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.
High School
Success Stories
Two Years to Big Reading Gains
Story posted July 7, 2009
Results:
• 75% of participating low and non-readers passed the 2007 Texas state reading test after one year in the program
Many high school teachers and administrators think that reading instruction belongs in the lower grades. But according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (2007), only 31% of eighth graders read at or above the proficient level, meaning that many are entering high school unprepared for its advanced textbook reading and language requirements.
When Chapin High School in El Paso, TX, opened in 2000, about 25% of its students were nonreaders, and most of them came to the school after years of failure, completely unmotivated to become readers. Some of the freshmen were already parents, and because the school sits on the border between the United States and Mexico, we also had a large population of non-English speakers. We needed a way to reach those nonreaders and bring them up to grade level. Our solution? A two-year reading lab program.
Money, Money, Money
A reading lab and reading teachers are not traditionally accepted expenses for a high school, so we had to figure out how to fund the program. We were able to ...
Small Academies Help Students Make the Grade
Story posted June 9, 2009
Results:
• Disciplinary referrals are down 27% since the transition
• Over the past three years, 90% of freshman passed English, up from 76% prior to the transition
• The freshman dropout rate declined from 14% in 2005 to an average of 8% over the past three years
At the end of the 2004–2005 academic year, Bridgeton High School in southern New Jersey closed its doors as a traditional high school. On September 1, 2005, the school, which serves a largely minority and economically disadvantaged student body, welcomed back its 1,100 students, teachers, administrators, and parents to a totally new system of education. Rededicated as a Talent Development High School (TDHS), what used to be one large school is now divided into smaller learning communities known as career academies. With this change, Bridgeton started on the road to ...
Story posted May 19, 2009
Results:
• 98.3% of students progress from 9th to 12th grade--the highest completion rate in the county
• Approximately 86% of the current junior class has already earned up to 32 college credits, with many seniors earning upward of 60
The Hidalgo Independent School District (HISD) is located in South Texas along the U.S./Mexico border in one of the poorest counties in the state. Forty-five percent of Hidalgo’s residents live below the poverty level and only 3.9 percent of residents have earned a college degree. More than 90 percent of HISD students are economically disadvantaged and more than half have limited English proficiency.
[Despite the challenges faced by students in these demographics,] one of the district’s goals is “college attainment for all students.” It seeks to improve student graduation rates, college awareness, and ...
Expecting Success: College in the High School
Story posted April 30, 2009
Results:
• All students met the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning graduation requirements in reading and writing in 2007 and 
2008, up from 59% and 53%, respectively, in 2003
• Graduates are accepted to and attend colleges throughout the nation
• In 2008, Bridgeport High School was selected as one of America's Best High Schools by the U.S. News & World Report.
Many Bridgeport School District students dreamed of attending college. Sadly, for most, dreaming was all they could do because they couldn’t afford tuition, fees, or books. Nor was the 150-mile round trip to the nearest college possible. More than 80 percent of Bridgeport students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 87 percent are Latino, and most are prepared to become migrant farm laborers, like their parents. The Bridgeport School Board chose a different career path for them, and, in the process, introduced the College in the High ...
Parent/Teacher Collaboration Leads to “Students for Success”
Story posted April 9, 2009
Results:
• 50% of regular participants improved at least one letter grade in an academic subject during the program's first full year
• In collaboration with other FHS campus-wide efforts, Students for Success helped contribute to a 30-point increase (more than a 4% improvement) in school API (California's method of measuring school growth and performance) during the second year of implementation
Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, CA, is nothing if not diverse. The student population is 40% Hispanic, 25% Caucasian, 17% Asian, and 12% Filipino—to name just the four most prevalent ethnicities. The school is also socioeconomically diverse, with student families ranging from affluent to economically disadvantaged. In addition, 28% of students are English Language Learners and 10% are enrolled in special education courses.
Such diversity offers many benefits, but it also presents challenges. One enormous challenge is the large variance in academic support students get at home. While many students ...
Story posted November 20, 2008
Results:
• Failing grades have decreased 33%
• Unsatisfactory passing grades have decreased 21%
• Mean GPA has risen from 2.81 to 3.00
All students benefit from having a "home field advantage" (Howard, 1999) that can provide support and help motivate them to achieve their best. At Dominion High School in northern Virginia, this advantage is created by matching each student with an adult mentor who provides support and encouragement throughout the student's high school experience. ...
Calling for Excellence with One Voice
Story posted September, 2008. Results updated April 2, 2010.
Results:
• Now one of the top high schools in Memphis, outperforming the district as a whole on nearly all End-of-Course exams in 2009
• In 2009, 99% of students met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading and 95% of students did so in math, outperforming the state as a whole despite serving a population that is much more economically disadvantaged
What does shared leadership look like? At Westwood High School in Memphis, TN, it is evident when teachers and staff members talk with students in the halls between classes; when students demonstrate pride in themselves and their school by being fully engaged in their classes; when parents participate in their children's school life; and when community members are regular partners in the school. ...
Story posted August 19, 2008. Story updated April, 24, 2012.
Results:
• 60% of students enroll in honors classes, with 26% in AP classes
• The school's pass rate on the state algebra exam, at 88%, exceeds the state's by four points; the pass rate for English met the state's at 82%.
Data-driven decision-making, targeted staff development, collaborative leadership, and the sheer will of committed staff members have launched Wheaton High School on a promising trajectory. Located in Montgomery County, MD, a predominately affluent area that has more than 20 high schools, Wheaton (which is 51% Hispanic, 26% African American, and 37% free or reduced price lunch) has always received attention, but unfortunately, for many years the attention focused on lackluster student achievement. ...
Story posted August 14, 2008
Results:
• In 2007, 79% and 81% of students met or exceeded state math and reading standards respectively, up from 37% and 49% five years ago
• AP participation rates among low-income students increased from 8% to 21% in one year
• The drop-out rate decreased from 7.7% in 2002 to 2.5% in 2006
From the moment you enter the lobby, it is clear that Forest Grove High School places a high value on achievement for all students. Large banners highlight the recognition the school has received for academic accomplishments (such as Oregon's Closing the Achievement Gap award, which it has received for two years running), and the school's mission-"To provide a superior education that challenges our students to achieve academic and personal excellence and to become world-class citizens"-is posted throughout the school.
...
Story posted August, 2008
Results:
• Pass rates on Virginia Standards of Learning tests often meet or exceed state averages
• Steady gains on SAT and other standardized test scores over the past several years
J.E.B. Stuart is the most diverse high school in Fairfax County, Virginia - and it may be one of the most diverse in the nation. Thirty-nine percent of students are Hispanic; 19 percent are Asian; 12 percent are African-American; and 27 percent are White (and, of that total, 19 percent are of Middle Eastern origin). More than two-thirds of Stuart's students do not speak English as their primary language; and 41 percent were born in other countries (82 other countries, to be exact).
Add to these statistics the fact that more than half of Stuart's students qualify for free or reduced meals due to poverty, and it's clear that this suburban high school's faculty and staff have their work cut out for them. Their response to the school's remarkable diversity? A determined effort to respond to every child's individual learning needs. ...
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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!
