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.
A Village Steps Up to Help Students Succeed
Story posted January, 2008. Story updated March 5, 2013.
Results:
In 2011, 9th met or exceeded state proficiency averages in all subjects tested, and 10th met or exceeded state proficiency averages in reading and writing
- In 2012, 86% of Alaska Native/American Indian students scored proficient and above in reading, 77% at or above proficient in writing, and 67% at or above proficient in math, outperforming the state in all subjects
The community's involvement in the Kodiak students' boat-building work is just one example how this school of 800 students on Kodiak Island in southern Alaska promotes a shared responsibility for student success. Another example is the Salmonid Education Program, which enlists the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the local aquaculture association and other partners in a wide-ranging, hands-on effort to teach students about the lifecycle of one of the most prized local resources: the silver (Coho) salmon.
Kodiak High School is engaged in dozens of local partnerships like these. According to Norm Wooten, a Kodiak School Board member who is 2007-2008 president of the National School Boards Association, the partnerships are part and parcel of a broader effort to make sure students have the support they need to succeed.
"We want our extracurricular activities to reflect the same diversity as our student body," Wooten said, noting that nearly half of the Kodiak High School population includes minority students (Alaska Natives, Filipino and Hispanic/Latino student). "It is fine with us if a grandparent, auntie, uncle, brother, sister or even a family friend attends events - just so long as every student has an advocate in the audience."
Kodiak's community outreach activities have been inspired by an Association of Alaska School Boards program. Called the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement (Alaska ICE), the program is based on research by the Search Institute of Minnesota that identifies 40 "developmental assets" that support student success. External assets identified by the institute include feeling support from caring adults and the broader community.
It is hard to imagine young people at Kodiak High School feeling they are not valued by the community. And, to make absolutely sure that Kodiak continues to support its local students in every way possible, a student group meets twice each month to brainstorm new ideas for school-community connections. In addition, a yearly Assets Festival in April spotlights organizations in the community that are working to help children succeed, while students present music, dance and drama performances.
"The involvement of the community is critical in student success," Wooten wrote in a National School Boards Association newsletter. As proof, he pointed to an increase in reading scores among Alaska Native students in Kodiak schools - those testing proficient in reading jumped from 63 percent to 75 percent between 2003 and 2005.
Further details about this story can be found in our source:
NSBA's Center for Public Education, "Community Connects with Kodiak High School", February 2007
For additional information, please contact:
Bill Watkins
Principal, Kodiak High School
bwatkins01@kodiakschools.org
Photos courtesy of Center for Public Education and Kodiak High School
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