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.
Urban
Success Stories
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 ...
Opening the Door for a New Generation of Students
Story posted December 16, 2009
Results:
• Over 90% graduation rate
• 85% college-going rate
Built in 1898, John Spry School has served kindergarten through eighth-grade children from southwest Chicago’s Little Village community, where the majority of the population is bilingual, for many years. But historically many of Spry’s students would graduate in the 8th grade, get a job to help support their families, and never complete high school.
In 2003, former principal of Spry, Dr. Carlos Azcoitia, approached the District CEO about adding a high school to Spry, creating a comprehensive community school from preschool through secondary school. After getting the go-ahead, Azcoitia met with community members, parents, the local school council, teachers, and students to discuss the design of a shared community building with an innovative, “no failure” high school. Today, Spry’s Community Links High School, which serves a student population that is 100% Hispanic and over 93% free or reduced price lunch, is opening new doors for the area’s children.
Committing to Post-Secondary Success
As a public, neighborhood school, Spry’s Community Links High School (CLHS) provides a unique opportunity for students and families from the community who are committed to success. Spry has designed a ...
Beyond "Heroes and Sheroes": The Success of Montgomery County Schools
Story posted December 2, 2009
Results:
• District students graduate college at double America's overall graduation rate
• About 65% of the graduation class has taken an AP exam
Editor's note: Dr. Jerry Weast has presided over a decade of strong and steady gains in Montgomery County, Maryland. How did his district do it? Not by using any of the cure-all strategies that have captivated the national media.
Weast recently told us the story of his school district's success. Several big themes stand out:
- Stop the blame game and start collaborating. Big fights between administrators and teachers are catnip to reporters, but they don't do much for children.
- Set common goals and figure out how to reach them. In Montgomery County, everyone could agree that students should leave high school ready for college.
- Create a system that helps everyone be successful. It's not enough to let 1000 flowers bloom.
- There's more to equity than equality. Weast describes a "red zone" where most of the county's low-income children live. It's not enough to treat those children and their wealthier "green zone" peers equally. The children in the "red zone" need much more systemic support.
There's much more to Dr. Weast's vision than I can sum up here. Here's the story as he told it to us in a phone conversation last week:
There are some structural issues in the way that we are thinking about American education. You see little Kindergartners come to school, and they believe that they can learn anything. Their parents do too. And so does everybody else who meets them. But a few years later, because of the sorting process and the type of structure that they are in, a lot of that belief is taken away and there are huge achievement gaps.
Then you see beginning teachers. They come in and they feel like they can take on the world and do anything. But within ...
Story posted September 3, 2009. Results updated August 27, 2010.
Results:
• 97.5% graduation rate in 2009, compared to 83% for the state as a whole
• 85% college acceptance rate in 2008, with at least 70% attending
“A college education is the key to a bright future." That's the message that Principal Sharon Johnson sends to prospective students in an introductory letter. "It's also a serious commitment that requires focus, preparation, and support," she continues. "Join us and reach for your college dreams!" With that introduction and the school motto--"Where every student is college bound"--there is no mistaking the goal for graduates of Withrow University High School in Cincinnati, OH.
Here, high expectations mean that every student is expected to attend college or a postsecondary program. In fact, all seniors must apply to the University of Cincinnati and are expected to complete four college applications before winter break. Even the school's architecture, which bears a likeness to a university campus, seems to echo the message that if a student can buckle down and focus, then the future will indeed be bright.
Since the opening of the school in 2002, Johnson has been steadfast in her belief that creating an atmosphere of success and high expectations is key to helping students achieve their college dreams. While most students arrive at Withrow lacking in some skills, the school quickly begins to ...
Story posted November 13, 2008
Results:
• Once designated "in need of improvement," the school has recently been commended by the state of New York
• 80 students enrolled in high school-level courses in 2007, up from 30 in 2001
• 28% of students participating in high school-level courses in 2007 were minorities, up from 10% in 2002
• 99% of staff approve of administrators' efforts to empower educators
"Built by the Past-Ready for the Future" is more than a school motto at Isaac E. Young Middle School in New Rochelle, NY. Built in 1925, Isaac became the iconic U.S. secondary school when Dick Sargent's painting of it appeared on the cover of the October 17, 1959, issue of The Saturday Evening Post. The changes that the school has experienced over the last 55 years mirror changes in the suburban United States. ...
From Fire Trucks to the Federal Court: An Academic Edge for Low-Income Students
Story posted October 30, 2008. Results updated October 25, 2011.
Results:
• In 2011, over 95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state standards in reading
• In 2011, over 95% of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders met state standards in math
• Named a 2008 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education
"There's not a minute to be lost." That's the mantra in many high-needs schools today, where the pressures of high-stakes accountability have reduced the time spent on "untested" subjects and activities like art, music, drama and physical education. And perhaps no brand of school fun has taken the drubbing given to the venerable Field Trip in recent years. Trips away from school often take most or all of the day, and a day lost from intensive instruction (and test preparation) is no small matter to the principals of high-needs schools, where children often have a lot of catching up to do. ...
Closing the Gap: A Union/District Partnership Spells Success for Low-Income Kids
Story posted October 9, 2008
Result:
• Three years into the program, 6th grade test scores had risen between 39% and 53% at all participating schools
As superintendent of the ABC Unified School District in Southeast Los Angeles, Ron Barnes knew that averages can be deceiving. Home to one of the highest-performing schools in California, his school district's test score averages stood up well against state scores. Yet this small, urban district's overall high performance rate concealed large discrepancies in achievement.
In fact, six of the district's poorest schools struggled to meet reading goals. With a 90 percent minority population, high poverty rates and English Language Learners comprising more than half of their enrollments, these schools faced tough challenges.
To address the large achievement gaps between schools in the district, the ABC Federation of Teachers (ABCFT) partnered with Barnes and members of the school board in 1999 to equip teachers and leaders for success. ...
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. ...
Energizing Children's First Teachers
A story about Canton City and Minerva Local (Stark) School Districts, Ohio
Story posted August 27, 2008
Results:
• 84% of participating parents are now at or above the national median in terms of engagement in academic stimulation
• SPARK kids do significantly better on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment for Literacy (KRA-L) than non-SPARK kids
"Who doesn't want their students to come to school ready to learn?" asked Joni T. Close, senior program director at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton. What parent, what principal, what superintendent and what school board member would disagree? But what influence do public schools have on their future students before they enter the schoolhouse door?
A lot, if you ask folks at the Canton City and Minerva Local (Stark) school districts. ...
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. ...
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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!
