Chief Academic Officer Terry Edwards talks about how Everett Public Schools has dramatically improved graduation rates over the past seven years.
Public School Success Stories
Across the Country, public schools and districts are transforming themselves to prepare students for success in a 21st-century democracy and global society. Take a look at what educators and communities are doing right now to meet this challenge.
Or tell us what's working in your own school or district.
Story posted August 18, 2010. For additional information and updated results, read the Learning First Alliance interview with St. Tammany Parish Public School System supervisior of administration John Swang.
Results:
• As of 2009, the district had saved more than 4.4 million dollars in energy costs and eliminated emissions of more than 53 million pounds of CO2
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that schools budgeted $7 billion for energy costs in 2001, but spent $8 billion. Since then, energy costs per student have been rising at more than six times the rate of inflation. In 2009, the American Association of School Administrators reported that rising energy costs are dramatically affecting district budgets nationwide, with significant negative impacts on student learning.
Over the last several years, energy costs for the St. Tammany Parish Public School System, with 54 schools and 35,000 students, have rapidly risen, creating great apprehension that important instructional and operational functions in schools would have to be reduced or eliminated. On average, the cost of energy was increasing by ...
Story posted August 3, 2010
Results:
• The eligibility of high school graduates for admission to California's public universities increased by 12 percent between 2004 and 2007
• The college-going rate increased from 35 percent to 62 percent over that same period
In California’s rural mountainous region of Shasta and Siskiyou counties, a problem emerged. Local students had low college-going rates, despite the comparatively low 13 percent poverty rate among the population, which was 90 percent white.
The communities are separated from the closest colleges by vast distances and mountain roads. The regional culture values strong family ties and intergenerational commitment to family farms or businesses, which came with an unspoken concern that once youngsters left for college, they might not return, stripping these isolated communities of an educated workforce. Many students in Shasta Union High School District never had set foot on a college campus.
The Shasta Partnership, launched by the Shasta County Office of Education, used grant-funded studies to determine how to increase interest in attending college and improve the college-going rate. The outcome is a program known as College OPTIONS, whose partners include the two county offices of education; the Shasta Union High School District; two regional community colleges; Chico State University; the University of California-Davis; and two private universities, National and ...
A Family-Oriented Learning Community
Story posted July 15, 2010
Results:
• Test scores exceed state averages in every subject for all tested grades
• Named a 2010 Breakthrough School by NASSP
Ravenswood (WV) Middle School is located on a quiet residential street, adjacent to the high school, the town library, and a community park in the small town of historic Ravenswood, WV (population 3,900). The unassuming exterior of the building belies the school’s record of continued academic growth and achievement and the warm, caring environment that it provides for the 344 middle school students in grades 6–8. The school has made adequate yearly progress for four consecutive years and was recognized as a West Virginia Exemplary School in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. In addition, it was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School in 2008.
The key to Ravenswood’s success becomes apparent within a few minutes of entering the building. Students, parents, community members, and graduates consistently confirm that the teachers care about and treat every student as an individual. When asked what makes Ravenswood stand out from other middle schools, a group of eighth-grade students agreed with the assessment of a peer who said, “It’s the teachers—they know us as individuals and care about each of us.” The district’s director of elementary and middle schools concurred, “Ravenswood addresses the needs of the whole child; they do whatever it takes to help their students succeed.” A school board member—a former principal in the district— expressed the belief that students respond to that caring when he said, “This is a Cadillac school; students want to go to school here.”
Principal Gary Higginbotham and Assistant Principal Sharon Carroll have worked with the staff and the community to establish a culture that exemplifies a family-oriented professional learning community. Teachers have a daily 45-minute team time built into their schedule—a best practice that ...
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 ...
Inspiring Students to Do Their Best
Story posted June 25, 2010
Results:
• Graduation rate increased from 81.2 percent in 2002-03 to 90.6 percent in 2007-08
• Districtwide, OSS (out-of-school suspensions) decreased from 1240 in 2004 to 237 in 2008, an 80.9 percent decrease
• Named a 2009 National District of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP)
"I’m just a hometown gal, born and bred in Arnold, Missouri.” The effervescent superintendent of schools for the Fox C-6 district, Dr. Dianne Brown, who has served in this district for her entire career in education, cannot hide her love of her hometown. She continues, “Arnold is really a special place. We don’t just have a district of character here; we have a whole community of character. We even have a parade for character.”
Brown, known as a passionate crusader for character, initiated a character program in 1999, the first year she served as an elementary school principal. But Brown’s passion for character education has a deeper, personal connection that dates back to her first year of teaching. Tim, one of her students, a transfer from the inner city, was shot as he alighted from the school bus. Tim’s brother, unaware that the gun he was pointing in jest was loaded, had killed him. “They never taught me how to handle this at college,” thought the young teacher as she prepared to ...
When "City Connects" Helps the Whole Child, Achievement Gaps Shrink
Story posted June 18, 2010
Results:
• The intervention moved students at the 50th percentile up to or near the 75th, and students at the 25th up to or near the 50th
• While the intervention ends in 5th grade, positive effects continue to be seen in middle-school test scores
An innovative program out of Boston College is making a big difference for children in 11 Boston elementary schools. City Connects (CCNX) works with the schools to link each child to a "tailored set of intervention, prevention and enrichment services located in the community."
Its efforts have gone a good distance towards closing achievement gaps between the low-income children in the program and children who meet state averages. CCNX's results offer powerful support for what should be common sense: When we address the challenges poor students face both within and beyond schools, they flourish.
A rigorous study (PDF) of the program's outcomes tells a pretty stunning story:
- The beneficial impact of BCNX [the former name of CCNX] on student growth in academic achievement (across grades 1 to 5) was, on average, approximately three times the harmful impact of poverty.
