Urbita Student, in 2007
The two main obstacles to classes coming in our Archaeology Adventures seem to be “Time and Money.”
Time: “If it’s not on the test [California Standards Tests (CSTs)] we can’t teach it.” Because of this perception or reality, many classes do not go on field trips nor have assemblies. Our Archaeology Adventures, Time Detectives and Elementary Archaeology programs all engage students’ learning with standards rich programs. To view some of standards our programs see our web site http://www.heritageedu.com/faq . Also take look at Field Trips from the California Department of Education http://pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii/ch4/fieldtrips.aspx The article can also be found on our blog archives. This might help justify spending school time.
Gifted and Talented Education Programs (GATE) have standards to provide students with education experience that involve Depth, Complexity, Novelty and Acceleration. http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/gt/lw/, HERITAGE EDCATION PROGRAMS provides GATE educators with programs that help fulfill these standards.
Money: With California State Budget cuts, paying for field trips and in school education assemblies are problematical at best.
Vintage Hills Students Cataloging Finds
Urbita Elementary School, in San Bernardinois 98.4% Hispanic and 88.4% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Since 2004 one of their 6th grade classes has come to our Archaeology Adventure Program several times. Despite field trip funds drying up, this year two of Urbita’s 6th grade classes raised funds for the Archaeology Adventure program and the bus with a “read-a-thon.” I was really impressed with the students who came to the program at La Sierra University on November 9, 2011.
Vintage Hills Elementary, in Temecula is 62.7% “White” and 10.1% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Vintage Hills is in a district with parental income above the state average but the district per student spending more than $1500 below that state average and the school has no Title I funding. To attend our program their GATE program used a combination of school district funds and funds raised by parents. Our Archaeology Adventures program has two parts. One is a prep program that was done at the school for all GATE students and paid for with district funds. TheFieldSchool part of the program was conducted outside of school hours on a Saturday and paid for by funds raisers on a Saturday. Parents supplied transportation to the site at theGroveSchool, inRedlands.
