High Quality Instruction and Learning for Every Child, Every Day in Every Classroom
Many kindergarten students learning a second language As a result of Renton School District providing free, full-day kindergarten to all families at all elementary schools—which began this school year—district English Language Learner (ELL) teachers have been able to identify through testing nearly 500 new kindergarten students who are now learning English as a second language. While the great majority of Renton students speak English at home, many students enrolling in schools are beginning to learn English along with their home language. The kindergarten students entering school this year who are now enrolled in ELL programs, speak Spanish, Chinese-Cantonese, Vietnamese, Somali, Russian, and other languages and dialects. These students will benefit from the language rich environment of an all-day kindergarten setting with highly-trained teaching staff who provide children with focused instruction in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English during their kindergarten year. English-speaking students will also benefit by learning alongside others who speak a different language and offer a more culturally-rich classroom.
District high school students better prepared to enter college More Washington state students than ever are enrolling in high school Advanced Placement college-level courses and taking college-level exams, according to results released recently by the College Board. In the Renton School District, high school students took nearly 1,050 AP college-level exams last year. Scoring well on these tests prepares students for the rigor of college and could also lead to college credit. Renton students also scored well on last year’s SAT and PSAT college-
entrance exams. More than 85 percent of Renton students took the SAT last year. Those students improved scores on reading, math and writing tests over previous year’s scores. Renton is one of only a few districts in the region that provides free PSAT and SAT college-entrance testing for all 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders. The free testing, which is provided through the federal Race To The Top grant, is given during the school day right at the students’ high school. The work is part of Renton’s goal to have all high school students college and career ready.