- By the end of grade 5, achievement differences between BCNX and comparison students indicated that the BCNX intervention moves students at the 50th percentile up to or near the 75th percentile, and the students at the 25th percentile up to or near the 50th.
- For multiple outcomes, the treatment effects were largest for students at greatest risk for academic failure. For example, English language learners experienced the largest treatment benefits on literacy outcomes, by third grade demonstrating similar report card scores to those proficient in English in comparison schools. In fact,as a result of BCNX, there was no longer an achievement gap between these students.
- After grade 5, the lasting positive effects ofthe BCNX intervention can be seen in middle-school MCAS scores. The size ofthe positive effect of BCNX ranged from approximately 50% to 130% as large as the negative effects of poverty on these scores.1
We recently caught up with two of the program's leaders: Dr. Mary Walsh, its Executive Director, and Patrice DiNatale, its Director of Practice.
Public School Insights: What is City Connects?
Walsh: City Connects is a systemic, evidence-based approach to school-based student support. It involves assessing, in conversation with teachers and other school staff, each child in the school at the beginning of the school year and then developing a tailored student support plan based on that student's strengths and needs in four areas: academic, social emotional/behavioral, health and family.
That support plan involves accessing services, supports, resources and enrichment for the child, both school-based resources as well as, and importantly, community resources. A trained professional with a Master’s degree—either ...
Practicing a Common Goal of Goodness
Story posted June 18, 2010
Results:
• Physical bullying decreased by 50 percent, from 21 to 10 incidents, from 2004-05 to 2007-08
• The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on state tests is consistently above state averages
• Named a 2009 National District of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP)
Hidden in a picturesque area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, surrounded by winding lanes, manicured lawns, and well-maintained split-levels and ranchers, Alta S. Leary Elementary School could easily serve as the backdrop for Leave It to Beaver. The school, now 50 years old, still retains its “small town” friendliness; however, its students are global, not suburban, citizens. Each morning, they recite the No Place for Hate promise and the Centennial Diversity Pledge, and each day, inside and outside school, they demonstrate the philosophy and practice of global citizenry: respect for all, ability to settle disagreements amicably, and helping those in need.
“We’re teaching our kids to go back to the community to change things. It’s nice to have a common goal of goodness,” says Kelly Kohler, student support teacher. The “common goal of goodness” that envelops the school is the result of 15 years of conscious character-building begun when the school, in response to escalating discipline problems, started working on conflict resolution with the Peace Center in Langhorne. In 2004, Leary adopted Project Peace, a program that aims to reduce school violence through peer mediation training, positive interpersonal skills, and problem-solving strategies.
“When Dr. [Donna] Dunar became our principal four years ago, she brought a new vision to our school and to the way we inculcate character,” says second-grade teacher Debbie Walker. Dunar envisioned a model school of ...
Story posted June 10, 2010
Results:
• In 2009, the school outperformed the state as a whole on reading and math tests at every grade level tested, desp
ite serving a significantly higher percentage of students in poverty
• 100% of seventh grade students met or exceeded state standards in math in 2009
• 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 ...
Making Healthy Students a Priority
Story posted May 26, 2010
Results:
• 439 students had mental health visits in the first two years of the clinic's operation
• 313 students were seen by the nurse practitioner
• 113 students were enrolled in an insurance program
The Concern
Montrose County School District serves 6,500 students. About 54 percent of those students are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. At one school, Northside Elementary, 78 percent of students are eligible. The school board’s mission is that all children will learn at their optimal level. It is difficult for students to learn if they are not well. Students in high-poverty schools have barriers to getting health care. According to Richard Rothstein, in his book Class and Schools, “Without fully adequate health care for (high poverty) children, there is little hope of fully closing the achievement gap. ... So, a high priority should be establishing health clinics associated with schools that serve disadvantaged children.” ...
Story posted May 20, 2010. Results updated August 20, 2010.
Results:
• In 2010, the school outperformed the state as a whole in percent of students scoring basic or above in math, social studies, science and English language arts (and in percent of students scoring mastery or advanced in math and ELA), despite serving a higher percentage of children in poverty
• As a general trend, more than 75% of third, fourth and fifth grade students meet or exceed proficiency standards on state tests (above and around state averages)
• 10% of fifth graders were accepted into a district middle school for high achievers in 2009, well above the district average
Louisiana’s Greenlawn Terrace Elementary is a small school achieving big things. It is one of the top-performing schools in its district, a feat made even more impressive given the high rate of poverty of its student population. In fact, the school was recently named a High-Performing High-Poverty School by the Louisiana Department of Education, one of a very few neighborhood schools in the greater New Orleans area to receive the honor.
We recently spoke with members of the Greenlawn community to learn how they do it. Two major themes emerged: their school environment, which is caring and safe for students, parents and staff, and their focus on data.
Principal Katherine “Kitty” Croft, special education teacher and department chair Marguerite Hymel and Title I extension teacher Amy Lang told us more.
Public School Insights: How would you describe Greenlawn Terrace Elementary?
Croft: At Greenlawn, everyone in the school, from the custodial staff to the principal, shares the same vision.
I have been at the school almost 25 years, and that stability, of course, adds to what goes on here. And we are a small neighborhood school, with about 370 students. But when I first came, this was a large school. We were almost 700 children. I took home the yearbook so I could memorize the teachers. But now we are a small, suburban school tucked in Kenner, Louisiana, behind a very busy street. I love it.
Our population…When I first came to the school it was about 66% white, 33% black. Today it is about 41% white, 33% black and 25% Hispanic. We have always been a Title I school, which means that we are always “at-risk.” We have right now about 85% free or reduced price lunch students.
I have always loved psychometry. I figured when I was in graduate school that there would always be ...
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A VISION FOR GREAT SCHOOLS
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