Many schools boast about their students’ high scores on standardized tests. While EPLA can boast that we have had the highest academic growth achievement of just about any public school in the state of Texas, let’s be honest, isn’t everyone tired of schools that “teach to the test?” The truth is that standardized tests do not prepare students for how life works and certainly are not the best indicator for how well students will perform in college or life success. That’s exactly why El Paso Leadership Academy (EPLA) teaches way beyond the test and focuses on providing our scholars with skill sets that will make them successful as college students, career driven adults and as people. Our scholars not only learn academics, they gain valuable leadership skills.
“Teaching to the Test”
Standardized tests do a poor job of demonstrating that a student has acquired the skill-sets to be college and career ready. While these tests do hold a level of importance, they cannot be the “end all be all” of education. The irony is that even though many educators believe this sentiment, it’s hardly ever practiced in our public schools!
Growth vs. Achievement
When standardized test scores come out, a number tries to explain everything happening in a school. Let’s take a look behind the curtain. What if the student is entering the 6th grade at the 2nd and 3rd-grade reading levels? If they are in a school of 1500 students, the test scores will average out and many, if not all, of those students, would go unnoticed and their needs all but are forgotten. What if your student was one of the “forgotten?” Because EPLA caps its student enrollment and we are a small school, no student goes forgotten.
Instead of coming into 6th grade, reading at the 2nd-grade level and frustrated by their coursework, we personalize the educational experience to meet your student’s needs. As a result, EPLA is able to grow our students’ reading levels by three to four years in only one year! That makes EPLA one of the best academic growth public schools in the state!
We do not make any excuses at EPLA. We do not blame a student’s background, personal circumstances or home life. We love and understand our parents. We work hand and hand with them to not only support the student but support the family as well. This is because EPLA functions more like a family than a school and, as we all know, nothing comes before family. Our students love the warm welcoming environment, parents feel incredible reassured that their students are receiving personalized attention and lives are fundamentally changing for the better.
To learn more about EPLA and our supportive educational environment, give us a call today! You can also schedule a tour to witness for yourself how our scholars learn and thrive.
