New Buck Lodge principal seeks to improve test scores

After the school failed to meet its Adequate Yearly Progress targets on the Maryland School Assessment test for the fifth consecutive year under Buck Lodge Principal Constance Gibb, the county replaced her last week with Sandi Jimenez.

Jimenez served as assistant principal at Buck Lodge for five years before spending the last six as principal and assistant principal at Langley Park–McCormick Elementary.

Gibb, who was principal for 10 years, will work as an instructional specialist with the county's Opportunity Zone this school year.

Gibb could not be reached for comment.

When a school does not meet AYP, an annual state benchmark, it is placed in school improvement. If the school does not test out of school improvement status within two years, it is placed in the state's restructuring program.

Schools undergoing restructuring are required to choose one of four alternative governance options set by the state, which outline measures that a school must take, including the option to replace administrators.

In 2007-2008, Buck Lodge failed to meet AYP in six subgroups, including special education and limited English proficiency, in both math and reading. Buck Lodge was the only school in Adelphi, College Park, Beltsville or University Park to miss its AYP targets in 2008.

As she makes her return to Buck Lodge, Jimenez is aware of the challenges facing the school.

"I've done this before," she said. "I took over Langley Park when it was absolutely in the pits, and they started doing much better. People want to hear that there is hope and there is a possibility we will improve."

Langley Park-McCormick met AYP in every subgroup in 2008 and 2007 after being in school improvement the year before.

Jimenez said the programs that have already been implemented as part of restructuring will be a good starting point to getting the school's test scores turned around.

"Last year, they started a special instruction program, but it was only in language arts," she said. "In stage two [of restructuring] it goes to math and science as well. The structure is there, and it's good. Hopefully it will work."

Staff members will also have regular coaching sessions and more detailed instruction provided by specialists, an initiative introduced last year that will be expanded in 2008-2009.

Kenneth Morgan, an active member of the Buck Lodge Citizens Association, said Jimenez will have more challenges to deal with than just test scores, including rebuilding the school's relationship with the community.

"We tried having a cooperating relationship with the school and with the principal, and it didn't work," he said. "E-mails were sent. Letters were sent. We had come up with ideas for students to get volunteer hours, and the school just didn't respond."

Jimenez also speaks Spanish, which Buck Lodge PTA secretary Mike Sedgwick said will help to get Spanish-speaking parents active in the community.

Last school year, 52 percent of Buck Lodge students came from Spanish-speaking families.

"We did get a large population of parents to come out to meetings," he said. "They were excited about being willing to participate, but there was a big language barrier. If more resources were provided, you'd get more involvement."

John White, a spokesman for Prince George's County Public Schools, called Jimenez an "ideal candidate as she has experience in the system."

Jimenez said before anything else, she needs to create optimism in the school in order to make it out of restructuring.

"It's discouraging to try hard and work hard and not make your targets," she said. "I wouldn't say morale is low, but they're going through two difficult things: One is not making AYP and two is the change to a different principal, which can be a scary process."