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.
Safe Great Places
Success Stories
Ensuring All Students Reach their Highest Potential in Math
Story posted May 30, 2008
Story updated January, 2011
Results:
• In 2010, 10th graders scored above state averages on all sections of the HSPE test, and scored more than 20% higher than the state average in math
• 71% of 10th graders scored at or above proficient on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) math section in 2007, up from 49% in 2004
• 78% of students who took the AP Calculus exam passed in 2007, making them eligible for college credit
Only a decade ago, Interlake High School was the lowest-performing school in the Bellevue district. As Bellevue is an open enrollment district, Interlake parents and community members knew they needed an academically rigorous program to turn the school's performance around and draw students to the school. In 1997, Interlake implemented the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Degree program and in 2003 added the Advanced Placement program. ...
Changing a Culture by Building Relationships
Story posted May, 2008
Results:
• Student suspensions down almost two-thirds
• Student drug violations down almost 80%
Tracy Bale didn't even wait for school to start on his first day as principal of Spencer County High School to make some changes. It was 45 minutes until the first bell, and students were gathering in the parking lot, as they had always done, with the intention of hanging out until school began. Bale was in the parking lot, too. He told the students that if they were going to arrive early for school, they had to come into the gym.
"It had become a real circus out there," Bale said, noting that the early-morning hangout scene was just one example of how SCHS had developed into what Bale called "an unhealthy learning environment."
Today, SCHS students no longer hang out in the parking lot, there are clear rules against cursing and other disruptive behaviors, and students know they get three warnings in class before they are given in-school suspension and their parents are called. ...
Repairing and Using the Environment
Story posted April, 2008
Results:
• Restoration of community land
• Recognition by various local and national agencies for important environmental work
An environmental project more likely to have been spearheaded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency than elementary school students led to Garrett County Public Schools in rural western Maryland receiving the National Civic Star Award for 2008.
The project, known as Crellin Elementary Corps of Discovery, evolved after students at a 2003 science camp noticed orange water seeping from a playground area into a stream known as Snowy Creek near the school property. The seepage was acid mine drainage from water flowing under coal and mine waste that had been spilled and left on the site when Crellin had been a coal mining town from about 1925 to 1960.
Crellin is in the central Appalachian Mountain where pristine streams and beautiful scenery are typical and where much of the land is part of state and federal preserves. Garrett County is also the site of Deep Creek Lake, a popular resort destination. ...
Designing an Exemplar: University of Pennsylvania and the Penn Alexander School
Story posted March, 2008.
Results updated January, 2011.
Results:
• In 15 out of 16 standardized tests in 2010, students scored above state averages
• 84% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards on state reading tests in 2009
• 84.1% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards on state math tests in 2009 ...
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. ...
Sayre High School and UPenn Join Forces to Improve Community's Health
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 50% drop in suspension rate
• 10% increase in attendance rate
• 90% of Family Fitness Night participants are eating healthier and exercising more
What do college students, an Ivy League university, an urban health crisis and teenagers living in poverty all have in common? Too many times, the answer is "not a thing" but at Sayre High School in West Philadelphia connections are being made that could very well save lives.
Responding to the issues that plagued his students - violence, gangs, drugs and a lack of access to basic health and dental care - the principal of Sayre School approached Penn's Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) in 2002 with the idea that having a health center on site would be a boon to the students and the community. Around the same time, a group of Penn undergraduates were focusing their efforts on helping to solve the healthcare crisis in West Philadelphia. The students' research and work with the community led them to propose the establishment of a community health promotion and disease prevention program at Sayre. ...
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. ...
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. ...
Community Engagement at the Center of Fair Street's Success
Story posted February, 2008
Results:
• 91% of 5th graders passed the state reading test in 2006, up from 75% in 2003
• 94% of 3rd graders passed the state reading test in 2006, up from 76% in 2003
• School has made Adequate Yearly Progress 5 years in a row
As long as Fair Street Elementary School has been around, it has been the center of its community. When it was founded in 1937, the school was the only one to serve northeast Georgia's African American children before segregation. It was the heart of the community, holding community meetings, and social and athletic activities. While the Gainesville population has become more diverse over the years, Fair Street has held its place as the heart of its community.
Fair Street educates 601 students. Of these, 93% are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, 11% receive special needs services, 70% are English second-language learners, and 48% qualify for ESOL instruction. ...
SIGN UP
Sign up for our e-newsletter on public school success.
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!
