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Professional Collaboration
Success Stories
Story posted December 9, 2008. Results Updated January 22, 2012.
Results:
• In 2010, the school outperformed the state on reading assessments in every grade, with performance in the 3rd and 4th grades exceeding the state average by close to 20%.
• In 2010, the school also performed that well on math assessments, with 100% of 4th graders meeting or exceeding the state standards.
All children can learn. When a school staff truly embraces this core belief and openly demonstrates it to students, parents, and each other, dramatic improvements in academic performance can result.
Take, for example, Anne Fox Elementary School. Fox is a moderately low-income, demographically diverse school in the working-class suburb of Hanover Park, Illinois. The student population is 34 percent white, 30 percent Hispanic, 17 percent black, and 19 percent Asian/Pacific Islander. Students speak more than 35 different languages, and the school’s low-income and mobility rates are double the district average. Until recently, Fox School ranked dead last in academic achievement among the district’s 21 elementary schools and was known as a “problem spot.” ...
Story posted June 10, 2010. Results updated December 20, 2011.
Results:
• In 2011, the school performed as well, or better than, the state as a whole on reading and math tests at every grade level (no data available for seventh grade math), despite serving a significantly higher percentage of students in poverty
• Named a 2010 Breakthrough School by the National Association of Secondary School Principals
It is no accident that the staff at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School adopted a central tenet of Breaking Ranks in the Middle—to banish anonymity by creating a personalized learning environment for all of its students. The school was created six years ago when the four middle schools in Henry County, VA, were consolidated into two middle schools.
The consolidation left the students, the staff members, and the community angry and disjointed. No one felt any joy in coming to a middle school that was housed in a former high school. The hallways and classrooms were out of proportion with the students, and the 900-student school was an extreme change for the rural area.
The closing of many of the area’s manufacturing plants and subsequent rising unemployment rates compounded the difficulties— unemployment in the area is the highest in the Commonwealth of Virginia at 20%, with almost 50% of the students eligible for meal subsidies. The board of education, supported by the community, recognized that an effort had to be made to provide a quality education for every student.
After a challenging first year of consolidation, the staff, led by principal Moriah Dollarhite, embraced the idea of grade-level teams, breaking the school into small groups to create camaraderie and school spirit. Content teams were also created to monitor instruction and ensure that all lessons were tied to the state learning standards.
And finally, a lead teacher team, representing all content areas and ...
Strategic Staffing Helps a Title I School Succeed
Story posted November 19, 2009. Results updated December 7, 2011.
Results:
- Proficiency rates close to or exceeding 88% on 2011 state reading and math tests at every grade level, outperforming the state as a whole on each test.
- In 2011, grade 4 math and reading scores both exceeded state averages by 5% at 88% and 93% respectively.
- Since 2008, grade 3 math scores rose by 4% and exceeded state math scores in 2011 by the same amount.
Indian Springs Elementary is located along one of the many rural highways that crisscross northern Mobile County, in territory marked by signs of poverty and under-development. There’s no interesting history behind the name of the unincorporated community the school serves—Eight Mile is just the distance down U.S. 45 to the city.
The exterior of Indian Springs shows the wear and tear of a building that has housed students for many decades. The school comes alive only after you cross the threshold, where you find a physical space that is clearly well-loved by the faculty, staff and students.
Just inside the front doors, a small sitting area decorated with potted plants and flowers welcomes visitors. The walls are bright and the floors shine. Bulletin boards and student work cover every inch of the hallways. Teachers decorate the entrances to their classrooms with personal touches, like the kindergarten teacher whose door resembles a front porch with columns, shutters and an awning.
The school serves 451 students in grades pre K-5. It has a 50-50 ratio of white and African American students—87% of whom meet federal poverty guidelines. About 14 percent are classified as having special needs. The demographics offer few clues about the school’s academic performance. But in fact ...
A “Fierce Focus” on Data and Instructional Leadership Pays Off
Story posted November 16, 2011
Results:
- Extended graduation rate of 93 percent for the class of 2010 (up nearly 10 percentage points since the class of 2006)
- Achievement gaps between Hispanic and African-American students and their peers are narrowing
In 2006, the year Mary Alice Heuschel took 
over the reins of the Renton School District in northwest Washington State, more than three in 10 students were failing to make it to their high school graduation day. That fact clearly concerned Heuschel, who had spent the previous seven years in the state education department.
Aware of the poor finishing results and achievement gaps of the diverse 14,500-student school district (where 46% of students receive free or reduced price lunch and 14% are considered transitional bilingual) located 11 miles from Seattle on Puget Sound, Heuschel came to the job to make a difference. ...
Flipping the Classroom: Homework in Class, Lessons at Home
Story posted October 7, 2011
Results:
- Dramatic decreases in student failure rates since 2009
- From 52% to 19% in English Language Arts
- From 44% to 13% in math
- From 41% to 19% in science
- From nearly 33% to less than 10% in social studies
- Dramatic decreases in discipline cases (from 736 for 165 students in 2009 down to 249 for 140 students)
Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” That is until you meet Rob Townsend, a physical science teacher at Clintondale High School in Clinton Township, Michigan, and his school principal, Greg Green. It was Green who once asked Townsend why so many of his students fail his class the first semester.
Townsend’s initial response went something along the lines of “them not doing their homework, if they were in class at all.”
