Secrets of Success
Winners of the 2005 Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards dish details.
By Pamela Wheaton Shorr
 Principal Evelyn Hollen (second from left) and her staff at Lincoln Avenue Academy in Lakeland, Florida, made the most of their limited technology and won the Technology Innovation Award at the elementary level. |
WINNING STRATEGY 1
Our tech innovation winner says: Don’t worry about how much tech you’ve got.
Technology Innovation, Elementary
Winner: Lincoln Avenue Academy
(Grades K–5), Lakeland, Florida
Number of students: 520
Snapshot: Public, midsize city school; 24 percent of students get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
It’s hard to imagine that a school with just 60 desktops and one laptop for 520 students could be technologically innovative. But Lincoln Avenue Academy is as creative as they come. Each day, kindergarten through fifth-grade students walk out of their struggling urban environment and onto a campus with five simulation Florida biodiversity areas: a freshwater pond, a scrub marsh, a pine flatwoods area, a riverbed, and a swamp.
Students at this magnet school for math and science use the outdoor “labs” to study scientific and mathematical principles firsthand with a myriad of tech tools. Last year, for instance, an ongoing water analysis by students uncovered low oxygen levels in the pond. So students went online to investigate possible causes, discovering that hurricane activity in the state was to blame. The school sought out area experts to come in and discuss solutions, and that led to further research into local plant life and a project to add new plants to the pond to increase oxygenation.
Sophisticated scientific research isn’t limited to the older kids, either. Kindergartners use digital cameras to record their observations in the pine flatwoods for an ongoing journal of environmental change. The pictures are then turned into a video by fourth- and fifth-grade students and broadcast as a science lesson on the school’s in-house TV station.
Technology is integrated into every aspect of learning at Lincoln, says Principal Evelyn Hollen. K–1 students start right off learning keyboarding; first graders are also taught how to research online. Second graders study PowerPoint and Word; third, fourth, and fifth graders learn web design. Lincoln also brings new meaning to the term “student teaching,” using students to instruct adults in a series of technology courses for parents and community members, and students help local groups such as churches and nonprofits with web design and other tech projects by taking part in the school’s Tech to Serve community enhancement program.
Of course, 60 computers aren’t very many with so many tech projects going on. Hollen says the district has been very supportive, but there are limits to what it can offer. Hollen dreams of having two or three laptop carts, as well as more science probes and other lab equipment for the budding scientists she’s helping to raise.
WINNING STRATEGY 2
Our leadership excellence winner says: Quit leading.
Leadership Excellence, Secondary
Winner: Northwest High School (Grades 9–12), Fort Worth, Texas
Number of students: 2,050
Snapshot: Public, rural inside MSA school; 14 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 16:1
Jim Chadwell, principal of Northwest High School, has a hint for anyone who wants to excel at school leadership: Quit being a dispenser of wisdom. “My job is to build leadership capacity,” Chadwell says, “and I’m hoping that capacity goes all the way down to the students.”
Northwest uses a site-based management team as the locus of decision-making. The Educational Planning and Improvement Council (EPIC) consists of teachers, administrators, counselors, students, and parents. EPIC addresses all policies and procedures affecting the day-to-day routine. Recent issues have run the gamut from policies regarding tardiness and lunch to the quantity and quality of homework. Once a topic is outlined for review, it is delegated to a committee made up of members who will be affected by the issue, and in that way, all school stakeholders are involved in running this extraordinary school.
With 2,050 students and a $75 million, 500,000-square-foot building, Chadwell presides over the equivalent of a small town. The plethora of committees, issues, and factions could easily become a nightmare, but people seem to like being at Northwest. Chadwell says that because the rural school has no nearby sandwich or coffee shops, Northwest has opened a Java City café that stays open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. “It rivals a Starbucks,” Chadwell says. Most days, students are working away in the café and other wi-fi hot spots like the media center and library long before and after school hours.
Perhaps students hang around because the school tries so hard to help every one of them succeed. Kids are constantly assessed using classroom performance systems (CPSs). Chadwell says the assessment helps teachers change instruction on the fly when necessary, and given that Northwest offers nearly 200 classes, keeping up with every student’s strengths and weaknesses is no mean feat. Northwest also offers a number of technologically sophisticated certification programs, including Cisco certified networking associate and certified nursing assistant.
