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.
Family Involvement
Success Stories
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 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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Arlington's Community Involvement Helps Students Succeed
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 95% of parents attending ESL classes related to the school attend parent-teacher conferences
• 400% growth in the number of children attending after-school enrichment programs, with 80% of those students showing academic gains
Imagine a school where teachers and parents work together to help children learn and develop; a place where local arts groups, businesses, faith-based organizations and county services all come together to improve the lives of young people and their families. At Carlin Springs Elementary School, in Arlington, VA, students are thriving because the school, county and the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families have come together to create a place that does all of this and more. ...
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. ...
Road Trip to Success: Engaging Families and Children in Coopersville
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• Higher test scores for at-risk children
• Increased parent involvement in school activities
• Greater family participation in out-of-school educational activities
The more life experiences children have, the greater their success in school. Studies show that children from less affluent households often come to school with underdeveloped language skills. A typical child in a low-income household hears 600 words an hour, while atypical middle class child hears 2,000. Plus, children in low-income families often have fewer life experiences like trips to children's museums, visits to the library and outings with their family. An innovative family involvement program in Michigan aims to change this equation. ...
A Second Set of Parents: Advisory Groups and Student Achievement at Granger High
Story posted February, 2008
Results:
• 100% parent attendance at conferences for the past 3 years
• Over 90% of students now graduate, up from 59% in 2004
In 2001, Granger High School's test scores were dismal. Gang-related graffiti marred every surface, and fewer than half of students graduated. Most of the 300-odd students at this Washington State high school come from low-income families working on farms in the surrounding Yakima Valley. Eighty-four percent are Latino, and six percent are Native American. Could these students succeed? Principal Richard Esparza has the answer on his license plate: "Se puede!" (It can be done!) Under Esparza's confident guidance, the school reached out to students and their families, creating supports to keep students on track.
Reading across the curriculum, aligning coursework with state standards, and intensive academic interventions for struggling students all contribute to Granger's steady improvement. But caring connections between students, teachers, and parents bring all these strands together. ...
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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!
