Aldine principal to take part in satellite town meeting in D.C.

Nancy Blackwell, principal of Aldine ISD’s Hambrick Middle School, has been selected to participate in a satellite town meeting in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Blackwell and other educators from across the country will participate in the Department of Education’s “Testing for Results: Using Assessment to Measure Effectiveness and Drive Instruction,” according to Ida Roxanna Eblinger, producer of the town meeting.

The meeting will be the first after the passage of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act and will help to explain the sweeping changes that the new education law will bring. The focus of the program will highlight the testing provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act and will describe how annual assessments can ensure student progress and improve schools. The discussion will emphasize how effective testing, when linked to high academic standards and a challenging curriculum, is essential to education reform.

Blackwell and Hambrick Middle School were chosen to participate in the program by Just for the Kids, Inc. because of the academic success Hambrick students have achieved over the past few years. Just for the Kids recommended Hambrick for using test data to raise the academic performance of economically disadvantaged students.

Hambrick earned an Exemplary rating from the Texas Education Agency following the 2000-2001 school year, despite having a student population that is approximately 80 percent economically disadvantaged.

The satellite town meeting is produced by the U.S. Department of Education to help communities improve teaching and learning. Blackwell will be joined by a panel of national experts, community leaders and educators who will offer insights and practical “how-to” advice for communities. The broadcast will originate from WETA, the local PBS affiliate located in Arlington, VA.