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.
Arlington's Community Involvement Helps Students Succeed
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 95% of parents attending ESL classes related to the school attend parent-teacher conferences
• 400% growth in the number of children attending after-school enrichment programs, with 80% of those students showing academic gains
Imagine a school where teachers and parents work together to help children learn and develop; a place where local arts groups, businesses, faith-based organizations and county services all come together to improve the lives of young people and their families. At Carlin Springs Elementary School, in Arlington, VA, students are thriving because the school, county and the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families have come together to create a place that does all of this and more. ...
Measuring Success One Student at a Time
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• Almost 90% of 3rd-10th graders now read at or above grade level
• Almost 100% of parents attend parent-teacher conferences
A depressed economy, low teacher salaries and a dwindling population in poor remote areas usually translate into restricted opportunities for children. Not so for the students in the Walsh School District in rural southeastern Colorado.
In the Walsh School District, which serves approximately 150 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, almost three quarters of the students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch - a federal benchmark for poverty. Although the median household income is less than $25,000 a year, the district is overcoming daunting challenges to providing every student an excellent education.
In fact, Walsh has the highest reading scores in the state. Its small size allows staff to truly practice Walsh Elementary School's mission of "Measuring Success One Student at a Time." Teachers take time every day to give one-on-one help to struggling kids. ...
Road Trip to Success: Engaging Families and Children in Coopersville
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• Higher test scores for at-risk children
• Increased parent involvement in school activities
• Greater family participation in out-of-school educational activities
The more life experiences children have, the greater their success in school. Studies show that children from less affluent households often come to school with underdeveloped language skills. A typical child in a low-income household hears 600 words an hour, while atypical middle class child hears 2,000. Plus, children in low-income families often have fewer life experiences like trips to children's museums, visits to the library and outings with their family. An innovative family involvement program in Michigan aims to change this equation. ...
A Second Set of Parents: Advisory Groups and Student Achievement at Granger High
Story posted February, 2008
Results:
• 100% parent attendance at conferences for the past 3 years
• Over 90% of students now graduate, up from 59% in 2004
In 2001, Granger High School's test scores were dismal. Gang-related graffiti marred every surface, and fewer than half of students graduated. Most of the 300-odd students at this Washington State high school come from low-income families working on farms in the surrounding Yakima Valley. Eighty-four percent are Latino, and six percent are Native American. Could these students succeed? Principal Richard Esparza has the answer on his license plate: "Se puede!" (It can be done!) Under Esparza's confident guidance, the school reached out to students and their families, creating supports to keep students on track.
Reading across the curriculum, aligning coursework with state standards, and intensive academic interventions for struggling students all contribute to Granger's steady improvement. But caring connections between students, teachers, and parents bring all these strands together. ...
Creating a Learning Environment--Moving from Chaos to Achievement
Story posted February, 2008. Results updated August 4, 2011.
Results:
• In 2010 60% of students met or exceeded state math standards, and 70% did so for reading--about the state average despite serving a significantly higher proportion of students in poverty.
How could Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School, a school so troubled that children rode their bikes in the hallways, become a beacon of achievement and learning? The transformation took leadership, vision and a willingness to turn a chaotic place into a nurturing learning environment.
A K-6 urban school that draws almost 90% of its students from low-income families, Dayton's Bluff was by all accounts out of control. Overall discipline was inconsistent and the learning environment was in shambles. Nine out of 10 students could not read at grade level. Teacher morale was low and turnover high. It was labeled the worst school in the city. ...
Character Education Promotes Academic Achievement at Herrington Elementary
Story posted February, 2008
Results:
• 40% drop in suspension rate
• Attained 95% average daily attendance
• Attained highest reading scores in the city
Herrington Elementary is located just four blocks from the Pontiac Silverdome, longtime home of the Detroit Lions. It's fitting, then, that teamwork is the hallmark of the school's efforts to create a great, safe place where all children can learn.
What brought this small elementary school with 360 students to the big leagues of innovation in public education? The answer is Herrington's emphasis on character education for all students. With the support of the United Auto Workers and GM, Herrington has built a curriculum and a culture that puts an emphasis on common values.
An example of the school's unique approach is the "Harambee," an African term for gathering. Every morning, all students and adults in the school meet in the Herrington multipurpose room for the Pledge of Allegiance, character trait quotes, special announcements and a recitation of "I Am Somebody." Student birthdays are recognized with three claps and a "Whoop!" ...
A Village Steps Up to Help Students Succeed
Story posted January, 2008. Story updated March 5, 2013.
Results:
In 2011, 9th met or exceeded state proficiency averages in all subjects tested, and 10th met or exceeded state proficiency averages in reading and writing ...
Together We Can: Schools and Communities Join Forces for Mobile's Children
Story posted January, 2008
Results:
• District made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2007
• 85 of 100 schools met Adequate Yearly Progress in 2007, a 215% jump from 2002
Often the hardest part of school reform is taking the long-view of things. Action plans get written but fail to move from goal setting to actual practice. The Mobile Area Education Foundation (MAEF) understood these shortcomings. MAEF set out on a multi-year quest to ensure that its efforts to engage the community in creating a school improvement plan translated into effective action and better education for all Mobile's children.
After four decades of inadequate funding, Mobile County's 100 schools serving 65,000 students were crumbling, and student performance was among the worst in the nation. In 2001, after an intense public engagement effort, voters responded in an action unprecedented in 40 years-they approved a property tax tied to public education. But the voters had not written a blank check: They expected results. ...
Consistency is Key to Improvement in Orlando
Story posted January, 2008
Story updated January, 2011
Results:
• Test scores have consistently improved in most categories from 2007-2010
• Nationally recognized in 2003 for success in closing achievement gaps
Located in an impoverished, highly transient part of Orlando, Florida, Rolling Hills Elementary School often gains or loses as many as 40 of its 750 students every week. But the school's principal, who had once repeated kindergarten at his parents' request, helped create a more stable and successful learning environment for his school's students, in part, by providing many students with the opportunity to get on grade level by offering consistent and relevant interventions and allowing a few students to be retained. ...
Building Bridges for Student Success
Story posted Jaunary, 2008
Results:
• More than 90% of parents whose children attend this program report that their children do better in school and learn new things because of the program
Students in Genesee County, Michigan have no excuse to be "home alone" after school. A countywide afterschool initiative called Bridges to the Future enrolls more than 17,000 youngsters in safe, organized activities that are designed to support in-school learning - with a healthy emphasis on kid-centered fun.
Genesee County, home to the city of Flint, has seen its share of tough times in recent years, due to a declining economy, increasing poverty, and rising levels of violence and crime. Bridges to the Future is providing the county's students with the attention and the caring they need to rise above these trends and see the way to success. ...
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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!
