Becker Middle School praised by national group

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 | 10:39 a.m.

Becker Middle School has been singled out for praise by a team of educators researching the nation's most successful teaching methods.

Educators from the National Association of Secondary School Principals have been visiting Becker since Monday and will finish up today. The school in Summerlin differs from some of the Clark County School District's other middle schools in several ways, including a school day that is 19 minutes longer, has seven periods instead of six and includes a planning period each day for teachers.

"Becker isn't the only school in the district doing these things, but it is a wonderful representative of how a learning environment can be cultivated," Len Paul, superintendent of the School District's northwest region, said.

Becker Principal Cathy Andrews, who has been at the helm since the campus opened nine years ago, has been credited with leading the charge toward academic excellence.

"Cathy is an outstanding administrator with terrific faculty, many of whom have been with her from the start," Paul said. "When you have that kind of consistency both inside and outside the school, a great deal more can be accomplished."

Other factors in Becker's success include the low transiency rate in the surrounding neighborhoods, Paul said.

Becker's students consistently score higher than their peers districtwide on the Terra Nova Basic Skills test as well as on an exam that measures analytical and writing ability.