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Equity
Success Stories
Taylor Ray Elementary Beats the Odds, Achieving Near-Perfect Proficiency
Story posted February 26, 2009. Results updated August 31, 2010.
Results:
• In 2010, more than 99% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state proficiency standards in math, and more than 94% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders did so in reading
• In 2010, 100% of 5th graders met state proficiency standards in science
• For the past four years, student proficiency rates have been at or above 88% in all subjects tested (reading, writing, math, and science)--and with one exception, at or above 93%
The numbers tell the odds facing Taylor Ray, a largely Hispanic elementary school in Rosenberg, Texas, 25 miles southwest of Houston: Three-fourths of its 701 students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch; more than one-quarter are English language learners; 13 percent have special needs; and nearly one in five transfer each year.
But the numbers also confirm that the school is thriving: According to preliminary 2008 adequate yearly progress (AYP) data, a remarkable 98 percent of ...
Story posted February 5, 2009
Results:
• School-wide increases in reading and math test scores for the past three years
• In mathematics, the school has outperformed the district for the past two years, even though it serves a significantly higher portion of free and reduced-price lunch students
For decades, the Payne Phalen neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota, housed generations of immigrants and provided solid factory jobs. However, between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s, the neighborhood lost more than 2,500 industrial jobs, and between 1980 and 1990, child poverty increased by 800 percent, according to the U.S. Census.
In the late 1990s, the city of St. Paul began efforts to revitalize the neighborhood through housing and business investment initiatives. As a part of this revitalization, St. Paul Public Schools decided to build a new elementary school where a high school had long stood empty. In partnership with ...
Bridging the Gap Between Preschool and Kindergarten
Story posted January 13, 2009
Results:
• More than 50% of entering kindergarteners know the alphabet, up from 4% seven years ago
• Only 2.1% of kindergarteners needed specialized educational services in May 2008, down from 12% in 2002
• 73% of first graders were reading at grade level in 2008, up from 52% in 2002
Through an innovative partnership between the Bremerton (Washington) School District, Head Start, and community preschools and childcare centers, more than 50 percent of youngsters in this small urban school district start kindergarten knowing the alphabet.
But that wasn’t always the case. Just seven years ago, only 4 percent of Bremerton’s incoming kindergarteners knew their letters, compared to 60 percent of children nationwide. Bremerton’s students, 59 percent of whom come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, were behind the academic curve even before they stepped into a classroom. ...
Story posted November 13, 2008
Results:
• Once designated "in need of improvement," the school has recently been commended by the state of New York
• 80 students enrolled in high school-level courses in 2007, up from 30 in 2001
• 28% of students participating in high school-level courses in 2007 were minorities, up from 10% in 2002
• 99% of staff approve of administrators' efforts to empower educators
"Built by the Past-Ready for the Future" is more than a school motto at Isaac E. Young Middle School in New Rochelle, NY. Built in 1925, Isaac became the iconic U.S. secondary school when Dick Sargent's painting of it appeared on the cover of the October 17, 1959, issue of The Saturday Evening Post. The changes that the school has experienced over the last 55 years mirror changes in the suburban United States. ...
Story posted November 6, 2008. Results updated May 22, 2012.
Results:
- In 2011, 91% of 6th graders, 91% of 7th graders and 88% of 8th graders scored proficient or above on state standardized tests in reading (meeting or exceeding both district and state averages)
- In 2011, 77% of 6th graders, 70% of 7th graders and 85% of 8th graders scored proficient or above on state standardized tests in math (meeting or exceeding both district and state averages).
The halls of Boaz Middle School are buzzing with energy. Students walk past bulletin boards displaying their work, as a visitor stops to browse the examples of graphic organizers and short essays. Teachers stand in the open classroom doorways, discussing students, strategies and the day's successes. Students stop to ask teachers for extra help with presentations and projects. Teachers stop students as they pass by just to ask how things are going. ...
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. ...
Teacher-Driven Inclusion Model Pays off for School
Story posted October 23, 2008
Results:
• Special education students have received 60% fewer detention referrals for poor behavior
• Special education caseloads have declined by more than half since 2002
McKinleyville Middle School serves over 370 students in grades 6-8 in the town of McKinleyville in northwest Humboldt County, California. 43% of the school's students receive free or reduced price meals, and 15% are in special education.
Until 1999, McKinleyville taught special education students in the traditional way: by pulling them out of mainstream classes and teaching them in separate classrooms for most of the school day. ...
Closing the Gap: A Union/District Partnership Spells Success for Low-Income Kids
Story posted October 9, 2008
Result:
• Three years into the program, 6th grade test scores had risen between 39% and 53% at all participating schools
As superintendent of the ABC Unified School District in Southeast Los Angeles, Ron Barnes knew that averages can be deceiving. Home to one of the highest-performing schools in California, his school district's test score averages stood up well against state scores. Yet this small, urban district's overall high performance rate concealed large discrepancies in achievement.
In fact, six of the district's poorest schools struggled to meet reading goals. With a 90 percent minority population, high poverty rates and English Language Learners comprising more than half of their enrollments, these schools faced tough challenges.
To address the large achievement gaps between schools in the district, the ABC Federation of Teachers (ABCFT) partnered with Barnes and members of the school board in 1999 to equip teachers and leaders for success. ...
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 August 14, 2008
Results:
• In 2007, 79% and 81% of students met or exceeded state math and reading standards respectively, up from 37% and 49% five years ago
• AP participation rates among low-income students increased from 8% to 21% in one year
• The drop-out rate decreased from 7.7% in 2002 to 2.5% in 2006
From the moment you enter the lobby, it is clear that Forest Grove High School places a high value on achievement for all students. Large banners highlight the recognition the school has received for academic accomplishments (such as Oregon's Closing the Achievement Gap award, which it has received for two years running), and the school's mission-"To provide a superior education that challenges our students to achieve academic and personal excellence and to become world-class citizens"-is posted throughout the school.
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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!
