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.
Story posted June 2, 2011
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) recognizes excellent school district leadership with the Magna Awards. The following district is a 2011 winner.
RESULTS
- Students who participated in school-sponsored summer camps demonstrated impressive gains from pre- to post-assessments—especially students from higher-poverty schools.
- Participating teachers were pleased with the programs, and have committed to include more technology in their regular classroom instruction.
- The program produced intangible results in providing the neediest students with high-quality educational and social experiences.
Economically disadvantaged students consistently underperform academically. Research shows that socioeconomic factors such as family income are more significant in explaining differences in educational achievement than traditional factors such as race and ethnicity. 
One cause is limited exposure to experiences that promote intellectual development. Unlike their wealthier peers, poor students are rarely exposed to experiences that help them to succeed in school. Trips to the zoo, family vacations, and experience with technology give wealthier children advantages beginning in kindergarten. The Pasco County School Board supports the notion that increasing a student’s exposure to quality experiences can greatly influence a child’s potential to succeed. The district developed the Title I Pasco Environmental Adventure Camp Experience (PEACE) and ...
Building a Seaworthy Partnership for Job Exposure
Story posted June 1, 2011
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) features Magna Awards to recognize excellent school district leadership. The following district is a 2011 winner.
Results:
- Students receive hands-on experiences that triggers their curiosity about potential careers, and learned cognitive and life skills from professional mentors.
- Participants learn the key components of a successful interview and how to fill out job applications.
The mission of Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is to educate all students for college, career, and citizen readiness. Key to fulfilling this mission is the Career Pathways initiative, which includes, among other goals, career exploration in middle school. School leaders knew that connecting middle school students to people doing specific jobs in the community would have the most impact. With the largest shipbuilder in the nation, Northrop Grumman, located just blocks from the school, leaders saw an opportunity to help students explore high-demand careers. At the same time, the shipyard was looking for a way to help meet a huge future demand for qualified employees.
SOLUTION
The shipyard immediately began building relationships with the students and staff by attending back-to-school nights, open houses, and other school events. Shipyard staff created a Shipbuilders Club, established a mentoring program, and helped to develop a Career Readiness Skills curriculum taught in grades six to ...
A Stitch in Time: An Early Intervention Literacy Program
Story posted May 26, 2011
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) features Magna Awards to recognize excellent school district leadership. The following district is a 2011 winner.
Results:
- During each of the two years the program, 98 percent of the attendees in the pre-K through second grade program showed improvement on assessments.
- In letter-sound fluency, there has been a 17 percent increase in first-grade scores over the two years.
- Second-graders who have been in the program for only one year have made a 5 percent gain in reading comprehension.
A significant number of Valley Stream 30 students were entering third grade reading below grade level. The intensive allocation of resources needed to remediate older students meant fewer resources could be spent on other programs. The district wanted to break a cycle of putting so much effort into helping children catch up rather than in helping them excel. Also, demographics were changing. An increasing number of new students did not speak English. District leaders knew they needed to strategically address these students’ needs early on or else the learning gap would ...
A Bright Future for All Students
Story posted May 20, 2011
Editor's Note: Shortly following the posting of this story, the deadliest tornado since record keeping began in 1950 hit the Joplin community. Learn more about its impact on district schools and how district schools are helping mobilize the community response from The Leading Source (the American School Board Journal's blog).
Every year the American School Board Journal (with the National School Boards Association and Sodexo) features Magna Awards to recognize excellent school district leadership. The following district is a 2011 winner.
Results:
More than 500 volunteers have contributed 3,000+ hours of service as mentors, tutors, and volunteers. - 54% reduction in the number of dropouts.
- Establishment of 233 community partnerships.
- More than $300,000 in cash and in-kind donations.
- Creation of a rapid response system to meet basic needs of students within a 24-hour period.
Joplin, in southwest Missouri, has a rich history as an old mining town. As the jobs created by the mining industry went away, high poverty and low expectations replaced what was once a thriving community. With 56.2 percent of Joplin’s 7,802 students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, kids have many basic needs to be met for them to be successful. One out of four freshman entering Joplin High School would not graduate. Almost 200 high school students dropped out in the 2008-09 school year. Realizing the culture of the school community had to change, in 2008 the Joplin school board started the process of strategic planning to ...
New Mexico Initiative Revitalizes Schools and Their Communities
Story posted April 28, 2011
Results:
- RRI projects have improved school attendance, decreased discipline problems, and resulted in more active student engagement
- RRI has allowed more students to take dual credit classes and provided educational and job opportunities for community adults
- RRI districts have an impressive number of school-business-community partnerships with local businesses, state agencies, national organizations, and colleges and universities
A major problem facing rural schools is the current trend toward lessening economic opportunity in their communities. When the economic climate is poor, local schools have fewer resources, and when job options seem dismal, students have less incentive to put forth effort in school.
State officials in New Mexico recognize this problem, and have developed a comprehensive approach to revitalizing rural communities that puts schools—and students—at its core.
