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Personal Attention
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 November 20, 2008
Results:
• Failing grades have decreased 33%
• Unsatisfactory passing grades have decreased 21%
• Mean GPA has risen from 2.81 to 3.00
All students benefit from having a "home field advantage" (Howard, 1999) that can provide support and help motivate them to achieve their best. At Dominion High School in northern Virginia, this advantage is created by matching each student with an adult mentor who provides support and encouragement throughout the student's high school experience. ...
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. ...
Energizing Children's First Teachers
A story about Canton City and Minerva Local (Stark) School Districts, Ohio
Story posted August 27, 2008
Results:
• 84% of participating parents are now at or above the national median in terms of engagement in academic stimulation
• SPARK kids do significantly better on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for Literacy (KRA-L) than non-SPARK kids
"Who doesn't want their students to come to school ready to learn?" asked Joni T. Close, senior program director at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton. What parent, what principal, what superintendent and what school board member would disagree? But what influence do public schools have on their future students before they enter the schoolhouse door?
A lot, if you ask folks at the Canton City and Minerva Local (Stark) school districts. ...
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.
...
Story posted August, 2008
Results:
• Pass rates on Virginia Standards of Learning tests often meet or exceed state averages
• Steady gains on SAT and other standardized test scores over the past several years
J.E.B. Stuart is the most diverse high school in Fairfax County, Virginia - and it may be one of the most diverse in the nation. Thirty-nine percent of students are Hispanic; 19 percent are Asian; 12 percent are African-American; and 27 percent are White (and, of that total, 19 percent are of Middle Eastern origin). More than two-thirds of Stuart's students do not speak English as their primary language; and 41 percent were born in other countries (82 other countries, to be exact).
Add to these statistics the fact that more than half of Stuart's students qualify for free or reduced meals due to poverty, and it's clear that this suburban high school's faculty and staff have their work cut out for them. Their response to the school's remarkable diversity? A determined effort to respond to every child's individual learning needs. ...
Community Helps Struggling School Reopen to Success
Story posted July, 2008
Results:
• 10-15% average annual increase in standardized test scores for 4 years
• 100% of the school's first graduating students passed the math portion of the state Graduate Qualifying Exam and 90% passed the language arts portion (both district records)
It's hard to imagine that George Washington Community School was once struggling so badly that the school district had to close it. Today, the school is alive with activity and its students are thriving.
The transition did not happen overnight-and it would not have happened at all if it had not been for the powerful commitment and intensity of support from the community. The work to reopen the closed high school grew out of a grassroots desire by the community to provide an environment where young people, and their families, could succeed. Neighborhood residents envisioned a center of community collectively focused on improving graduation rates and preparing young people for post-secondary education. ...
Making College Accessible to All
Story posted July, 2008
Results:
• 77% pass rate on state end-of-course exams (compared to a state average of 60.8%)
• 83% pass rate on state end-of-course exams for African-American males (compared to a state average of 44%)
• 100% of students enrolled in college level courses in 2006-2007 passed those courses
The Cumberland County Schools serve 53,000 students. About 55 percent of students qualify for free or reduced- price meals based on federal poverty standards. More than 600 students drop out each year, one of the highest numbers in the state. Although the district has made great strides in educational innovations, the dropout rate is simply not acceptable to the teachers, administrators, parents, partners, and students in the community. ...
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. ...
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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!
