Drummond has high expectations

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Ryan Bonniksen strings beads during the 3-year-old program at Drummond Public Schools. Superintendent Mike Woods said Drummond students succeed because of high expectations set for students.
Music teacher Gary Smith (above left) uses a Smartboard to teach piano keys to students at Drummond Public Schools. Superintendent Mike Woods said Drummond students succeed because of high expectations set for students.
Garett Griffith (above right) works on NEO boards during a fourth-grade class at Drummond Public Schools. Superintendent Mike Woods said Drummond students succeed because of high expectations set for students.

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February 27, 2010

By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sat Feb 27, 2010, 10:16 PM CST

DRUMMOND — “There isn’t any magic fairy dust ...”

Students at Drummond Public Schools always seem to do well in testing, quiz bowl competitions and other academic endeavors, but Superintendent Mike Woods said there is no big secret to why they do well.

“We use the same textbooks, and we are in school the same hours in the day,” Woods said. “It is staff and expectations, if you boil it down to two things, that is what makes us succeed.”

Woods said one of the big reasons Drummond students succeed in all aspects, not just academics, is high expectations set for students.

“In general, it is because of the expectations. It is about portraying that image and living up to it,” he said. “We still have a seven-point grading scale. If you get a 70 here you get a D. Most places that is a C.”

Woods added if a student is experiencing academic problems, tutoring and extra help are given.

Drummond has seen a large increase in students wanting to transfer into the district, which added more than 50 students this school year.

“We are running at about 335 students. We have seen a growth,” Woods said. “Maybe one-third to two-thirds are in-district students. The others are out-of-district. The reason we have so many transfers is the perceived expectations.”

Besides Drummond’s success academically, the district has seen achievements in the area of extracurricular activities.

“We’ve had more visible success with our academics, like the 13 straight years as quiz bowl state champions, but we have a great ag program and home economics. There are state representatives from both programs,” said Woods. “We have a band program that is really turning the corner. We have had our softball team go to state, and other teams got close. We try to produce opportunities for the students to be well-rounded.”

Drummond High School offers the opportunity for students to get a head start on higher education.

“We allow students to take college classes without cost to them. We do everything to be sure they are able to take the classes. We pay for their books and tuition if it is not covered. We do that rather than AP (advanced placement) classes because they are actually in a college class and they know the demand it takes, without having to worry about all the other things of college, like having to get themselves up or doing their own laundry,” said Woods. “We’ve had several students take advantage of that.”

Drummond has added new technology to the school in recent years.

“Most all classrooms have a Smartboard, and most the teachers have a laptop. It keeps some consistency from grade to grade as they progress,” Woods said.

Kim Arnold’s fourth-grade class uses NEO boards.

“They can do several things on them. They can do AR reading. They can take their AR (accelerated reader) tests on them. They can also do their math problems on them. It frees me from having to grade all the tests, and they can work at their own pace,” said Arnold.

Drummond also has started a 3-year-old program to prepare children for the school setting.

“We aren’t really worried about academics,” Woods said of his district. “We don’t expect them to come in reading. We try to identify any problems they may be having that may affect them later in school.”

The 3-year-old program gives the children an opportunity to get used to a set schedule and socialize with other children. The program is full and has a waiting list.

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