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.
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.
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 ...
TechBoston Academy: Achievement through Partnerships and Committed Investments
Story posted August 31, 2011
Results:
- Despite serving a high needs population—an 86% free/reduced lunch rate, 15% English language learners, and 25% special needs—in 2010, 75% of students scored proficient or advanced in math, which is higher than state and district averages.
- In 2010 93% of graduates went on to college, compared with the district-wide average of 61%.
- The school recently announced that their value-added gains in math were in the 99th percentile.
It’s not every day that the President of the United States and the co-chair of the largest charitable foundation in the world take the time to tour a school. But on March 8 of this year, President Barack Obama and Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, along with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, joined together to tour TechBoston Academy in Boston, MA and to highlight the work being done there. ...
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. ...
A Full-Service School Fulfills Its Promise
Story posted September 9, 2008, Updated August 29, 2011.
Results:
- 95% of 4th graders scored proficient or better through 2010
- In 2008, 70% of 4th graders scored proficient or better on the New York State's English language arts assessment (compared to 19% passing in 1999)
- In 2008, 94% of students are now medically insured (compared with less than 23% in 1999)
In the late 1990s, teachers and administrators here at Thomas Edison Elementary School in Port Chester, New York, could see that the struggles of neighborhood families were affecting students' safety and well-being. They were also contributing to low academic achievement.
Although Port Chester is surrounded by affluent areas of Westchester County, our community is far from wealthy. More than 80 percent of Thomas Edison's students receive free or reduced-price lunch, and nearly 50 percent are English language learners. The majority of our families are recent immigrants from Hispanic countries. They struggle to afford adequate housing, child care, nutrition, and health care. They also face the stresses that ...
A Partnership Focused on Leadership
Story posted August 11, 2011
Results:
- Thanks to enhanced literacy skills and the efforts of a highly effective graduation coach, the class of 2010 had an impressive 95% graduation rate, compared to 66% six years ago
- Elementary students have made great strides in both reading and math performance over the past few years: 94% in reading, 97% in math on the 2011 Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT).
- Schools have a new atmosphere of collaboration and respect among administrators, teachers, and students
Sandwiched between interstates, industrial plants and a 2.3-mile Birmingham International runway sits the small urban community of Tarrant, Alabama. Tarrant City serves about 1300 students in four schools: elementary (K-3), intermediate (4-6), middle (7-9) and high (10-12). Many of Tarrant’s children grow up in poverty, live in substandard Section 8 housing, and breathe air tainted by industrial pollution. The district has one of the highest eligibility rates for free or reduced-price lunch in the Birmingham metro area.
The city has an aging population with little space to develop new middle-class homes. Over the past decade and a half, Tarrant has experienced a dramatic demographic shift as traditional blue-collar and industrial employment began to disappear and ...
Story posted August 8, 2011. Results updated September 25, 2012.
Results.
- Decreasing dropout rate: In 2009, only one percent of students dropped out, compared to eight percent in 2006.
- After 5 years of the Promise, test scores exceed those in other Southern Arkansas districts and throughout the state.
- Enrollment in SouthArk Community College in El Dorado has increased as 20 percent of those receiving Promise scholarships choose to stay in the region.
On January 22, 2007, residents of El Dorado, Arkansas learned that a unique initiative called The El Dorado Promise would allow graduates of El Dorado Public Schools the opportunity to earn college degrees tuition-free as a result of a $50 million commitment by Murphy Oil Corporation to El Dorado’s greatest resource – its children. ...
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. ...
Story posted July 25, 2011
Results:
- Over the past five years, the percent of students meeting or exceeding standards on the ISAT has consistently increased
- The number of students in honors courses is steadily increasing: In the 2009-10 school, 62% of the student body was enrolled in one or more honors class [34% of whom were Black and 37% of whom were low income]
- Attendance at parent-teacher conferences and other contacts are above 90%
Franklin Middle School is located in the heart of an economically challenged neighborhood in the small urban city of Champaign in central Illinois. Though staffed by dedicated adults and attended by hardworking students, Franklin is recovering from a difficult past.
As a result of years of racial discord, segregation, and lawsuits, in January 2002, the Champaign Unit 4 School District adopted a judicial consent decree outlining an educational equity agreement. Key points included establishing processes for parental choice of schools and increased community involvement. ...
Glencliff High: Success through Partnerships
Story posted June 22, 2011
Results
Between 2007-08 and 2010-2011, Glencliff has had an:
- Increase in graduation rate - 66.4% to 81.2%
- Increase in student enrollment in Honors and/or AP courses - 20% to 33.3%
- Increase in student performance on writing assessment - 58% to 93% scored proficient or advanced
- Increase in students receiving Dual Enrollment credit with a community college +12%
Four years ago Glencliff High School in Nashville, TN rewrote their vision statement in order to create a profound change in the culture of the school. The first sentence reads, “Our vision is to make Glencliff High School a truly comprehensive place of learning and the central focus of the community.” Glencliff strives every day to bring that vision to reality, and has been successful in many ways. Since Glencliff has implemented the community schools strategy, they have leveraged the services and expertise of over 70 community partners and have seen significant increases in the ...
Ethel M. Taylor Academy--Engagement and Improvement
Story posted June 22, 2011
Results
- Met AYP, rising from “Academic Emergency” to “Continuous Improvement” on its Ohio Report Card in 2009-2010 school year
- 42.4% increase in the numbers of students scoring “Proficient” or higher on the Ohio Achievement Assessment
- Attendance increased from 93.8% in 2008-2009 to 97.3% in 2009-2010 and behavioral incidents decreased from 309 in 2008- 2009 to 94 in 2009-2010
- Parent attendance at parent teacher conferences increased from 40% in 2009 to 85% in 2010
Dion had always been an average student. He never loved going to school, but was never a huge “problem child” either. After a meeting with his teachers, Dion was identified as a student “on the bubble”, [a student on the verge of progressing from basic proficiency], but with the supportive services that the school offered, he could potentially thrive--without them he might fall through ...
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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!
