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.
School Community Communication
Success Stories
Awareness Initiative Boosts College Attendance
Story posted May 12, 2008
Results:
• 23.58% of students now attend college (many first-generation), a significant increase
• $75,000 in college scholarships awarded to former program participants in the 2006-2007 school year
A college awareness, education and support program for sophomores, juniors and seniors at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, Calif., is helping to increase the percentage of graduates going to college.
The program, called Catch the Dream, was created six years ago and is becoming more effective each year. The initiative's goal is to help students find the college that is right for them and then to do everything necessary to get them there. ...
In Texas, a Second Chance at a Bright Future
Story posted May 8, 2008. Results updated June 18, 2009.
Results:
• In less than two years, the school has graduated 368 students ranging from 18-25 years old
• Contributed to a 75% decrease in district dropout rate over the past two years
The largest school district in Hidalgo County and the second largest in the Rio Grande Valley, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District (PSJA ISD) has faced some tough challenges, yet its motto of "Focused on Performance" is the key to ensuring all 30,000 students reach their fullest potential.
83% of our mostly Hispanic student body is economically disadvantaged, 76% are considered at-risk and over 10% have limited proficiency in English due to the district's proximity to Mexico.
Despite these challenges, we have maintained a culture of pride and excellence that puts children first. So in response to a growing dropout problem, we quickly instituted an innovative district/college partnership to put former non-graduates on the path to higher education. ...
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. ...
Building Boat Models Aids Math, Science Learning
Story posted April, 2008
Results:
• 87% of 3rd graders have passed the state math test each of the past two years, up from 63% in 2005
Parma City Schools in Parma, Ohio, and General Motors have collaborated in a program for third-grade students at the district's Thoreau Park Elementary School to boost math and science performance.
The program evolved after the school community focused on the fact that students were performing poorly on the Ohio state tests in math and science. At the time, General Motors was a business partner with Thoreau Park Elementary and offered to provide volunteers to implement a proposed program, called World in Motion. The premise was that students learn best when they can connect their learning to real-world aspects of life. In science and math, that involves connecting abstract theory to something tangible.
The program involves students creating small skimmer boats with the help of about 10 GM engineers working in the school's third-grade classrooms for an hour a week for six weeks. ...
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. ...
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. ...
At-Risk Four-Year-Olds Are Target of Attention
Story posted March, 2008
Story updated February, 2011
Results:
- The program is popular and each year more parents apply their children.
- It likely reduces the number of students referred to special education.
- The program acclimates at-risk children to the school environment, fosters development, provides health attention and two balanced meals per day, and allows students to safely socialize with peers.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.--Tuscaloosa City Schools and community organizations have joined efforts to provide pre-kindergarten education to help at-risk children get off to a quick start when they begin school. Tuscaloosa was named the Alabama winner in the 2008 National Civic Star Award competition as a result of the program, and the program continues to thrive. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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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!
