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.
Suburban
Success Stories
Inspiring Students to Do Their Best
Story posted June 25, 2010, Story updated July 24, 2012
Results:
• The district's graduation rate consistently outpaces the state's: 92 to 85.9% in 2009, 92.3% in 2010 and 93.4 to 86.5% in 2011
• In 2011, 95.6 % of 4th graders in the district scored at or above proficiency on the state reading test, compared with 52.7% in the state; 98.5% of 4th graders scored at or above proficiency in the district on the state math assessment, compared with 51.2% in the state.
• Named a 2009 National District of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP)
"I’m just a hometown gal, born and bred in Arnold, Missouri.” The effervescent superintendent of schools for the Fox C-6 district, Dr. Dianne Brown, who has served in this district for her entire career in education, cannot hide her love of her hometown. She continues, “Arnold is really a special place. We don’t just have a district of character here; we have a whole community of character. We even have a parade for character.”
Brown, known as a passionate crusader for character, initiated a character program in 1999, the first year she served as an elementary school principal. But Brown’s passion for character education has a deeper, personal connection that dates back to her first year of teaching. Tim, one of her students, a transfer from the inner city, was shot as he alighted from the school bus. Tim’s brother, unaware that the gun he was pointing in jest was loaded, had killed him. “They never taught me how to handle this at college,” thought the young teacher as she prepared to ...
Story posted April 18, 2012
Results:
- 2,400 more students met state academic standards in 2011 than did in 2005
- Nearly 91% of students met state proficiency standards in reading in 2011, up from 76 percent in 2005 (gains in math have been equally as dramatic)
School District 54 in Schaumburg, IL, always viewed itself as a great school district. Unfortunately, student achievement had remained stagnant for several years. Staff members were becoming increasingly frustrated and complained of low morale.
At the same time, the accountability movement exploded and achievement results became fully transparent to the entire community. Staff and parents now could see firsthand how a particular school was doing and began calling for change.
Guiding Light
After a great deal of research, we concluded that a district-wide implementation of professional learning communities (PLCs) was the way for us to go. Several key strategies proved beneficial. ...
Story posted May 4, 2010. Results updated March 21, 2012.
Results:
- Despite serving a student population where 79% are recieve free or reduced lunch - double the state's rate - the school outperforms the state and district in multiple measures
- In 2011, 93.2% of Sacajawea students scored at or above proficiency in reading, compared to 91.3% in the district and 92.7% in the state; in math, 90% did so, compared to 85.3% in the district and 88.4% in the state
- The school improved its own proficiency rates between 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 in both reading, 90.3% to 93.2%, and math, 87.8% to 90%
- Named one of only three Distinguished Schools in Idaho for 2009
Back in 2005, Idaho’s Sacajawea Elementary School was struggling. The school had had four principals in four years, had never made Adequate Yearly Progress and lacked direction. But that changed with the arrival of Greg Alexander.
Now in his fourth full year as principal, Alexander presides over an award-winning school. After making AYP the last two years and seeing tremendous growth in its Limited English Proficient students' reading scores in particular, Sacajawea was named one of only three Distinguished Schools in Idaho for 2009. What are the keys to its success? A focus on recruiting and retaining excellent teachers, a consistent discipline strategy, a strong reading program and a host of other efforts designed to meet students’ individual needs. Principal Alexander recently told us more.
Public School Insights: How would you describe Sacajawea Elementary?
Alexander: Sacajawea Elementary is located in Caldwell, Idaho, a suburb of the capital city of Boise, just a good 20 minutes away. I actually live in Boise and commute to this community. We have a neat facility. We are up on a hill, overlooking what is called the Treasure Valley. There is a story about a young boy sitting on the edge of a cliff off beyond our school, looking over the valley as the wagon trains came through. The sagebrush was so high that you could only see their canopies. And we look up at the Cascade Mountains. It is just a really beautiful campus.
On this beautiful campus we serve 500 students from pre-K through fifth grade. We are 60% Hispanic and 23% ELL, or LEP [Limited English Proficient], students. We are about 36% Caucasian students, and then just a few percentage of a variety of other students. We have 7% that have special education needs, and we are 90% free and ...
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 ...
Practicing a Common Goal of Goodness
Story posted June 18, 2010
Results:
• Physical bullying decreased by 50 percent, from 21 to 10 incidents, from 2004-05 to 2007-08
• The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on state tests is consistently above state averages
• Named a 2009 National District of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP)
Hidden in a picturesque area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, surrounded by winding lanes, manicured lawns, and well-maintained split-levels and ranchers, Alta S. Leary Elementary School could easily serve as the backdrop for Leave It to Beaver. The school, now 50 years old, still retains its “small town” friendliness; however, its students are global, not suburban, citizens. Each morning, they recite the No Place for Hate promise and the Centennial Diversity Pledge, and each day, inside and outside school, they demonstrate the philosophy and practice of global citizenry: respect for all, ability to settle disagreements amicably, and helping those in need.
