By Trina A San Agustin
Variety News Staff

EDUCATION Superintendent Luis Reyes yesterday discussed the success of the Direct Instruction Program in the Guam Public School System.
In his State of Education Address, Reyes said the teaching and learning in the schools’ annual progress reports “reflect significant progress.”
“Such progress is supported by the composite and overall grade for each school as adopted by the Guam Education Policy Board,” he said.
Reyes said the progress report reveals that 75 percent of all schools achieved a “satisfactory” rating which he said represents a 22 percentage-point increase from the previous school year in which only 53 percent received a satisfactory rating.
“Most significantly, all our middle schools achieved a ‘satisfactory rating,’ a commendable 71 percentage-point increase. Our elementary schools also showed an increase in receiving ‘satisfactory’ rating compared to the previous year,” he said.
Reyes also mentioned that, for the first time since the implementation of the School Progress Report grading system, Simon Sanchez High School and John F. Kennedy High School achieved a satisfactory rating.
“But true measures of success are realized from the real life experiences and testimonies of parents, students and teachers. Allow me to share a mother’s testimony...” Reyes said.
Reyes read a short appreciation letter to him from Tricia M. Cruz, a mother of a child with special needs.
“I am a single mother of a child with special needs. Prior to kindergarten, my son Nando received Early Intervention services, speech therapy and participation in pre-school. Throughout this two-year period, his communication skills developed from gestures to simple word phrases. Nando came into LBJ speaking about five simple word phrases and is leaving 1st grade at a beginning 1st grade level. Although his skill level is lower than his peers, the progress he has made to this day still amazes me. Nothing can describe the fulfillment of hearing and watching the little man in my life read. To those that say DI is a program for special children, I must agree. After all, our children are indeed special and Direct Instruction will help ensure that ‘no child is left behind’,” the letter said.
Cruz was acknowledged by Reyes who stood up from her seat to receive the crowds applause.
“The DI program from its inception has gone through strong resentment and riddled with controversies. But let statistics show that over 60 percent of our elementary students are reading at grade level or higher,” he added.