Majuro Cooperative School Students

Organization for Student Learning

School Purpose

The founders of Majuro Cooperative School in 1975, parents Jerry Kramer, Carlton Hawpe and Dennis McBreen, desirous of providing their children with an education comparable, if not equal to, mainland standards decided to form the school. The purpose, as set out by the founders, has been to provide the best education possible for students attending the school. Over its 30 years of existence, the school has used this purpose as a guide in the quest for offering educational opportunities to young people.

The mission statement reflects the sentiments of the school community. Parents of Majuro Cooperative School students almost universally have the goal of sending their children to college - a goal that is achievable for the majority of students who graduate from Majuro Cooperative School. While SAT scores suggest that the school is not equivalent to the standard in the U.S., scores in recent years show that we are closing the gap in most areas. Math scores are meeting US national averages on SATs. Science scores have also improved significantly. Students are showing greater gains in reading on other formal standardized tests. Our students still struggle in Reading, English and Listening, with these areas being the most closely related to English language proficiency. In 2009 we began piloting an English Language Learners program that is focusing on developing more proficiency in all English areas (speaking, reading, writing, comprehension). We believe some of the discrepancy between our school and the US in SAT scores is because our students need more practice in using multiple choice format in reading.

In the last three years, 100% of students who took the Marshall Islands High School entrance test passed, and our scores are consistently 23 or more points above the national average. Co-op had the 2 highest scores on the MIHS entrance test in 2009. In 2009 the school also won the Japanese Speech Contest in competition with other Marshall Islands students under the age of 18 even though the students we had competing were only 14 years old. Our 9th grade also won the National Math Competition for all 9th graders. In a country where more than 30 percent of the eighth grade students are 'pushed out' of the school system by virtue of there not being adequate classrooms in public and private schools to accommodate the numbers of students wishing to enter, the education Majuro Cooperative School students receive virtually ensures them the opportunity to go to high school, and then college.

In the Marshall Islands adult population generally, and among Majuro Cooperative School parents in particular, there is an increasing recognition of the necessity of a college education to open future opportunities for their children. The feedback that the school receives from parents tells the board/PTA/administration that the school's purpose, which in essence is college-focused, is meeting the goal of the school community. At the same time, the fact that the majority of the 200+ students at Majuro Cooperative School have learned English as a second language, coupled with the funding restraints under which the school operates, presents the school with a challenge to meet both its school purpose and the objectives of the parents.

This is why Majuro Cooperative School has historically emphasized English language instruction and mathematics from the earliest grades. The belief has been that students will develop the English language proficiency needed to excel in high school and college if English is taught from the pre-school level. Because a majority of the entering pre-school students speak almost no English, teachers and teacher aides use Marshallese language to bridge the language barrier and help the students at this level to begin developing their English language skills. English language-proficiency is desired and demanded by parents of Majuro Cooperative School students, who view this school for the most part as a stepping-stone to a future college education for their children. Due to the overwhelming evidence that Marshall Islands students have scored well below average on standardized math tests, the Board instituted the Saxon Math series during the 2005-06 and the 2006-07 school years for grades K-8.

The school purpose and Mission Statement are presented to parents each year at the beginning of the school year, in written form at the first PTA meeting. In addition, the school communicates on a regular basis through newsletters and a principal's letter that are sent home with students or given directly to parents. Because of the nature of this small community, informal communication between parents and teachers/administrators about school issues takes place nearly every day, and also at formal quarterly honor roll awards ceremonies and the parent-teacher conferences twice a year. So the school is able to receive feedback on an ongoing basis.

School Leadership

School leadership is provided in several ways. The Principal is the head administrator for the school. All school-wide decisions are made by the principal and approved by the Board. Teachers and students are also influential in school leadership. Teachers provide insight on educational, social and economic progress. They are instrumental in providing direct leadership to the students and feedback to the administration on school issues and concerns. Students also provide school leadership by investing time and energy into the Student Council. The Council leads the school by providing much needed communication and representation from the students to the administration, and from students to other students.

All staff are encouraged to communicate with each other and administration on issues, needs and problems. Staff meetings are held on a bi-weekly basis and cover school issues such as classroom management, record keeping, communication, programs and other activities of the school. Memos are frequently sent to staff to disseminate information about school policies and issues. In addition, because of the small nature of the school, even if the Principal does not bring all concerns expressed by teachers to the attention of the Board, members of the Board are invariably informally told about issues either by teachers or other parents. The accessibility of the Board to communication facilitates openness and interaction that is beneficial to everyone.

School Environment

The school environment is composed of many attributes: plant structure, professional relationships, student behavior, health and safety. The school buildings have been upgraded, improved and remodeled over the years. The constant upgrading of facilities greatly improves the learning environment as the classrooms are brighter and cleaner, though heat in classrooms, particularly the three on the second floor, remains an issue that the school has continued to work on to resolve. In addition to the remodeled classrooms, the school is conducive to learning by offering three separate structures that house classrooms, office space, a computer lab and a library. There is a staff room that allows staff to congregate, socialize and work on professional development and schoolwork. The office allows for communication with and among staff, parents, students and the community by several means: telephone, internet, mail, copier and via fax.