“We’re teaching our kids to go back to the community to change things. It’s nice to have a common goal of goodness,” says Kelly Kohler, student support teacher. The “common goal of goodness” that envelops the school is the result of 15 years of conscious character-building begun when the school, in response to escalating discipline problems, started working on conflict resolution with the Peace Center in Langhorne. In 2004, Leary adopted Project Peace, a program that aims to reduce school violence through peer mediation training, positive interpersonal skills, and problem-solving strategies.
“When Dr. [Donna] Dunar became our principal four years ago, she brought a new vision to our school and to the way we inculcate character,” says second-grade teacher Debbie Walker. Dunar envisioned a model school of ...
Story posted May 20, 2010. Results updated August 20, 2010.
Results:
• In 2010, the school outperformed the state as a whole in percent of students scoring basic or above in math, social studies, science and English language arts (and in percent of students scoring mastery or advanced in math and ELA), despite serving a higher percentage of children in poverty
• As a general trend, more than 75% of third, fourth and fifth grade students meet or exceed proficiency standards on state tests (above and around state averages)
• 10% of fifth graders were accepted into a district middle school for high achievers in 2009, well above the district average
Louisiana’s Greenlawn Terrace Elementary is a small school achieving big things. It is one of the top-performing schools in its district, a feat made even more impressive given the high rate of poverty of its student population. In fact, the school was recently named a High-Performing High-Poverty School by the Louisiana Department of Education, one of a very few neighborhood schools in the greater New Orleans area to receive the honor.
We recently spoke with members of the Greenlawn community to learn how they do it. Two major themes emerged: their school environment, which is caring and safe for students, parents and staff, and their focus on data.
Principal Katherine “Kitty” Croft, special education teacher and department chair Marguerite Hymel and Title I extension teacher Amy Lang told us more.
Public School Insights: How would you describe Greenlawn Terrace Elementary?
Croft: At Greenlawn, everyone in the school, from the custodial staff to the principal, shares the same vision.
I have been at the school almost 25 years, and that stability, of course, adds to what goes on here. And we are a small neighborhood school, with about 370 students. But when I first came, this was a large school. We were almost 700 children. I took home the yearbook so I could memorize the teachers. But now we are a small, suburban school tucked in Kenner, Louisiana, behind a very busy street. I love it.
Our population…When I first came to the school it was about 66% white, 33% black. Today it is about 41% white, 33% black and 25% Hispanic. We have always been a Title I school, which means that we are always “at-risk.” We have right now about 85% free or reduced price lunch students.
I have always loved psychometry. I figured when I was in graduate school that there would always be ...
Getting Buy-In from Everyone in the System
A profile of Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland
Story posted December 22, 2009
Results:
• Attendance at district welcoming events has increased from 500 parents to 20,000 parents in only three years
• In 2008-2009, the district logged over 70,000 instances of fathers' involvement in nonsports-related events
• District staff have observed that schools with higher family participation rates show greater gains in AYP
There is widespread consensus that family engagement is a critical ingredient for children’s school success “from cradle to career.” Research suggests that family engagement promotes a range of benefits for students, including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, better social skills and behavior, and increased likelihood of high school graduation.
Even though it is clear that family participation in education matters, many schools and districts struggle to develop engagement strategies that work. There are, however, a number of districts across the country that are actively working to develop comprehensive, systemic family engagement approaches that stress shared responsibility, involve a full range of school and district personnel in designing and implementing strategies, and deliberately link family engagement to student learning. One such district is Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland.
Prince George’s County represents a diverse district, serving a student population that is 73% African-American and 18.5% Hispanic, and where more than 50% of elementary and middle school students receive free or reduced price lunch. The district is particularly strong at creating “demand parents” who can navigate the educational system and demand the best from ...
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. ...
Bending Bureaucracy to Kids' Needs in Great Neck
Story posted June 10, 2008
Results:
• The district tailors educational programs to students' diverse needs and interests
• Every student at the district's "Village School" for non-traditional high school students passed every Regents Exam in every subject
Great Neck Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Friedman doesn't like to play favorites, but one student at the 2007 North High School graduation made him especially proud. "Billy" had nearly dropped out of school near the end of his junior year. He wasn't going to pass a required math course, and the school's staff sensed that when faced with the prospect of attending summer school or repeating the course, Billy would likely give up.
Instead of sticking to the standard protocol, teachers and administrators collaborated to find a solution that would work for Billy. They created a summer tutorial he could complete at home. One teacher volunteered to meet with him periodically and wrote a special exam, which Billy passed. His coursework back on track, he returned to school in the fall and graduated on time. ...
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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!
