National PTA's Sherri Wilson shares resources to engage families in minimizing summer learning loss.
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Success Stories
Developing Students to be Good at Something and Good for Something
Story posted May 7, 2009. Results updated November 26, 2012.
Results:
- In 2011, Lindbergh school district improved on its own 2010 state proficiency rates in almost every subject across all but one grade.
- Lindbergh also exceeded the state proficiency rates in every subject across every grade in 2011.
- In 2012, the district graduation rate was 94.8%, up from 84.5% in 2002 and 7% higher than Missouri state's graduation rate.
The Lindbergh School District has always been in the vanguard of character building. When it took its first steps in 1989 to introduce character education in all of its schools, the world was a different place. No cell phones, no laptops, no iPods, no text messages. However, the founding committee had the vision to see that a district-wide espousal of character, with all schools and the community on board, would be the best way to achieve the district’s goal: to develop competent and caring graduates through exceptional programs, services and personnel.
Today, their vision is being realized. As Amy Richards, the coordinator for character education and a 25-year veteran of the Lindbergh district, puts it: “Character now is pervasive in all we do—it’s an integral part of our vision and our mission, our curricular as well as extra-curricular activities, our board policies and annual goal-setting, and our staff’s concept of ...
Arts Education Broadens Horizons in Washington State
Story posted May 5, 2008. Results updated November 26, 2012.
Results:
• In 2011, Paternos School District improved on its 2010 state test performance across almost every subject in all but one grade.
• Students in both 7th and 8th grade reading improved proficiency rates by over 15% between 2010 and 2011; students in 7th and 8th grade math also had improved proficiency rates of over 15% in the same time period.
• Despite serving a significantly higher percentage of low-income students, Paternos exceeds state proficiency averages in several grades for both reading and math.
Pateros School District, a small rural district in north central Washington, is working with a regional arts group in an indirect approach to improving student achievement. ...
Story Posted October 23, 2012.
Results:
- In 2012, the school exceeded state proficiency averages on standardized tests in all subjects across all grade levels.
- Out of the 9 subjects tested across grade levels, student proficiency rates in all but three were 90% or higher.
Today’s Woodbridge (VA) Middle School in no way resembles the school that existed in 2005. Then, the students were mostly White and few qualified for the free and reduced-price meals program; today, there is no majority group among the 1,038 students and almost 50% of the students qualify for such support. Then, student achievement was average; now, it is significantly above average as measured by the Virginia state assessments. The story of the school’s breakthrough success is the story of a strong leader who works collaboratively with an entire school staff to teach each student. ...
A Quilted Approach to Professional Development
Story posted July 24, 2012
Results:
- Over the past four years, nearly 400 Fulton County elementary, middle, and high school teachers have received between 50 and 160 hours of professional development that was funded by over $2.7 million dollars in grants
- State test scores rose an average of 14% in mathematics and 11% in science over this time
The Challenge
For the past several years, the state of Georgia’s funding for teacher professional development has been limited, but there has been flexibility allowed with those funds to assist districts in balancing their budgets. However, this has meant less direct money to provide needed professional development for math and science teachers. Fulton County is a geographically large urban district with a diverse population, and the professional development requirements to address the diversity of student backgrounds and needs are varied among teachers, schools, and regions.
The Solution ...
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) recognizes excellent school district leadership with the Magna Awards. The following district is a 2012 winner.
Story posted June 26, 2012
Results:
- Johnston County Schools’ dropout rate has steadily declined, from a high of 5.39 percent in 2006-07 to 3.19 percent in 2010-11 and the raw numbers dropped from 465 to 213.
- The district’s graduation rate increased over the same period from 72.8 percent to 78.7 percent in 2010-11.
- The program has brought together community groups
and support for at-risk students is rapidly gaining momentum.
DISTRICT DILEMMA
Johnston County is one of the fastest-growing school districts in North Carolina. The makeup of the student population is changing dramatically, reflecting an increase in students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Students also come from diverse economic backgrounds: Eighteen percent of the county’s children live in poverty and 40 percent of students receive free or reduced-price lunches. Of the more than 32,000 students enrolled in Johnston County Schools, an estimated one third exhibit at-risk characteristics. Many students do not fit the “traditional” student mold and lack family support. The district’s dropout rate has exceeded the state average, and school leaders were concerned that the rapid growth of the district could accelerate the dropout problem.
SOLUTION
GRADUATE! provides personalized educational experiences to high school dropouts in a separate educational setting, allowing them to earn their diplomas. Supports include online and face-to-face courses, tutoring, mentoring, career and job coaching, housing, and mental health services. This initiative is ...
