill's increased teacher effectiveness and significant student achievement gains, it came as no surprise when every teacher received a TAP performance bonus.

Louisiana TAP has experienced dramatic growth, expanding from five schools in the 2004-05 school year to its present 37 schools.

source: www.tapsystem.org

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