HRDC initiative supports area school

  • Published
  • By Maj. Rich Curry
  • 507th ARW Public Affairs

The hands-on involvement of unit reservists has helped a local metro area school achieve a national scholastic award. 

The reservists, operating under a 507th Air Refueling Wing and 513th Air Control Group Human Resource Development Council community outreach effort supported the 8th grade Math and Science class of Belle Isle Enterprise Middle School providing guest lecturers for the students. 

Capt. Roslynn Rayford, the class’s teacher, and 507th ARW Military Equal Opportunity Officer, had requested guest speakers for her students to provide them with examples of how math helps individuals in their daily careers. 

“I received a great response from other reservists,” she said. What she didn’t know at the time was how her individual initiative and unit response would become a portion of the school’s national award nomination submission. 

Belle Isle was one of only four Oklahoma schools and 286 schools nationally to receive the Federal “Blue Ribbon” award for outstanding achievement for improved test scores from the Department of Education. Belle Isle was nominated as a result of students
scoring in the top 10 percent of the state on state-mandated tests. The program is part of the 2004 “No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Program.” Captain Rayford traveled along with her school’s principal and another teacher to a national conference in November where they received their award from then Secretary of Education Rodney Page. 

“The blue ribbon award is based primarily on Math and Reading scores,” Rayford said. “Our school had to demonstrate three years of progress plus the scores had to be outstanding for the fourth year. In the fourth, the school year that just passed, the unit HRDC helped sponsor my class’s Math and Leadership program. 

Capt. Mark Vardaro, 507th Air Refueling Wing Inspector General, held personalized Six Sigma (continuous improvement) training project which helped to ensure the students scores for descriptive statistics were high. Others like Capt. Mechille Braden, 507th Services Flight commander, and Lt. Col. Pete Peterson, 35th Combat Communications Squadron commander, provided motivation and connections to math in their jobs for the kids during their briefings,” she said. 

According to Belle Isle principal, Ms. Lynn Kellert, “I was able to watch some of the classrooms while the training sessions were going on. The instruction provided by your reservists was terrific.” 

November provided an added surprise to Captain Rayford who learned Nov. 19 that she had received her National Board certification. “Our school achieving the National Blue Ribbon Award was greatly helped this past school year by our reservists participating in this Math and Leadership program,” Captain Rayford said.