A new report by LFA and Grunwald Associates, with support from AT&T, examines how parents perceive the value of mobile devices, how they see their children using mobiles, and what they think of the possibilities for mobile learning.
District wide strategies
Success Stories
Reconnecting Neighborhoods with Schools in Nebraska
Story posted June, 2008, Updated December, 2011
Results:
- 71 percent of students enrolled in Lincoln CLCs met or exceeded state writing standards
- 74 percent met or exceeded state reading standards
- 84 percent met or exceeded the math standards
The story of Lincoln's community school movement begins in 1999, when the notion of "community learning centers" (CLC), synonymous with community schools, peaked the interest of the Foundation for the Lincoln Public Schools (FLPS), a local education fund affiliated with the Public Education Network (PEN). This interest grew with a visit that key Lincoln stakeholders took to the Local Investment Commission in Kansas City to look at their Caring Communities work, another model of community schooling. ...
Bending Bureaucracy to Kids' Needs in Great Neck
Story posted June 10, 2008
Results:
• The district tailors educational programs to students' diverse needs and interests
• Every student at the district's "Village School" for non-traditional high school students passed every Regents Exam in every subject
Great Neck Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Friedman doesn't like to play favorites, but one student at the 2007 North High School graduation made him especially proud. "Billy" had nearly dropped out of school near the end of his junior year. He wasn't going to pass a required math course, and the school's staff sensed that when faced with the prospect of attending summer school or repeating the course, Billy would likely give up.
Instead of sticking to the standard protocol, teachers and administrators collaborated to find a solution that would work for Billy. They created a summer tutorial he could complete at home. One teacher volunteered to meet with him periodically and wrote a special exam, which Billy passed. His coursework back on track, he returned to school in the fall and graduated on time. ...
Helping Dropouts Return to School
Story posted May 28, 2008
Results:
• 94% of students improved their grades after coming to Classic City High School
• 97% of students improved their attendance
• 150 students have graduated, with one-third pursuing post-secondary educational options
Clarke County School District's community has approximately 1,500 students ages 16 to 22 who are not enrolled in school-a number equal to the enrollment of each of its traditional high schools. The majority of these students are black or Hispanic, and many live in poverty. Because a high school education is critical to finding economically viable employment and because Athens-Clarke County has persistent, intergenerational poverty, the district decided to offer a way for dropouts to earn their diplomas. ...
In Texas, a Second Chance at a Bright Future
Story posted May 8, 2008. Results updated June 18, 2009.
Results:
• In less than two years, the school has graduated 368 students ranging from 18-25 years old
• Contributed to a 75% decrease in district dropout rate over the past two years
The largest school district in Hidalgo County and the second largest in the Rio Grande Valley, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) has faced some tough challenges, yet its motto of "Focused on Performance" is the key to ensuring all 30,000 students reach their fullest potential.
83% of our mostly Hispanic student body is economically disadvantaged, 76% are considered at-risk and over 10% have limited proficiency in English due to the district's proximity to Mexico.
Despite these challenges, we have maintained a culture of pride and excellence that puts children first. So in response to a growing dropout problem, we quickly instituted an innovative district/college partnership to put former non-graduates on the path to higher education. ...
School/Community Connections Benefit Both in Missouri
Story posted April, 2008
Results:
• Over 80% of kindergarteners have contact with the district before entering school
• Students involved in the extended program show improvement in almost every measurable area: participation, self-reliance, homework completion, attendance, academic achievement, and more
Everyone in Independence plays a role in educating young people. Each elementary and one high school has a School/Neighborhood Site Council that includes parents, teachers, community members, and students. These councils assess needs for their neighborhood and school and then implement action plans aimed at improving the well-being of students, families, neighborhoods and the community. In Independence, the public believes that a caring community builds on its strengths to provide meaningful opportunities for young people.
...
A Wake-Up Call Sparks Action in Arizona
Story posted April, 2008. Results updated October 23, 2012.
Results:
• In 2012, Vail exceeded all state proficiency averages, across grades and subjects.
• Students in all grade levels are scoring at or above proficiency at rates of 90% and higher.
Administrators and staff at the Vail Unified School District recognized they had a problem back in 2003. Student scores on the new statewide AIMS test showed a downward trend as children in Vail schools moved up through the grades. For example, while third-graders were scoring in the 70-percent range on average in math, by middle school and high school proficiency rates dropped into the teens.
"It was a real wake-up call," said Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Debbie Hedgepeth. "Students weren't performing where we knew they could and should." ...
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. ...
At-Risk Four-Year-Olds Are Target of Attention
Story posted March, 2008
Story updated February, 2011
Results:
- The program is popular and each year more parents apply their children.
- It likely reduces the number of students referred to special education.
- The program acclimates at-risk children to the school environment, fosters development, provides health attention and two balanced meals per day, and allows students to safely socialize with peers.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.--Tuscaloosa City Schools and community organizations have joined efforts to provide pre-kindergarten education to help at-risk children get off to a quick start when they begin school. Tuscaloosa was named the Alabama winner in the 2008 National Civic Star Award competition as a result of the program, and the program continues to thrive. ...
Collaborative Workshop Identifies Priorities
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 72% of schools made Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2006-2007 school year, up from 59% when the workshops began
• Community-identified goals have led to increased teacher salaries, opening the district's first preschool, and performing their first audit, among other actions
To create high-performance schools in an aging, fiscally challenged city, Hampton, VA, School Superintendent Patrick Russo and other school leaders acknowledged that a sense of community ownership of the schools was the key to improvement. With that as the goal, the school district initiated the first Community Priorities Workshop in February 2005. The intent was and continues to be to hold such workshops annually. ...
Pre-Kindergarten Program is Increasing Readiness
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 94% of students (including 23% with special needs) showed cognitive gains from ages 3 to 5, as measured by the Creative Curriculum Development Continuum
Harrison County Schools in Clarksburg, W.Va., was named the state's winner in the 2008 National Civic Star Award competition for its pre-kindergarten program, a collaborative effort designed to better prepare all the district's children for kindergarten.
The partnership includes the school district, Head Start, local child-care facilities and parents. Parents apply for their child's placement in their home school, at a child-care center or through Head Start. Children ages 3-5 with special needs are evaluated and placed in the program based on special education eligibility.
The goal is to prepare four-year-olds for success in kindergarten and to lay the foundation for life-long learning. ...
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A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
On this website, educators, parents and policymakers from coast to coast are sharing what's already working in public schools--and sparking a national conversation about how to make it work for children in every school. Join the conversation!