Built in 1959, in a solidly working class community, Clintondale High School had prided itself on its academic performance and its strong relationship with the community. A half century later, the reality for Clintondale had changed.
The 800-strong student body now comes from a diverse socio-economic background, with 73 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunch; the population mix went from 35 percent minority to 65 percent; and for the past nine years the school has been running at a budget deficit.
The climate and financial changes coupled with an increase in student need and decrease of school staff has contributed to the struggles of Clintondale. The result: In 2009, more than 50 percent of freshman students failed English, and ...
Aiming for a Blue Ribbon in Alabama's Black Belt
Story posted October 3, 2008, Updated August 29, 2011.
Results:
• In 2011, 80.8% of 5th graders met or exceeded standards on the state reading test, up from 77.4% in 2005, with the number of students exceeding state reading standards (the highest performance level on the test) up by 10% from 2010.
On the edge of Alabama, 15 miles from the Mississippi state line, lies Aliceville. With only 5,000 residents, the town relies on agriculture and timber for jobs, and many of its residents live at or below the poverty level. Driving through downtown, you see three closed gas stations with their prices permanently set at $2.58. A right turn takes drivers past an established housing community and a few newer complexes, and then two long, low red brick school buildings come into view. ...
Bridging the Gap: College Tuition for Every High School Graduate
Story posted August 3, 2011
Results:
- In its initial phase, the Say Yes program has covered the college or post-secondary tuition of nearly 1,200 Syracuse high school graduates in need.
- Across Say Yes schools, more than 75% of participating students earn a high school diploma or GED, and about half earn some kind of post-secondary degree or credential—far more than peers in similar circumstances.
Few would disagree with the notion that low-income children face enormous challenges outside the traditional school system in achieving academic success. Research has confirmed the role of everything from health to summer learning opportunities, along with school-based factors including teacher and principal quality, in student achievement. ...
Building a Seaworthy Partnership for Job Exposure
Story posted June 1, 2011
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) features Magna Awards to recognize excellent school district leadership. The following district is a 2011 winner.
Results:
- Students receive hands-on experiences that triggers their curiosity about potential careers, and learned cognitive and life skills from professional mentors.
- Participants learn the key components of a successful interview and how to fill out job applications.
The mission of Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is to educate all students for college, career, and citizen readiness. Key to fulfilling this mission is the Career Pathways initiative, which includes, among other goals, career exploration in middle school. School leaders knew that connecting middle school students to people doing specific jobs in the community would have the most impact. With the largest shipbuilder in the nation, Northrop Grumman, located just blocks from the school, leaders saw an opportunity to help students explore high-demand careers. At the same time, the shipyard was looking for a way to help meet a huge future demand for qualified employees.
SOLUTION
The shipyard immediately began building relationships with the students and staff by attending back-to-school nights, open houses, and other school events. Shipyard staff created a Shipbuilders Club, established a mentoring program, and helped to develop a Career Readiness Skills curriculum taught in grades six to ...
Story posted December 9, 2010
Results:
• In both 2009 and 2010, Alcott's students outperformed their peers in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District
• In 2010, Alcott's fifth-graders outperformed their peers across the state in reading, math and science
Louisa May Alcott serves a challenging population: 100 percent of students are economically disadvantaged and about a third are designated as special education. Students often enroll with emotional and social problems, difficult family issues and low academic achievement. But thanks to an outstanding faculty and staff, these hurdles are by no means insurmountable. On the 2009 state assessment, Alcott students outperformed Cleveland students in general: 77 percent scored proficient in reading, compared with 49 percent districtwide. Similarly, 75 percent of Alcott students were proficient in math, compared with 41 percent of students who were proficient districtwide. The results for special needs students were just as impressive—in both math and reading, Alcott students significantly outperformed their peers districtwide.
Regional superintendent Cliff Hayes Jr. has lauded the leadership of the school, noting its “culture of ‘we.’”¹ Alcott principal Eileen Stull is known for consensus building and collaboration, as well as her open-door policy for continued conversations about curriculum and instruction. Yet Stull is hesitant to take credit; she attributes the school’s success to students’ families and her staff. She says, “Honestly, I have the most fabulous teachers here.”² Parents appreciate the community atmosphere, saying that Stull seems to ...
Story posted July 8, 2010
Results:
• Black, Hispanic, ELL and economically disadvantaged students consistently outperform their peers across the state on standardized reading and writing arts tests
• Emphasis on equity and teacher collaboration has created a positive school environment
• Named a 2010 Breakthrough School by NASSP
Entering the lobby of Park View High School in Sterling, VA is like entering another world. The diversity in the student body is reflected in flags from 63 of the 80 countries that are represented in the student population and in a special project for Hispanic Heritage Month, which covers the walls of an entire hallway.
The school walls, hallways, and stairwells are a celebration of outstanding achievement, featuring students’ academic work, photos of high achievers on Virginia state tests, student honors and trophies, class murals, paintings, sculptures, and other artwork. Diversity is also reflected among class officers and student representatives and by a notable sense of friendship among different cultures and races.
Evidence of the commitment to supporting all students is abundant. In the ESL Department, which works with 20% of the 1,200 students in the school, there are eight teachers, nine assistants, a dedicated counselor, and a parent liaison. An equity facilitation team that is composed of counselors and classroom teachers provides basic equity training to help teachers create culturally responsive classrooms. One of the school’s goals is to provide equal access and ...
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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!
