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.
Empowering Professionals
Success Stories
Calling for Excellence with One Voice
Story posted September, 2008. Results updated April 2, 2010.
Results:
• Now one of the top high schools in Memphis, outperforming the district as a whole on nearly all End-of-Course exams in 2009
• In 2009, 99% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading and 95% of students did so in math, outperforming the state as a whole despite serving a population that is much more economically disadvantaged
What does shared leadership look like? At Westwood High School in Memphis, TN, it is evident when teachers and staff members talk with students in the halls between classes; when students demonstrate pride in themselves and their school by being fully engaged in their classes; when parents participate in their children's school life; and when community members are regular partners in the school. ...
Story posted August 19, 2008. Story updated April, 24, 2012.
Results:
• 60% of students enroll in honors classes, with 26% in AP classes
• The school's pass rate on the state algebra exam, at 88%, exceeds the state's by four points; the pass rate for English met the state's at 82%.
Data-driven decision-making, targeted staff development, collaborative leadership, and the sheer will of committed staff members have launched Wheaton High School on a promising trajectory. Located in Montgomery County, MD, a predominately affluent area that has more than 20 high schools, Wheaton (which is 51% Hispanic, 26% African American, and 37% free or reduced price lunch) has always received attention, but unfortunately, for many years the attention focused on lackluster student achievement. ...
Story posted July, 2008
Results:
• In 2005, 89% of students passed the Massachusetts math exam, up from less than 50% in 1999
• Now ranked in top 5% of Boston public schools on reading and math scores
In 1999, shortly before principal Mary Russo arrived at the Richard J. Murphy K-8 School in Dorchester, Mass., more than half the students failed the state math exam. Russo's mandate was to boost student achievement. To do so, she focused on establishing collaborative professional development practices that would help teachers learn from each other and work toward a common goal. With better instruction, she reasoned, those test scores would go up.
Teachers at Murphy now spend three times as many hours on professional development as the district requires. Every public school teacher in Massachusetts must ...
Story posted June, 2008. Results updated February 28, 2012.
Results:
• In 2011, the percentage of Cashman students meeting or exceeding state standards was higher than the state average on both reading and math tests in grades 6, 7 and 8,* despite Cashman serving a significantly more disadvantaged population than the state as a whole
School improvement demands focus. Staff members at James Cashman Middle School in Las Vegas (where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) believe that student achievement comes from challenging every student and ensuring that no student is overlooked.
Adopting this belief couldn't have come at a better time for the school. Cashman's students were struggling. The school was in the third year of school improvement, about to be taken over by the state. Teachers had been trained in a myriad of improvement programs, yet progress was excruciatingly slow. ...
Empowering Educators to Improve Outcomes
Story posted April, 2008
Results:
• 83.3% of students now read at or above grade level, which is well above state average
A sign in the main office of Southside Primary School lists "protected reading times" for each grade level (for example, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for kindergarten). "No interruptions can be made to classes at these times," the sign warns.
Southside's vigilance when it comes to guarding classroom reading time is a reflection of a broader effort at the school to ensure that teachers have not just the time, but also the necessary skills, to help their students succeed. And, at Southside, success is measured according to one major objective: that 100 percent of students will be reading at or above grade level before leaving second grade. ...
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." ...
In Michigan, Linking Body Language and Learning
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• Positive correlation between amount of Body Phonics taught and student achievement
• Significant gains in individual special education students' reading scores, occasionally resulting in student reclassification to regular education
With nearly half of the students in Romulus, Michigan's K-6 school district from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, educators have long sought new ways to impart fundamental skills. But an enterprising special education teacher and an innovative partnership with a community organization have brought young learners to their feet and offered one-on-one tutoring for those who need the most help. ...
Pinellas County Schools Keep Character at the Core
Story posted March, 2009
Results:
• At Sawgrass Lake Elementary, discipline referrals have dropped by 50% since the school focused on character education
• The suspension rate at schools actively involved in the Partnerships in Character Education grant declined by an average of 2.7%, avoiding more than 600 missed school days in one year
• In schools implementing character education programs, disciplinary referrals from bus drivers have decreased by more than 60%
The Pinellas County School District is the 7th largest in Florida and the 23rd largest in the country, with over 152,000 Pre-K through adult students.
When in 1995 several Pinellas students were caught stealing from a program that gave them hands-on experience in local small businesses, the district swung into action. It collaborated with the community to develop an innovative character education program. Over 12 years later, character education has become an integral part of what we do, and it is paying impressive dividends for students across the district. ...
Measuring Success One Student at a Time
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• Almost 90% of 3rd-10th graders now read at or above grade level
• Almost 100% of parents attend parent-teacher conferences
A depressed economy, low teacher salaries and a dwindling population in poor remote areas usually translate into restricted opportunities for children. Not so for the students in the Walsh School District in rural southeastern Colorado.
In the Walsh School District, which serves approximately 150 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, almost three quarters of the students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch - a federal benchmark for poverty. Although the median household income is less than $25,000 a year, the district is overcoming daunting challenges to providing every student an excellent education.
In fact, Walsh has the highest reading scores in the state. Its small size allows staff to truly practice Walsh Elementary School's mission of "Measuring Success One Student at a Time." Teachers take time every day to give one-on-one help to struggling kids. ...
Story posted January, 2008. Results updated December 14, 2012.
*Results:
• Math performance in the district continues to improve, with 59% of 3rd graders scoring proficient or advanced in math in 2012, up from 52% in 2011 and up 4% from the state average. Performance in 7th grade math is also up.
• 42% of 7th graders scored proficient or advanced in reading/language arts in 2012, up from 40% in 2011 and 38% in 2010.
A 2000 report on the performance of elementary and middle schools in Tennessee presented Hamilton County with some sobering news: it was home to nine of the 20 lowest-performing schools in the state.
In response, local foundations and the Hamilton County Department of Education embarked on an effort to improve student literacy in the low-performing schools, all of which were located in poor, urban neighborhoods in Chattanooga. The focus of the effort: embedded professional development and the creation of strong leadership teams in the targeted schools. ...
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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!
