One Goal, 710! It is posted all over the school this Spring, but what does it mean? Our admin team, with the help of a group of teachers, has set a testing goal for the kids. We are shooting to raise our aggregate scores for NSCAS English Language Arts, NSCAS Math, NSCAS Science, and Junior ACT, 710 points from the winter assessment scores. This goal makes us one team and encourages all of our students to put forth their best effort on the spring assessments that are reported to the state department of education.

These scores, along with things like attendance records, special education population, discipline reports, and other demographics, create our educational profile.

If you are interested in where our school ranks, it can be found at the following link: https://nep.education. ne.gov/%23/profiles/district/snapshot?agency-Id=21-0180-000&dataYears=20232024 Every school has a unique footprint, and we are very proud of the work that our students and teachers have put in to make us who we are. Here is the part that most people don’t understand though…while the score is important, it isn’t nearly as important as the effort.

The goal of schools has always been to prepare students for future success and the two factors that have the greatest correlation to future success are dependability and effort. Are you in school every day? If you are, then you will be the worker that always shows up.

Pat Summit, former Tennessee women’s basketball coach, once said 90% of the work that gets done in this world is done by people who don’t feel their best, so suck it up and get to work. So, being present is critical, but it means little without effort. When you are here, are you giving your best? Neither of these qualities has anything to do with your innate talent or intellect. Everyone has the ability to be dependable and give effort.

So how do we as a school make our kids give their best effort and be dependable? Quite simply, we don’t! This is why it is so important for parents and schools to work as a team. The school is the weakest leg on a three-legged stool of influence on students and their motivating factors. Parents and household expectations are much more impactful on a student’s dependability and effort than we are as a school. And don’t tell parents, but peer norms are even more impactful than parent and household expectations. In other words, to really set a standard we are trying to create an environment and culture where all three legs of the stool are supporting the student.

Back to the original question, how do we accomplish this? I guess I am on a Pat Summit kick today. Pat also said they won’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Yep, that is it, just true and authentic investment in the kids as people. When kids feel cared for, they are infinitely more likely to try and meet your expectations.

One Goal, 710! Sure, we hope the kids make their goal, but little do they know it doesn’t matter if they go up 680 or 900, we have already reached our goal. The real goal is to get them to care and get them to try. Job well done CPS!

Following the program cake and ice cream were served to the guests.