“Technology is applied within working environments,” says Chadwell, who explains that students are encouraged to work on-site and to job-shadow as part of their coursework. The depth of their computer and classroom training has led to tremendous opportunities for graduates. “We are the only high school in the area in which nursing students are working in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit],” he says proudly. “Our students walk out of here after completing state-of-the-art CAD architectural drafting training, and they can literally walk into any architectural firm and get a job.”
No teacher is left behind at Northwest either. Using the Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS), an induction program that pairs each new teacher with a mentor, the school helps to create camaraderie and a sense of teamwork right from the start. Teachers new to the profession are paired with mentors for their first two years while new teachers with previous classroom experience work with their mentors for one year. The pairs work together on the TxBESS Activity Profile (TAP), a document designed to help teachers self-appraise their instructional preparation and delivery. The data give teachers concrete areas for improvement in a nonthreatening, comprehensive way, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
Chadwell is glad to have a system in place allowing him to let others lead the way for him. “We always look at what is the latest and greatest in technology,” he explains, “and we have a committee within the community that evaluates the technology for us.”
WINNING STRATEGY 3
Our collaboration winner says: Don’t worry about meeting collaborators in person.
Collaboration (External), Secondary
Winner (Best of the Best): Academy of Allied Health and Science
(Grades 9–12), Neptune, New Jersey
Number of students: 279
Snapshot: Public, midsize city school; no students get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 18:1
 Academy of Allied Health and Science in Neptune, New Jersey; winner of Collaboration (External), Secondary |
Cancro’s right. Just look at the credits. New Jersey kids are required to have 115 credits in order to graduate, but at Allied Health, students average 160 credits. Allied Health kids must pass all core subjects, including four years of nonscience-related courses such as physical education, English, world languages, and humanities. Not only that, the school runs on a block schedule, with just four 85-minute classes each day. In addition, students may take up to 24 college credits in allied health/biology, and the school works closely with area colleges, including the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
The career-focused curriculum begins in freshman year as ninth graders begin working with students with disabilities and senior citizens and get an introduction to health- and science-related careers. Soph-omore year includes a six-week rotation at a local university medical center in a variety of departments so that students can continue exploring careers they might like to enter. During community health class in junior year, students identify the needs of a community, then write a grant and implement a project to meet those needs. In senior year, students must complete an eight-week external mentorship based on personal and career interests. A final presentation to their parents, participating mentors, and school staff allows seniors an opportunity to reflect and share their experiences.
The school is housed in a state-of-the-art building that includes three computer labs and a distance-learning lab. There are five science labs, a media center, and a complete fitness lab for those interested in physical therapy or health fitness. Each classroom is connected to a school-wide video-retrieval system and a Wide Area Network with Internet access. As important as the technology is to meeting the academic and future career needs of the students, one other focus is always on the minds of Allied educators. “We have really integrated service learning into the school,” Cancro says proudly. “It’s integrated into the curriculum. Students come out of here with a true sense of what medicine should be—they understand the patient’s point of view.” And that’s something that takes the “distance” right out of learning.
WINNING STRATEGY 4
Our literacy achievement winner says: Quit teaching kindergartners about letters.
Literacy Achievement, Elementary
Winner: Auburn Early Education
Center (Kindergarten, with preschool program for special needs students), Auburn, Alabama
Number of students: 433
Snapshot: Public, midsize city school; 30 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 19:1
Want to get a group of 5-year-olds writing? Put down the pencils and try e-mail. That’s one of the innovative ideas that the educators at Auburn Early Education Center have been trying—and it seems to be working. The idea that kids put down their pencils and start pounding away on a keypad may seem, well, just plain wrong to some. After all, it’s pretty important to get kids working on letter formation, isn’t it? It’s not that it isn’t important, says Lilli Land, Auburn’s principal. It’s just too early. “We need to get kids engaged in composition, not handwriting,” she says. “Children should be immersed in the learning, in the activity. The child will make the progression. What you don’t want to do is stifle them.”
Land has worked every side of the early education issue—from classroom teacher to state testing coordinator to federal grants coordinator. But, she says, “I’ve always been a kindergarten teacher at heart.” That passion shows when she gets fired up and talking about her kids. “The child doesn’t fit into our curriculum,” she says. “The curriculum needs to fit the child.”
