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Meet Adrian Escudero, 12th Grader
Adrian recently took the ACT and scored a 27 - the highest score in DSA history!
 How did you prepare for the ACT? The ACT Prep class during first period last semester showed me how to take the test better and how to control my pace. I plan to continue to take it until I make a 30!
Plans after graduation: I’m taking a gap year to work and take some time off school. I want to continue my education at Mississippi State. My dream job one day would be in tech because one of my hobbies is gaming and I also really enjoy the coding class at DSA.
How have you changed since 7th grade? My behavior has changed for sure. I have way more self-control because I know what is right and wrong.
What advice would you give a new student? Try not to get tired over all the little things. Now that it’s my last year, everything feels easier, so don’t get so pressured at the beginning. |
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Meet Derek Hinckley, ACT Prep Teacher & Academic Coach
Describe your position at DSA and a typical day at the school for you. My role at DSA involved helpin g facilitate an ACT Prep class and supporting a 9th grade Reading and 8th grade Accelerated Reading class. I also had the opportunity to lead professional development sessions with teachers regarding Social-Emotional Learning strategies and incorporating Text-Dependent Questions into daily instruction. A typical day involved reviewing test-taking strategies with the ACT class and reading The Outsiders with the 8th and 9th graders.
Did you see students improve their ACT scores / testing skills? How did you motivate students to care about their score? We saw a lot of growth with the ACT students. At the beginning of the semester, we did a full-length (roughly four hour) ACT test to get a baseline for where our students were scoring on the ACT. In September our class average was 16.5. By the end of the semester, our class average was up to 19.5. Some students who demonstrated the most growth were those who had scored the lowest at the beginning of the semester. For example, one student scored a 9 in September and a 14 in December. Now, that student obviously still has a long way to go, but the big growth is super encouraging. I think that many students just got a lot more comfortable with the test as they became more familiar with it, which made it less intimidating and allowed them to do their best.
We covered a lot of practice questions this semester and took a fair number of practice sections. I think that as students started seeing that their scores were improving, they became motivated to keep doing the work--most students want to feel successful and will work hard when they see the fruits of their labors.
Why is professional development important? Did you see any changes among staff over the semester? Professional development is super important for the ongoing growth of staff to help empower them to best support students. Doctors, accountants, architects, and all other types of professionals participate in continuing education programs to keep them up to date on recent trends in their field and to help them develop new skills. Teachers are no different! That said, most teachers can tell you that not all PD sessions are created equal--a lot of professional development can be done to check a compliance box, which is no fun for anybody. I have been in a fair number of those sessions myself, but I have also been blessed to participate in some amazingly high-quality professional development programs that have reinvigorated me as a teacher and have reshaped my teaching process (for the better!).
Among the many changes I saw at DSA, I was most excited to see teachers and staff realize the potential of the tools I was giving them to transform the way they coach students in difficult situations. I am always encouraged when I can tell staff members see the potential and usefulness of new tools!
How do you believe DSA is impacting the lives and futures of its students? DSA's strength is identifying high-character students and creating an environment that helps them develop their self-regulation skills, which are essential for college and career success. The school is also a place where students are known--there are no anonymous faces in the crowd. Teachers and staff care about their students, and the students know it.
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This could be too transparent, but it is true, so I am going to go with it. Going to the P.O. Box is one of my favorite things to do as the Head of School. And as you can imagine, come November and December, it is even more fun. It is like Christmas every day! The encouragement I receive from the notes and financial gifts is really hard to put into words. Not only is it fun, but also extremely humbling.
Two quick examples of gifts that came in this last month that made me smile and remind me of how good God is. First, two separate donors who don't know each other both give monthly. One is a childhood friend and the other a parent of a college friend. As the end of the year rolls around, in my mind, it would be crazy for these two families to give on top of their already generous monthly support, but both gave the same amount of $10,000! What in the world are they thinking! And both families are plugged into Bible-believing churches and know of many worthy organizations they could direct that money towards. Why DSA? I know both families are committed to the Gospel, and they trust that DSA is as well. But outside of that, I have no idea! Grateful and humbled? Check.
The second example is a gentleman in the Tupelo area who I met while student-teaching at Tupelo High School. From the first days of Delta Streets Ministries, before the school was a reality, he has been so kind and generous to give. And the best part is the amount. Every time I open a letter from him, there is a $25 check. Handwritten. I envision him praying over the check as he writes it, hoping that his gift can have an eternal impact on the young men who walk through our doors. And I know there are others who do the same exact thing, pray and give to DSA.
And while the financial gifts bring a smile to my face and help with all things operationally, the prayers are what I'm confident keep our doors open. So thank you for praying (and giving) for our mission here in the Mississippi Delta. As we roll into 2023, please continue to pray for the souls of our students and our staff, along with their families. Happy New Year!
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DSA is now set up to receive donations through stock transfer!
Please email gblocker@deltastreetsacademy.org with any questions about transferring stock.
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2012 Society
Join the 2012 Society, one of our most popular ways of giving, by donating $20 or more automatically each month from your bank account or credit card. To sign up, visit:
www.deltastreetsacademy.org/give
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