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Wicker highlights successful education programs By U.S. Senator
Roger F. Wicker As
students returned to school for a new year, some news coverage focused
on the weaknesses of the American education system. While there is a
critical need to improve our education system, it is important that we
also recognize some of the successful programs in our backyard. Over
the last several weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit several
Mississippi schools and education centers working to improve the lives
of students. Early Intervention Key to Child’s Success I
visited the Magnolia Speech School (MSS) in Jackson, to see firsthand
the work being done to help children with communication disorders. MSS
prepares children with deafness and language impairment for integration
into society. Recognizing the importance of early intervention, MSS
offers hearing evaluations, hearing aid maintenance, and cochlear
implant rehabilitation for children up to 36 months old. The school’s
individual therapy and customized curriculum has helped provide a voice
for hundreds of children in a verbal world. The
3-D School in Petal, is another school changing the lives of students
every day. The small-group dyslexia therapy and individual attention
from teachers have enabled students to improve significantly their
reading and comprehension skills. As a result, a number of students
from the 3-D School have been able to return to mainstream schools. The
work at both the Magnolia School and the 3-D School are just some of
the examples of the programs our state has to offer to help address the
special needs of children at an early age. Investing in Advanced Education Programs Recent
studies have indicated that Americans are falling behind other
countries in math and sciences. U.S. students rank 19th in math and
14th in science out of 31 countries according to the Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development. Such results have placed an
urgent need for improvement in science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) education. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said, “If
we’re going to be economically competitive and continue to innovate and
create jobs, we have to get much, much better in STEM education.” It
is important that we focus on improving STEM education so we can
develop a highly educated workforce to help us grow our economy. The
Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) is a remarkable
high school that is meeting this challenge. MSMS provides students with
innovative learning experiences and college extension opportunities to
help them reach their highest potential. During
a recent visit, I could not help thinking that some of the children in
the room may go on to develop the next groundbreaking health care
technology that saves lives or invent the next type of computer that
changes the way we do business. These students are the future leaders
of Mississippi and our country, and it is critical that we continue to
invest in STEM education. Improving our Dropout Rate Although
our state is a leader in providing programs for children with learning
disabilities as well as academically gifted students, we have had
significant challenges with dropout rates among our mainstream schools.
The Mississippi Department of Education recently announced that the
dropout rate for the Class of 2009 was 16.7 percent. There are many
prevention programs underway in Mississippi that could help us meet the
state’s goal to reduce the dropout rate to 13 percent by 2013. One
exciting program is the Studio School Dropout Prevention Program
developed by Mississippi State University. Studio schools are designed
to get the attention of at-risk students and those who have failed
grades or refused to attend classes. The concept of the studio schools
is to have students researching projects of their choosing while
instructors integrate key learning concepts. The pilot program has seen
promising results among seventh and eighth grade at-risk students, and
we hope to continue to expand it to more districts. Investing in our Future Early
intervention programs for children with learning and communication
disorders, advanced training for academically gifted children, and
creative curriculum for at-risk students are some of the many diverse
ways our state is working to improve the lives of our children. As a
community, state, and country, we need to work together to ensure that
we are providing the leaders of tomorrow with the skills and tools
needed to succeed as citizens.
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