Computer technology helps. Although there are just three computers in each classroom, and one of them is dedicated to teachers, the kids still get a tremendous amount out of technology. For instance, each child gets an e-mail account so that he or she can e-mail Mom and Dad as well as teachers throughout the building. Land says the excitement on the faces of the kids when they get and send mail is wonderful—despite the phonetic spelling and simplicity of the messages.
Each day, kids work on composition books around a particular theme. One popular theme is the virtual trip. Last year, for instance, one of the “pods,” or classrooms, decided to go to Australia. Land says one of the best things the school does is get kids researching online, and for this project, the kids investigated Australia. Teachers can link the computer to a big-screen TV so that the whole class can share in the discovery. As the trip grew nearer, students constructed a mock airport, airplane, and even the Sydney Opera House!
Auburn students also use video and digital cameras to extend their learning, creating digital-process books that give step-by-step instructions on complicated projects and even becoming mini-documentarians. To prepare for the school’s annual market day, for instance, one group went into local retail stores with a video camera, interviewed shop owners, and recorded the prices of real merchandise. The students decided which items were “hot” and figured out pricing for their own market, including sales and markdowns for goods. Auburn classrooms have a “bank” in which kids get “deposits” for making good choices throughout the day. On market day, they can withdraw money and purchase items using the points they’ve accrued.
The school has a computer lab where students work on phonics software such as Earobics and other reading and writing programs once a week. It’s all geared toward one message, and that message has very little to do with correct pencil holding or letter formation. “We want the child to know: What I think, I can write down, and what I write down, other people can read,” Land says.
The 2005 Schools of Distinction Winners
The annual awards program, established by Scholastic, the global children’s publisher, and Intel, the world’s largest chip maker and longtime champion of educational improvement, rewards initiatives that promote student achievement and educational innovation. Selected from more than 3,000 participating schools, the 20 winners have practices worth emulating. Besides the four highlighted schools (page 30), the following 16 winners have their own stories to tell. For full descriptions, go to www.scholastic.com/administrator.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, ELEMENTARY
Winner: El Magnet at Reagan Elementary School (Grades K–6), Odessa, Texas
Number of students: 569
Snapshot: Public, midsize city school; 19 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 16:1
Nestled within a city that Reagan staff members say is known for “rednecks, roughnecks, and rowdy bars,” there’s an oasis of learning. Though Odessa, Texas, is below the national average for income and college-educated families, Reagan Magnet School has nonetheless led the state in scores on the rigorous Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. For example, in 2002 in all tests combined, Reagan had a 99.4 percent passing rate. In 2003 it had a 98.8 percent passing rate, and in spring 2004, 100 percent of its students passed TAKS reading, writing, and math.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (Grades 5–8),
Gaston, North Carolina
Number of students: 254
Snapshot: Public, rural school; 70 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 30:1
KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (KIPP GCP) is built on the proverb, “The strength of the pride is the lion, and the strength of the lion is the pride.” The majority of KIPP GCP students are poor, African-American kids living in Northampton and Halifax counties, two of the most economically distressed and educationally disadvantaged areas in North Carolina. For the past three years, KIPP GCP has been named a North Carolina School of Excellence. It has twice been named one of the 25 most improved schools in North Carolina, and in 2002–03 was named North Carolina’s sixth best school out of more than 2,200.
COLLABORATION (EXTERNAL), ELEMENTARY
Winner (Best of the Best): John Stanford International School (Grades K–5), Seattle
Number of students: 404
Snapshot: Public, large city school; 31 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 19:1
At John Stanford International School (JSIS) in Seattle, being an ESL student is a distinct advantage, according to Principal Karen Kodama. The school’s unique international focus requires that every child learn a second language—in this case English, Spanish, or Japanese. “There’s an international focus to everything,” Kodama explains.
Videoconferencing connects students with their counterparts in Japan and elsewhere. And the school has adopted an impoverished school in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Students, parents, and staff from JSIS visit annually and helped to build a schoolhouse.
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Cordova Middle School (Grades 4–8), Phoenix
Number of students: 836
Snapshot: Public, large city school; 88 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 27:1
Leadership at Cordova Middle School is not only about inspiring staff and students, it’s also about pulling, pushing, and cajoling an entire community forward. Principal Karen E. Williams does this by offering opportunities for all the stakeholders in her school to shine. Four times a year, staff, kids, and parents participate in Saturday Learning Academies. “I think the primary role of a leader is to encourage new leaders,” she says, and apparently, that’s something Williams does well. In the past six years, five Cordova staff members have been promoted to principalships and three to assistant principalships.
