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.
Middle School
Success Stories
Story posted January, 2008. Results updated December 14, 2012.
*Results:
• Math performance in the district continues to improve, with 59% of 3rd graders scoring proficient or advanced in math in 2012, up from 52% in 2011 and up 4% from the state average. Performance in 7th grade math is also up.
• 42% of 7th graders scored proficient or advanced in reading/language arts in 2012, up from 40% in 2011 and 38% in 2010.
A 2000 report on the performance of elementary and middle schools in Tennessee presented Hamilton County with some sobering news: it was home to nine of the 20 lowest-performing schools in the state.
In response, local foundations and the Hamilton County Department of Education embarked on an effort to improve student literacy in the low-performing schools, all of which were located in poor, urban neighborhoods in Chattanooga. The focus of the effort: embedded professional development and the creation of strong leadership teams in the targeted schools. ...
Teachers Help Thousands of Students Come to School Healthy and Ready to Learn
Story posted December, 2007
Results:
• Contributed to the addition of 400,000 children to California health insurance enrollments from 2002 to 2007
California teachers have linked thousands of low-income kids to health care because, as the Teachers for Healthy Kids (THK) project puts it, "healthy children make better learners." This initiative, a joint effort of the California Teachers Association and the California Association of Health Plans, connects teachers with information and parents with services to help ensure that the state's uninsured children receive the health care they so desperately need to succeed in school - and in life. ...
Personalization Leads to Success in Port Chester
Story posted December, 2007
Results:
• Students now score on a par with wealthier neighbors on state assessments in English, and exceed them slightly in math
Surrounded by its much wealthier Westchester County neighbors, Port Chester, NY is a lower middle-class island in a privileged sea. Its middle school is home to about 800 students in grades six through eight. Latino students make up 68% of population, while African Americans and Whites make up 11% and 21% respectively. Sixty-five percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. But close attention to the needs of each individual student helps Port Chester Middle School keep pace with the county's wealthiest schools. ...
Individualized Language Arts Helps English Language Learners Succeed
Story posted December, 2007
Results:
• Among top 2% of California schools in narrowing the achievement gap separating disadvantaged and Hispanic students from their peers
• 172 point increase in the California academic progress index since 2000
Sparked by the rarest of rarities - affordable housing in Southern California - and its proximity to the Mexican border, Frank Wright Middle School in Imperial has grown from 367 students in 2001 to nearly 800, adding sixth grade and moving to a new facility in the process. More than 70 percent of the student population is Hispanic, and nearly one in four are English language learners.
The addition of sixth grade for the 2006-07 school year did more than just increase Wright's student population. It also required a new approach to middle school, and better outcomes for English language learners. "It's clear that student success...begins with preparation during the middle school grades, which are a critical, pivotal point in the educational career of each student," says State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. ...
The Miracle on 1401 Ridgewood School Road: Transforming Ridgewood Middle School
Story posted December, 2007
Results:
• 70% drop in disciplinary referrals
• 0% retention rate the last two years
• Dramatic improvements in test scores (one of Missouri's Top Ten Most Improved Schools in four of the last five years)
Stymied by crumbling facilities, poor achievement and a general malaise, Ridgewood Middle School in Arnold, Missouri faced serious challenges in transforming the school into a safe and exciting place to learn. Angry parents regularly called the school about the poor conditions, and many demanded transfers. School administrators and teachers were equally discouraged by a rowdy and apparently apathetic student body. ...
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