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Urban
Success Stories
A Sunny Day in Multnomah County: The SUN Community Schools Story
Story posted April, 2008. Updated December, 2011.
Results:
75 percent of participating students showed an increase in state reading scores, and 77 percent did so in math- More than 80 percent of participating seniors graduated, compared to less than 60 percent for the district
- SUN schools served nearly 18,000 youth and about 3,700 adults in enrolled programming in 2009-2010
Young people have a voice in Multnomah County, Oregon, which includes the city of Portland. When the county began planning a community school initiative, not only did young people contribute ideas, they also named it. The name they chose, Schools Uniting Neighborhoods, or SUN schools, reflects the belief that schools, working with their communities can do more than just teach math and reading, they transform neighborhoods and help young people succeed. ...
Sayre High School and UPenn Join Forces to Improve Community's Health
Story posted March, 2008
Results:
• 50% drop in suspension rate
• 10% increase in attendance rate
• 90% of Family Fitness Night participants are eating healthier and exercising more
What do college students, an Ivy League university, an urban health crisis and teenagers living in poverty all have in common? Too many times, the answer is "not a thing" but at Sayre High School in West Philadelphia connections are being made that could very well save lives.
Responding to the issues that plagued his students - violence, gangs, drugs and a lack of access to basic health and dental care - the principal of Sayre School approached Penn's Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) in 2002 with the idea that having a health center on site would be a boon to the students and the community. Around the same time, a group of Penn undergraduates were focusing their efforts on helping to solve the healthcare crisis in West Philadelphia. The students' research and work with the community led them to propose the establishment of a community health promotion and disease prevention program at Sayre. ...
At-Risk Four-Year-Olds Are Target of Attention
Story posted March, 2008
Story updated February, 2011
Results:
- The program is popular and each year more parents apply their children.
- It likely reduces the number of students referred to special education.
- The program acclimates at-risk children to the school environment, fosters development, provides health attention and two balanced meals per day, and allows students to safely socialize with peers.
Tuscaloosa, Ala.--Tuscaloosa City Schools and community organizations have joined efforts to provide pre-kindergarten education to help at-risk children get off to a quick start when they begin school. Tuscaloosa was named the Alabama winner in the 2008 National Civic Star Award competition as a result of the program, and the program continues to thrive. ...
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. ...
Community Engagement at the Center of Fair Street's Success
Story posted February, 2008
Results:
• 91% of 5th graders passed the state reading test in 2006, up from 75% in 2003
• 94% of 3rd graders passed the state reading test in 2006, up from 76% in 2003
• School has made Adequate Yearly Progress 5 years in a row
As long as Fair Street Elementary School has been around, it has been the center of its community. When it was founded in 1937, the school was the only one to serve northeast Georgia's African American children before segregation. It was the heart of the community, holding community meetings, and social and athletic activities. While the Gainesville population has become more diverse over the years, Fair Street has held its place as the heart of its community.
Fair Street educates 601 students. Of these, 93% are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, 11% receive special needs services, 70% are English second-language learners, and 48% qualify for ESOL instruction. ...
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. ...
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!" ...
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. ...
In West Philly, Career Academies Drive Success
Story posted December, 2007
Results:
• Top honors multiple times at the Tour de Sol (a prestigious national green car competition)
• Increased numbers of college-bound students
West Philadelphia High School doesn't look like a place on the cutting edge of automotive technology "It's a true inner city high school," says teacher Simon Hauger. "Many of my students come from extraordinarily challenging social circumstances." But a groundbreaking career and technical education program has given students reasons to stay focused, including the opportunity to be part of a car-building competition that's trumped college students and automakers alike.
More than 80 percent of West Philadelphia's overwhelmingly African American student population comes from disadvantaged backgrounds. Four in ten don't graduate, prompting school officials to find hands-on, relevant ways to reach at-risk students. ...
School in Harlem Proves College is Attainable for Everyone
Story posted January, 2008
Story updated January, 2011
Results:
• Graduation rate averages over 95% for the past 11 years.
• 100% graduation rate in 2010.
For too many young women growing up in the neighborhoods of East Harlem, college is at best a remote prospect. But The Young Women's Leadership School has dramatically changed the odds for some of East Harlem's most vulnerable students. The Young Women's Leadership School (TYWLS) is an all-girls public school serving grades 7 through 12 in East Harlem, New York City. It enrolls young women who too often face extreme disadvantages: 98% are students or color and a full 84% are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Girls in these circumstances often struggle during adolescence to fulfill their academic potential. ...
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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!