LITERARY ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: J.P. McConnell Middle (Grades 6–8), Loganville, Georgia
Number of students: 2,157
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe, large city school; 20 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 17:1
McConnell students understand the writing process and can take an idea from brainstorming through organizing, drafting, revising, and editing to a finished piece. And students aren’t just worried about the grade, they’re sharing their written works in school publications, conferences, workshops, and readings. Professional development is provided across all areas, giving teachers specific techniques to actively engage students in the text and enhance comprehension, recall, vocabulary development, and analysis. McConnell also provides reading-intervention classes for students whose reading level falls below grade level.
MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Fullerton IV Elementary (Grades K–5), Roseburg, Oregon
Number of students: 345
Snapshot: Public, small town school; 58 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 27:1
To get students up on math, the district is taking part in an intensive, three-year program on teaching math at Oregon State University. Fullerton IV has also initiated a before-school program, offering students an extra half-hour of academic support in the morning, using the computer-based program PLATO Math Expeditions. The school emphasizes technology programs that help with math learning, such as Math Facts in a Flash. The fun-filled Math Fiesta Night and Computer Chili Night keeps kids jazzed about the subject. The effort seems to be working. On the state-standard tests, the school’s academic scores in math were double the state target.
MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: Rocky River High School (Grades 9–12), Rocky River, Ohio
Number of students: 805
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe large city school; six percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 22:1
For those students to whom mathematics doesn’t come easily, Rocky River has created a test preparation lab with resources ranging from flash cards to study guides to software on a mobile cart unit, and all of these resources address the Ohio Graduation Test, the SAT, and the ACT. Meanwhile, more than 60 students participate in a peer-tutoring group called Students for Other Students (SOS), which sends tutors to the district’s four schools to help younger students and classmates struggling with the subject. Last year, SOS tutors accumulated more than 1,400 volunteer hours. In addition to improving state testing scores, the tutors developed a greater understanding and appreciation of mathematics.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE, ELEMENTARY
Winner: St. Raphael the Archangel Elementary School (Grades K–8), Louisville, Kentucky
Number of students: 531
Snapshot: Parochial, large city school; three percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 16:1
When Principal Paul E. DeZarn introduced the idea six years ago of giving teachers one full day of professional development every week, he said he thought his staff might hang him in effigy at the thought of losing their daily planning time. But teachers at St. Raphael the Archangel soon realized what all this professional development could mean, and they embraced it wholeheartedly. These directed learning days have made a tremendous difference in the school atmosphere, says DeZarn, because it gives teachers real time to spend together and fuse as a team. “The schedule also allows me to meet with everyone, every week,” he says. He’s also getting calls from other schools all over the country that want to follow the model.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE, SECONDARY
Winner: Cresthill Middle School (Grades 7–8), Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Number of students: 901
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe large city school; five percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 19:1
Cresthill Middle School is one large professional learning community with many smaller communities inside. Neighborhoods of 225 students, teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff remain together for two years. Cresthill conducts quarterly school-wide analyses of student achievement data. The team then works together to fix any gaps. Cresthill also has a full-time building resource teacher to work with teachers on best practices. Cresthill expands the philosophy of differentiated learning to staff members as well by offering Continuous Quality Improvement for all, with individualized mentoring, feedback, and professional development that is relevant from the start.
SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Phelps Elementary School (Grades PreK–6), Phelps, Kentucky
Number of students: 378
Snapshot: Public, rural outside
MSA school; 75 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 15:1
The No. 1 priority for improving scientific achievement in this poor, rural community was to change the beliefs and attitudes about the subject of science. Events like Mad Scientist Night, Science Fair, Coal Fair, and NASA Day help. Phelps students have already begun proving their science expertise, scoring an amazing 124 index in the 2003–04 Kentucky state standards in science—24 points above state requirements. In 2004, Phelps was selected as a NASA Explorer School and received professional development and resources in science, math, and technology.
SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: West Hawaii Explorations Academy (Grades 7–12),
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Number of students: 148
Snapshot: Charter, large town school; no students get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 15:1
Students at West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) participate in a rigorous, project-based-learning science curriculum that mirrors the way students learn in a graduate school science lab. The school focuses on marine biology, botany, agriculture, and energy. Students must write quarterly research papers on their studies, and they are also required to conduct extensive marine-science tours for the thousands of elementary and middle school students who come to visit WHEA each year. “We’re introducing kids to the concept of how to be self-learners,” says Principal Heather Nakakura.
