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.
Personal Attention
Success Stories
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
A Focus on Literacy Spells Success for Georgia Matthews Elementary
Story posted February, 2008
Results:
• 91.1% of 3rd graders met or exceeded the state reading standard in 2007, up from 79.1% in 2006
• 95% of 3rd grade English Language Learners met or exceeded the state reading standard in 2007, up from 80% in 2006
At Georgia Matthews Elementary School in Garden City, Kansas, developing literacy in the largely Hispanic student body is everybody's job. Students learn vocabulary and practice literacy skills not just during class periods dedicated to reading and writing, but all day long. Even physical education and art teachers bring books to their classes or use objects to introduce new vocabulary or concepts in English. Add a relentless focus on the individual needs of each student, and you've got a formula that has helped students beat the odds.
The majority of children at Georgia Matthews qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and half are learning English as a second language. Yet the school, which has students in early childhood through 4th grade, regularly outperforms the state's learning standards. Last year, the National Association of Title I State Directors recognized the school's progress in closing achievement gaps with a Distinguished School Program award. ...
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. ...
Creating a Learning Environment--Moving from Chaos to Achievement
Story posted February, 2008. Results updated August 4, 2011.
Results:
• In 2010 60% of students met or exceeded state math standards, and 70% did so for reading--about the state average despite serving a significantly higher proportion of students in poverty.
How could Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School, a school so troubled that children rode their bikes in the hallways, become a beacon of achievement and learning? The transformation took leadership, vision and a willingness to turn a chaotic place into a nurturing learning environment.
A K-6 urban school that draws almost 90% of its students from low-income families, Dayton's Bluff was by all accounts out of control. Overall discipline was inconsistent and the learning environment was in shambles. Nine out of 10 students could not read at grade level. Teacher morale was low and turnover high. It was labeled the worst school in the city. ...
Consistency is Key to Improvement in Orlando
Story posted January, 2008
Story updated January, 2011
Results:
• Test scores have consistently improved in most categories from 2007-2010
• Nationally recognized in 2003 for success in closing achievement gaps
Located in an impoverished, highly transient part of Orlando, Florida, Rolling Hills Elementary School often gains or loses as many as 40 of its 750 students every week. But the school's principal, who had once repeated kindergarten at his parents' request, helped create a more stable and successful learning environment for his school's students, in part, by providing many students with the opportunity to get on grade level by offering consistent and relevant interventions and allowing a few students to be retained. ...
"A Place for Everyone": Frankford Elementary
Story posted January, 2008. Results updated August 3, 2009.
Results:
• On average, 90% of students in grades 2-5 met or exceeded State Standards in reading and math on Delaware’s annual assessment (DSTP) in 2009
• 2009 performance highlights include 97% of 3rd graders and 94% of 4th graders passing the DSTP math test 
(compared to 79% and 77%, respectively, for the state as a whole)
The Frankford Elementary School motto is "A Place for Everyone." And, over the years, the school has proven that everyone can succeed if provided with individualized attention to meet specific learning needs.
Frankford Elementary sits in a small, rural community just ten miles from Bethany Beach, a summer vacation resort. Despite the school's proximity to expensive beach homes, most of the school's students come from low-income households. Seventy-eight percent of Frankford students qualify for free or reduced lunches. The student body is 43% Hispanic, 29% White and 26% African American. ...
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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!