The New Mexico Rural Revitalization Initiave
Modeled after a successful rural revitalization program in South Australia, the New Mexico Rural Revitalization Initiative (NMRRI) engages a committee of stakeholders to participate in “extended discovery conversations” with ...
Stuart Elementary Handles Children, Community with Care
Story posted January 29, 2009.
Updated March 23, 2011.
Results:
• In 2010, more than 90% of students in grades 3-5 met or exceeded state standards in reading, math, and science
• Named a Title I Distinguished School for four years running
"Today, class, we're going to cover SOL 3.1, scientific investigations," says Frenishee Smith, a third-grade teacher at J.E.B. Stuart Elementary School in Richmond, Va., referring to Virginia's Standards of Learning. "What do you have on your body that helps you make observations?"
"Your brain," answers one student.
"Exactly, because your brain tells everything what to do. That's our computer. What else?"
After each student called upon names the five different senses, Smith pulls out from her desk drawer an empty food can covered with a black sock and little colored pom-poms. "Before we go on, I want to introduce you to my field can," she says, which is met with ...
Innovative Initiatives Provide Well-Rounded Education
Story posted March 1, 2011
Results:
• A variety of unique initiatives ensures students receive an engaging and well-rounded education
• These efforts have also equipped students to do well on tests, and they have scored well above state averages in every test in the last four years
At Dakota Hills Middle School, which serves students in grades 6 through 8 in Eagan, MN, it’s all about balance—ensuring that in-class lessons have real-world applications, emphasizing the importance of both academic achievement and career exploration, and providing individualized help along with whole-group instruction. The school has found success in using a trimester system trimesters instead of semesters, and the school offers an extended-day program until 4:50 p.m. for students who need additional help in their core academic courses. Other enrichment activities are occasionally offered during this time as well. ...
Aldine ISD: "Producing the Nation's Best" by Reducing Bus Accidents
Story posted February 23, 2011
Results:
- Improved school bus driving performance
- Cost savings of $104,000
- Potentially hundreds of hours of student instruction saved
In August, 2009, the Aldine ISD transportation department, under the leadership of Richard Delgado, executive director, and Alfred DeBose, assistant director, decided to work towards “producing the nation’s best” by reducing bus accidents, thus providing safer travel, reducing costs, and building stakeholder confi dence. The department set the goal of improving the current school bus accident prevention process, by developing a well defined and comprehensive fleet safety program and an accident review board through Process and Performance Management (PPM) in partnership with the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC).
The first step was to establish a timeline for project implementation and begin to gather data that established root causes for the accident rate as of the date of the project. The team discovered that the data on accident causes was not being fed back into the Driver Academy, so a process was designed to insure that future accident data would be used to inform and improve driver training. As a result of data gathered, an accident rubric was developed for use by the district Accident Review Board, so rigorous standards and a uniform approach to documentation of ...
Cleveland Program to Close Achievement Gap Shows Proof of Success
Story posted February 9, 2011
Results:
• In the 2008-09 school year, 62% of participating students advanced one grade level, compared to 43% of the male freshman class
• For the 2008-09 school year, just 9.1% of the first program class did not return, compared to nearly 40% of peers not in the program
In an effort to improve the academic achievement of black males and close the racial achievement gap, four years ago the Cleveland Metropolitan School District participated in a program sponsored by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.
Since its inception, the Closing the Achievement Gap (CTAG) initiative has proven successful in increasing the number of participants who were promoted to 10th grade and are now seniors scheduled to graduate in June.
The CTAG program targets low-achieving black males in eighth grade who are deemed most likely to drop out of school. These include students who have failed two or more subjects, are absent 36 or more days, are over age for their current grade level and/or have been suspended five or more days from school.
The program works in collaboration with parents, school administrators, principals, teachers and the community. Mentors, called linkage coordinators, are ...
Story posted January 27, 2011
Results:
• More than 95% of the graduating class of 2010 earned college hours, with two-thirds of students earning at least a semester of college credit
• 82% graduation rate for the class of 2008 (the most recent for which data is available), compared to 79% for the state as a whole and 75% for the district's region
In the late 1980s, the Hidalgo Independent School District ranked in the bottom 10 percent of Texas districts in student achievement. But during the next two decades, Hidalgo’s leaders took a series of steps that improved student performance and gained support throughout the community. Chief among these transformations were efforts to focus everyone—from bus drivers to principals and from teachers to school board members—on doing what it takes to raise student achievement. This included shifting the board to be more open to innovation and change. It also featured efforts to get principals, assistant principals, and teachers working together in teams to improve instruction and curriculum.
When Dr. Daniel P. King became superintendent in 1999, one of his most visible early actions was to require students to wear uniforms. The decision was made in order to end discipline problems associated with gang colors, put all students on an equal footing, and develop a positive and inclusive school identity.
According to former Hidalgo students, there were changes in attitudes immediately. Former student Susana Phillips, who now has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas-Austin, said, “The gangs died down. It was a joke to ...
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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!
