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Success Stories

Seattle Students Go Global -- And Soar

Karen Kodama, John Stanford International School, Washington

Story posted December, 2007

Stanfordjap.jpgResults:
• Math and reading test scores exceed state averages
• High-profile honors including the Goldman Sachs Foundation Prize for Excellence in International Education, and the Best of the Best Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Award

"Globalization" is a word everyone uses, but few know how to put into practice. Eight years ago, however, Seattle parents and businesses were asked, in separate surveys, what they thought would make for a successful "international" school - one that immerses students in world languages and cultures as they acquire the skills needed to thrive worldwide.

The answers were put into practice at the K-5 John Stanford International School (JSIS), named for a Seattle superintendent who, before his death from leukemia, envisioned creating high-achieving global-savvy schools. Founded in 2000, JSIS is just that, earning high test scores and prestigious awards, and serving as a model for the district. So how does it do all these things? ...

A Revolutionary Course in Boston

James Liou, Boston Community Leadership Academy, Massachusetts

Story posted January, 2008

Boston Academy.jpg Results:
• Students produce a 40-plus-page research paper they present to the class and to the community
• Urban youth are civically engaged, voice their opinions and act on their convictions

Seniors at the Boston Community Leadership Academy have taken the notion of "action learning" to a new level. One of 20 public "pilot schools" in the city, BCLA launched the senior Capstone Project in 2006-2007 to engage graduating students in a rigorous program of historical study, participatory research, community internships and writing.

As a pilot school, the 367-student Boston Community Leadership Academy is free to create its own curriculum and a unique school mission. BCLA's mission - to develop students as community leaders - became the basis for the 2007 Capstone course: "Lead, Act and Change: Youth Empowerment and Possibility in a Democratic Society."

BCLA history teacher James Liou designed the course. He said the goal was to create "the academic capstone for our BCLA seniors, as well as to serve as the core evidence that they've met the mission of the school." ...

Arts Integrated Curriculum Helps Students Overcome Challenges of Poverty

Ronald Treanor, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, New Jersey

Story posted January, 2008
Results updated December, 2011

Wilsonboysforweb.jpgResults:
• In 2010, the school outperformed the state in every test at every grade level, despite serving a significantly higher percentage of students in poverty overall (74% compared to 30%)
• 100% of fourth grade students met proficiency scores in science and math in 2010

Woodrow Wilson is a pre-kindergarten to eighth grade school located in Union City, New Jersey. One of the most densely populated cities in the United States, Union City has a large immigrant population-90 percent of the students are Hispanic-and high rates of poverty. In fact, the city has the lowest median family income in the state, and 84 percent of the school's population is eligible for a free or reduced-price lunch. ...

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