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.
Engaging Environments
Success Stories
Rocket Launches and a Middle School that is Beating the Odds
Story posted July 16, 2009. Results updated March 5, 2013
Results:
- In 2012, more than 95% of 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Clark scored at or above proficient in reading
- Also in 2012, more than 95% of 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Clark scored at or above proficient in math.
With a stutter, then a whoosh, a pink glittered model rocket accelerates to the sky. It disappears into the sun, then wafts earthward under a plastic 
parachute. Two fifth-grade girls traipse after. A dozen other fifth-graders sit in a row ten feet behind the launching pad, each awaiting the call to launch his or her personally accented missile.
The rocket launch is great fun. Visitors chat with the assembled students, pausing to applaud each successful launch. Teacher Glen Mutchnick (a licensed professional engineer, former university instructor and Alabama Teacher of the Year) explains that the rocket launch accompanies a study of astronomy. For several lessons prior to the launch students learned about ...
Catching Kids Up: A Math Club Success Story
Story posted April 17, 2009
Results:
• Most participants make significant gains in both district benchmark testing and class grades
• Students report greater interest in and understanding of math
• Teachers report increases in participants' attention to instruction and class participation
At Mechanicsburg Middle School, we recognized the need to help our lowest-achieving math students improve their skills. In addition, because many of these students had low confidence in their abilities based on past failures in Math, we knew we needed to provide a model that not only would be academically beneficial but also give the students an opportunity to view Math in a new light. Using collective teaching strengths, we created a model that has resulted in higher performance and an overall love of ...
From Fire Trucks to the Federal Court: An Academic Edge for Low-Income Students
Story posted October 30, 2008. Results updated October 25, 2011.
Results:
• In 2011, over 95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state standards in reading
• In 2011, over 95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state standards in math
• Named a 2008 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education
"There's not a minute to be lost." That's the mantra in many high-needs schools today, where the pressures of high-stakes accountability have reduced the time spent on "untested" subjects and activities like art, music, drama and physical education. And perhaps no brand of school fun has taken the drubbing given to the venerable Field Trip in recent years. Trips away from school often take most or all of the day, and a day lost from intensive instruction (and test preparation) is no small matter to the principals of high-needs schools, where children often have a lot of catching up to do. ...
Mapping Success with Technology
Story posted June, 2008
Results:
• Increased student test scores on California State STAR exam every year for the last 5 years
• Only technology class where majority of students are female and minority
• Work by students has been published in professional journals, presented at professional conferences, and honored with numerous national awards
Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District wanted to put technology in the hands of students with a program that would deliver results and benefit the community. ...
Using Incentives to Motivate Students
Story posted June 2, 2008
Results:
• Substantial decrease in discipline visits to the principal's office
• Increased homework completion rate
• Average number of participating students increased from 100 to between 250 and 300 each month
Cameron Elementary School in Barstow, CA, serves a very diverse population-almost half are Hispanic and a quarter are African-American. Over 70% of students receive free or reduced lunch. School staff faced a daunting challenge: getting students to want to come to school and learn.
Cameron staff wanted to show students, especially those with behavioral issues, about how beneficial and rewarding learning can be. In 2005, former Principal Shirley Lester came up with an idea: a monthly "Principal's Prize"-special events for students who are doing well. With the collaboration of the principal and the PTA, the Prize became a reality that has continued through Ms. Lester's retirement and into current Principal Delton's term. ...
Story posted May 20, 2008
Results:
• 67% increase in calculus enrollment, with pre-calculus enrollment doubling
• Increased representation of minority and low SES students in high-level math and science courses
Using a $5,000 Student Achievement Grant from the NEA Foundation, Luajean Bryan, working with her Walker Valley High School (TN) colleagues Eric Swafford and Jenny Borden, created a cross curricular lesson titled "From the Earth to the Sky." They conceived the lesson as a means to increase student interest in math and science courses. They also believed that "From the Earth to the Sky" might appeal to minority students, low-income students, and students with diverse learning styles. ...
Building Boat Models Aids Math, Science Learning
Story posted April, 2008
Results:
• 87% of 3rd graders have passed the state math test each of the past two years, up from 63% in 2005
Parma City Schools in Parma, Ohio, and General Motors have collaborated in a program for third-grade students at the district's Thoreau Park Elementary School to boost math and science performance.
The program evolved after the school community focused on the fact that students were performing poorly on the Ohio state tests in math and science. At the time, General Motors was a business partner with Thoreau Park Elementary and offered to provide volunteers to implement a proposed program, called World in Motion. The premise was that students learn best when they can connect their learning to real-world aspects of life. In science and math, that involves connecting abstract theory to something tangible.
The program involves students creating small skimmer boats with the help of about 10 GM engineers working in the school's third-grade classrooms for an hour a week for six weeks. ...
Designing an Exemplar: University of Pennsylvania and the Penn Alexander School
Story posted March, 2008.
Results updated January, 2011.
Results:
• In 15 out of 16 standardized tests in 2010, students scored above state averages
• 84% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards on state reading tests in 2009
• 84.1% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards on state math tests in 2009 ...
Sayre High School and UPenn Join Forces to Improve Community's Health
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 50% drop in suspension rate
• 10% increase in attendance rate
• 90% of Family Fitness Night participants are eating healthier and exercising more
What do college students, an Ivy League university, an urban health crisis and teenagers living in poverty all have in common? Too many times, the answer is "not a thing" but at Sayre High School in West Philadelphia connections are being made that could very well save lives.
Responding to the issues that plagued his students - violence, gangs, drugs and a lack of access to basic health and dental care - the principal of Sayre School approached Penn's Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) in 2002 with the idea that having a health center on site would be a boon to the students and the community. Around the same time, a group of Penn undergraduates were focusing their efforts on helping to solve the healthcare crisis in West Philadelphia. The students' research and work with the community led them to propose the establishment of a community health promotion and disease prevention program at Sayre. ...
Communities and School Join Forces to Improve Student Writing
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• In a professionally developed and scored writing assessment, eighth graders improved on average by one point on a 12-point scale between September 2005 and May 2006.
• Almost three quarters of students and all teachers characterized the writing coaches as either "helpful" or "very helpful."
In Berkeley and Albany, California, the communities and schools are working together to help students develop writing and critical thinking skills
WriterCoach Connection recruits and trains community volunteers to collaborate with teachers and work one-on-one with students, in class, on their English writing assignments to develop the writing and critical thinking skills they'll need in secondary school, higher education, and the workplace. ...
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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!
