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Story posted Jaunary, 2008

Results:
• Rapidly closing the gap separating black and economically disadvantaged students from their peers

Mary B. Austin Elementary's reputation precedes it. More than 80 percent of its students transfer into the Mobile, Alabama, school from outside its boundaries, in part because of a curriculum that fuses the arts with student achievement and a focus on making sure every student gets the help he or she needs.

The school's reputation stands on the academic performance of its students, just over half of whom are African American and nearly half of whom are economically disadvantaged. But while Austin Elementary students fare better on state standardized tests than their counterparts elsewhere in the city and state, closer examination of test results revealed that black male students needed additional help.

Budget cuts had also reduced the amount of music instruction at the elementary levels. "They did not have the manpower to offer what they realized was a balanced education," says Sarah Wright, the Mobile Symphony's education director.

After Principal Jacquelyn M. Zeigler said she wanted to provide something "above and beyond" the district's music offerings, a PTA member suggested working with the Mobile Symphony, and a partnership was born.

Music is now part of Austin Elementary's entire K-5 curriculum, reaching students at all grade levels. Students in Kindergarten through second grade now participate in a program called Preludes. Taught by a member of the Mobile Symphony, it focuses on music history and theory. Older students take strings classes conducted by the symphony's co-concertmaster. Teachers incorporate the arts into core subjects while keeping the focus on student achievement.

To help reduce gaps in achievement among classmates, a local church and two nearby high schools began sending volunteers to mentor and tutor students struggling with either personal or academic issues. The school used student assessment data to address individual needs. It also embraced the Alabama Reading Initiative and the state's Math, Science, and Technology Initiative, which offer curricula geared toward different learning styles and professional development for teachers.

Austin Elementary was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in 2006 and by the Alabama State Department of Education in 2007 for outperforming the state average on standardized tests and narrowing achievement gaps. Gaps separating Black and economically disadvantaged students from their peers narrowed considerably, with both groups showing significant gains between 2005 and 2006.

"I cannot in any way deny that the arts had something to do with that," Zeigler said. "The infusion of the arts into our curriculum has had a major impact on our student achievement for all students. You never know what will hit the right chord for the right child."

By incorporating the arts throughout the curriculum, Austin Elementary not only exposed its children to music but also supported instruction in core academic subjects. At the same time, the school's unrelenting focus on struggling students by offering extra help and new curricula helped narrow persistent gaps in academic performance.

Further details about this story can be found in our source:
NSBA's Center for Public Education, "Elementary students at Mary B. Austin respond to a creative culture and high expectations", January 2007.

For additional information, please contact:
Jacquelyn Zeigler
Principal, Mary B. Austin Elementary
jzeigler@mcpss.com

Photos courtesy of Mary B. Austin Elementary