For the third year in a row, middle schools in the Socorro Independent School District (SISD) have outperformed their El Paso counterparts on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Algebra I exam, according to Socorro ISD. The District's continued academic excellence, particularly in mathematics, is evident in its top scores and consistency in earning honors through the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development's (CREEED) Algebra in Middle (AIM High) initiative.
On October 13, CREEED rewarded the effort and accomplishments of the faculty and staff at five SISD middle schools by distributing $54,850 in gift cards, recognizing their success in guiding students to achieve top scores on the Algebra I exam; included in the spotlight were Col. John O. Ensor Middle School with an 86% passing rate, Montwood Middle School at 84%, SPC. Rafael Hernando III and Jane A. Hambric Schools both with an 83% passing rate, while SSG. Manuel R. Puentes followed closely at 82%.
Superintendent James Vasquez expressed gratitude for CREEED's support and lauded the district's skilled educators in a celebration held at Pebble Hills High School, where he underscored the district's accomplishment, saying, "The achievement we are celebrating today – leading the way in Algebra I again – a three-peat! – demonstrates that we have incredibly skilled educators with a commitment to academic excellence like no one else in the region,” Vasquez told Socorro ISD.
The impact of excelling in algebra at an early stage is substantial, with SISD proudly maintaining a 100% enrollment rate for eighth graders in algebra I, setting the stage for advanced academic pursuits and college readiness; these milestones, as CREEED director of analytics Manny Soto elaborates, rank among the highest achievements to have been made in the region. Following suit, Jesus Espino, a dedicated algebra teacher at Ensor Middle School, shared his teaching philosophy and commitment to student empowerment, "Sometimes it's just trying to get them to know that they can do math," Espino explained to Socorro ISD, "So sometimes that's why I tell kids, ‘I'm going to be your biggest cheerleader.’ My job is both to teach them math, and to have them believe that they can do math. And once they know they can do math, then the rest is pretty easy."
