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Sun, May 11 2008 
Obituaries | Opinion |

Published: May 07, 2008 09:16 pm    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Debil Dare

Principal hits the roof over test improvements

By David Lazenby

davidl@cullmantimes

HANCEVILLE — Elementary school students cheered with delight while watching Jeff Harper scamper up an extension ladder to the school’s roof, where the principal promised to remain until the following morning.

Prior to several standardized tests administered at the school, including the Alabama Reading and Math Test, Harper made a deal with his pupils that resulted in him having to spend Wednesday night in a pup tent set up on top of the school.

“I had promised them if they gave me a 100-percent effort on their DIBELS and their SAT and ARMT, they could pick what they wanted me to do,” Harper said. “This is what they wanted me to do.”

Students at the school are still taking the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) exam, but Harper said he already is expecting excellent results from his pupils.

“The teachers who are testing have already told me they’re really putting effort into it,” Harper said. “We’re going to pay them back.”

Harper said he’s no stranger to stunts geared toward getting academic results.

“We’ve done a few little things,” said Harper, who said some teachers took a pie in the face last week as part of a fundraising effort for Relay for Life.

“I let them throw pies at my face last year, but I’m gonna tell you — that pie deal is not a lot of fun,” he said.

Although the stunts are not fun, Harper said they are effective in improving student performance.

“The kids just love it when you do something like this,” Harper said. “They just eat it up.”

In regard to standardized test scores, Harper said, “We’re up about 18-20 percent in all but one grade.”

Before going up on the roof, Harper assured his students he was not going to come down after the students leave. In fact, he said is going to stay until 8:15 a.m. today when students return to school.

“I’m not going to slip off at 10 o’clock, go home and go to bed and then come back,” he said. “I’m truly going to stay all night.”

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Photos


Hanceville Elementary School principal Jeff Harper climbs to the top of the school’s roof Wednesday afternoon. Harper agreed to spend the night on the roof if students did well on standardized tests. David Lazenby/The Cullman Times (Click for larger image)

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