Using Strategy to Narrow the Gap
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) recognizes excellent school district leadership with the Magna Awards. The following district is a 2012 winner.
Story posted June 26, 2012
Results:
- 54% of eight-graders are enrolled in either algebra or geometry.
- 95% are passing algebra and 100% passed the Virginia state test in geometry.
- 97% of students attending one high poverty elementary school passed the state math test in April 2011 and in that same month, 83% of high school students earned passing scores on the state math test and 94% passed the state writing test.
DISTRICT DILEMMA
The Alexandria City School Board governs a multiethnic district of 12,500 students. Unlike the majority of city residents, who are predominately white and affluent, public school children in Alexandria are mostly of color (72 percent), economically disadvantaged (54 percent), and often in need of special education (11 percent)and English language instruction (23 percent).Although many of its students are outstanding and well prepared for college and careers when they graduate, the achievement of Latino and African American students has lagged far behind that of white students. The graduation rate at the city’s only high school, the historic T.C.Williams, earned it a “persistently lowest achieving” designation.
SOLUTION
Knowing that the achievement gap begins before children enter school, the board adopted a five year plan that featured the creation of high-quality preschools; a focus on special education; the adoption of a new curriculum that ...
Story posted January 22, 2009. Story updated April 24, 2012.
Results:
• Proficiency rates score consistently around or above state averages in reading, ELA and math at all grade levels.
Although it opened only six years ago, Skyview Elementary School in scenic Lizella, Georgia, has already gained a reputation as an educational star. As a member of the National Basic Schools Network, which focuses on the four building blocks of community, curriculum, climate, and character, Skyview has a sound framework. But it is the passion, dedication, and wonderful vision of its dedicated former and present staff that has made this Title I school, where 50% of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, soar to great heights in academics and character. ...
Working Together for Pre-School Success
Story posted March 12, 2012
Results:
- 95% of eligible four-year-olds now attend free, high-quality pre-school classes
- District teachers consistently report that children who have attended pre-school are well prepared for entry into kindergarten
The School District of La Crosse, Wisconsin believes that well-prepared four-year-olds make the best kindergarten students. For the last ten years, they've put time and effort into getting all four-year-olds access to pre-school programs. And they've seen results.
Prior to 2001, children attended private pre-schools or childcare centers, if their parents could afford it. Head Start or Title I programs offered options for low-income families, but the school district Title I program could only accommodate 150 to 160 four-year-olds and had to turn children away every year (63.8% of students in the district are economically disadvantaged). In addition, interaction between the school district and other early childhood providers in the community was limited.
Ten years later, an estimated 95 percent of eligible four-year-olds now attend free, high quality pre-school classes in a variety of school-based and community settings throughout ...
A Sunny Day in Multnomah County: The SUN Community Schools Story
Story posted April, 2008. Updated December, 2011.
Results:
75 percent of participating students showed an increase in state reading scores, and 77 percent did so in math- More than 80 percent of participating seniors graduated, compared to less than 60 percent for the district
- SUN schools served nearly 18,000 youth and about 3,700 adults in enrolled programming in 2009-2010
Young people have a voice in Multnomah County, Oregon, which includes the city of Portland. When the county began planning a community school initiative, not only did young people contribute ideas, they also named it. The name they chose, Schools Uniting Neighborhoods, or SUN schools, reflects the belief that schools, working with their communities can do more than just teach math and reading, they transform neighborhoods and help young people succeed. ...
Academic Parent-Teacher Teams Show Promising Results
Story posted December 5, 2011
Results:
- Remarkable short-term test score gains - oral reading fluency (ISTEEP ORF) scores in APTT classrooms rose nearly 25 points from August to November 2009 (in non-APTT classrooms, oral reading fluency rose only about 10 points)
- Preliminary data show a 92 percent parent attendance rate at the team meetings, much higher than at conventional parent-teacher conferences in the district
When parents are engaged in their child’s learning, they can help their child strengthen academic skills outside of school. Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT) provides a structure for parents to meet with the teacher and converse with other parents while also learning ways to support their child’s academic skill development. Founded in 2008, APTT resulted from efforts to increase student learning through support beyond the school day.
The program replaces traditional parent-teacher conferences with three classroom team meetings for parents and one 30-minute individual parent teacher conference (or more if needed). At the team meetings, the teacher models activities that parents can do at home with their children. The teacher also presents academic performance data for the class and gives parents individual information about their own child’s performance.
“Many parents wonder what the parents of kids at the top of the class are doing at home to make that happen,” says Maria Paredes, who started the program and ...
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A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
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