3 Central Unified schools ranked in the top 40% of K-12 schools in the state, report says

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At Norman Liddell Elementary School, students dive into their books and enactment retired their mathematics problems.

They're focused, but sixth-grade pupil Kellen Pepper says portion of the crushed they're funny is acknowledgment to their teachers.

"I emotion learning astir the past and the mode my teacher teaches it to us, helium does similar amusive small games," Kellen said.

Sixth grader Sutton Heater says their teachers attack assignments with creativity.

"There was this similar butterfly hiding, truthful we had to fell our ain butterflies and that was portion of our subject projects and I conscionable similar however teachers -- similar a batch of subject worldly -- are conscionable truly fun," Sutton said.

Both students accidental that they larn champion done activities.

Fourth-grade teacher Cindy LeBeau says that's the goal.

The unit has enactment a absorption connected engagement strategies.

She believes that's gathering pupil involvement and confidence.

"You know, erstwhile you person kids begging to bash a mathematics crippled due to the fact that it's fun, you've deed the nail connected the caput there," Lebeau said.

The engagement is paying disconnected with state-required investigating scores.

Forty-six percent of students scored astatine oregon supra the proficient level for mathematics and 58% scored astatine oregon supra that level for reading.

According to U.S. News & World Report, those scores enactment Liddell Elementary successful the apical 20% of California Elementary Schools.

Principal Erin Gunstream says that was a invited ranking.

"When we got that news, we were truly excited due to the fact that we person been moving truthful incredibly hard to effort to get our numbers up and effort to boost that pupil occurrence academically," Gunstream said.

Liddell Elementary was not the lone schoolhouse successful the territory to beryllium recognized.

River Bluff Elementary and Rio Vista Middle School were besides wrong the apical 40% of K-12 schools successful the state, according to U.S. News & World Report

"Being 1 of 3 successful the territory that's getting this benignant of accolade oregon this recognition, man, it's truly cool. It's not casual to support it," Gunstream said.

Gunstream says unit is already moving connected caller involution strategies.

She says they person nary program to dilatory down, but they're besides going to observe their wins on the way.

"We are conscionable truthful arrogant of the kids we person successful these seats, and our teachers are beauteous special."

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