As we are heading into the home stretch of the 2012-13 school year, we really have some important things to celebrate.

As you may already know, District 6 saw a 2 percent increase in our third-grade reading TCAP scores, a significant increase for our district. Here are some of the highlights of those scores:

• Six District 6 schools had double digit gains in reading test scores. These schools include some of the district’s neediest in terms of the number of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, and who do not speak English as their first language. Schools scoring in this range and their percentage of increases are: Bella Romero Elementary School (17 percent); Winograd K-8 (14 percent); Meeker Elementary School (13 percent); Jackson Elementary School (13 percent); Maplewood Elementary School (11 percent); Billie Martinez Elementary School (11 percent).

• Three other schools saw single digit gains: Dos Rios (6 percent); Chappelow K-8 Arts Magnet (3 percent) and Scott Elementary School (3 percent).

• The number of District 6 English Language Learners who scored Advanced or Proficient increased by 7 percent. Only six students in the entire district took the third grade reading test in Spanish.

• The number of District 6 students who qualify for Exceptional Student Services and who scored Advanced or Proficient increased by 11 percent.

• Frontier Charter Academy has the highest number of students scoring Advanced or Proficient: 87 percent. Chappelow K-8 Arts Magnet had 85 percent of third graders scoring Advanced or Proficient, while both McAuliffe Elementary School and Winograd K-8 had 84 percent of third graders scoring Advanced or Proficient. McAuliffe also has the highest number of students in the district scoring Advanced: 21 percent.

Of course, we still have much work to do to make sure all students are performing at grade level, but we know we are headed in the right direction. And that is good news.

We also have other celebrations. Our juniors have completed the ACT exams, many students have completed their Advanced Placement exams, and our seniors are getting many scholarships and being admitted to some incredible colleges and universities. Nine of our District 6 students received the prestigious Daniels Scholarship this spring, ensuring all their college expenses will be paid for.

We are now looking forward to graduation in just a couple weeks, when hundreds of our seniors will cross that stage and accept their diplomas. We couldn’t be more proud of them, and of all our students who work so hard to achieve success.

Let’s finish the school year strong! Good luck to you all as we forge forward and continue the great work we are doing every day.