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Health & Fitness

Kempton Elementary Principal Gets Mohawk When Kids Score Big

Kempton Elementary Principal Elisa Holston got a mohawk haircut as a reward for her students standardized test results.

Last Spring, Kempton Elementary Principal Elisa Holston wanted to add a little extra incentive to the students before they took their yearly STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) tests.  Kempton had been making progress in their yearly results, and Holston hoped the school could make a big jump forward.  If the results met a state requirement for progress called “Safe Harbor” she would get a mohawk haircut in front of all the students.

The children worked hard and the resulting API (Academic Performance Index) improved 35 points, which was one of the largest increases in the La Mesa Spring Valley School District.  This was doubly impressive given that Kempton has one of the largest student enrollments, but faces challenges of a difficult socio-economic area and high numbers of English language learners.

Principal Holston said; “Kempton Elementary is committed to the academic success of each and every child. In addition to ensuring quality instruction in every classroom, we have invested the students themselves as stakeholders in their own learning. As individuals and as a class, students set learning goals, monitor progress, come up with steps for improvement and celebrate success.  My mohawk is our school's celebration for reaching our improvement goals, and I could not be prouder of it! It represents the determination, perseverance and trust of every student, staff member, and parent in the Kempton Community. The promise of the mohawk was a strong motivator last year, and has already proven to be a stronger motivator this year. It taught our students a valuable lesson, promises are kept and goals can be met."

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