Martin, who came to Crossroads last year after nearly a decade in the city schools as a teacher and administrator, said the total lack of staff turnover last year was a key component of the school's success.
Teacher turnover has also been low at Poplar Grove's Alexander Hamilton, where students had to endure three days of police lockdowns in April because of nearby shootings. Jackson, the principal, credits staff commitment and increased parental involvement - partly bolstered by a new music program and its student recitals - with bringing a crucial element of stability into a community where just a few years ago students were recruited by gang members.
At Hamilton, the percentage of fourth-graders passing the math portion of the MSA nearly doubled this year over last, from 46 percent to 84 percent.
Fort Worthington Principal Shaylin Todd said her efforts to boost parents' interest with events such as MSA and math-themed family fun nights are bearing fruit.
"Parents are able to see and do the work and know what their children are expected to be able to do and know," Todd said. "It helps them at home in terms of assisting with the homework."
Terry Brown, a Fort Worthington fifth-grader, credits his parents with helping him succeed on the MSA and with classwork.
"They wrote down math problems and made me read books," he said. The standardized test "helps me go to the next grade, so I can become something," added the 10-year-old, who aspires to become a police officer if professional football doesn't work out.
But Annette Walker, whose 8-year-old son attends Fort Worthington, said she was concerned about an over-emphasis on testing at the school.
"I'm not a test person," Walker said. "If a child comes to school every day, there shouldn't be a need for tests."
Her son, Corey Rice, said he wasn't worried about taking his first MSA next year, when he hits the third grade.
"I'm going to be ready," he said.
gadi.dechter@baltsun.com