TEAMWORK (INTERNAL), ELEMENTARY
Winner: Washington Elementary School (Grades K–5), Kingsport, Tennessee
Number of students: 502
Snapshot: Public, midsize city school; 34 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
At Washington Elementary School, it’s not uncommon to find 100 kids in one classroom—which is not that strange when you realize it’s a multigrade learning center. There are 25 kids per instructor, four teachers to a room. But in this school, students are grouped in small learning teams based on ability level rather than on grade or age, with groups changing for every subject. The approach forces classroom teachers to work together as a team, like it or not. “We say the learning curve is straight up, because there are so many things to [pick up],” laughs Principal Cookie Greer.
TEAMWORK (INTERNAL), SECONDARY
Winner: Middletown High School (Grades 9–12), Middletown, Maryland
Number of students: 1,290
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe of large city school; five percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
Teamwork is what it’s really all about at Middletown High School. Staff members meet regularly in professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to set out and accomplish school goals. Typical meeting times are after school, during staff development days, or during released time, when substitutes cover classes. Most staff members belong to more than one PLC, and participation in some, such as those for content areas, is mandatory. The school also runs an advisement team, which provides every student with a caring adult who maintains contact with the student throughout his or her high school program.
TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Lee Academy of World Studies and Technology (Grades K–5), Tampa
Number of students: 404
Snapshot: Public, large city magnet school; 67 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
At Lee Academy of World Studies and Technology, students use a wide variety of technology resources on a daily basis. Of course there’s the ubiquitous computer lab, but kids also have at their disposal the Spectrum Lab for science, the music technology lab, and the video production center, as well as SMART Boards, Texas Instruments handhelds, and five to seven desktop computers and two to four laptops within each classroom. Teachers have their own web pages on which to share information about classroom activities, policies, homework, and field trips.
TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE, SECONDARY
Winner: Advanced Technologies Academy (Grades 9–12),
Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of students: 1,011
Snapshot: Public, large city school; no students on free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 22:1
Kids at Advanced Technologies Academy can opt to specialize in computer science, banking and finance, information technology, computer graphics, law-related careers, systems technology support, or pre-engineering. The school is comprehensive: Students take the six courses per day that they would at any other Nevada high school and then attend two additional program-area courses per day to develop their specializations. Not surprisingly, the tech is top of the line, but despite the impressive things the school has achieved, Principal Jane Oler still believes that “technology is just a tool for learning.”
TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION, SECONDARY
Winner: Mabry Middle School (Grades 6–8), Marietta, Georgia
Number of students: 877
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe school; five percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 28:1
Budding filmmakers may want to get their parents to pull up stakes and move to Marietta to enroll them in Mabry Middle School. Here, sixth through eighth graders can take home an “Oscar” for their work producing movies for the annual Mabry Film Festival, now going into its fifth year. The video project was developed to address many areas of higher-level thinking, according to Tim Tyson, the person who thought up the moviemaking and who has been Mabry principal for the past five years. These days, a local adman responsible for the 1982 “Coke Is It” commercials works with the kids to refine their key points, scriptwriting, and visual ideas.
Nestled within a city that Reagan staff members say is known for “rednecks, roughnecks, and rowdy bars,” there’s an oasis of learning. Though Odessa, Texas, is below the national average for income and college-educated families, Reagan Magnet School has nonetheless led the state in scores on the rigorous Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. For example, in 2002 in all tests combined, Reagan had a 99.4 percent passing rate. In 2003 it had a 98.8 percent passing rate, and in spring 2004, 100 percent of its students passed TAKS reading, writing, and math.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (Grades 5–8),
Gaston, North Carolina
Number of students: 254
Snapshot: Public, rural school; 70 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 30:1
KIPP Gaston College Preparatory (KIPP GCP) is built on the proverb, “The strength of the pride is the lion, and the strength of the lion is the pride.” The majority of KIPP GCP students are poor, African-American kids living in Northampton and Halifax counties, two of the most economically distressed and educationally disadvantaged areas in North Carolina. For the past three years, KIPP GCP has been named a North Carolina School of Excellence. It has twice been named one of the 25 most improved schools in North Carolina, and in 2002–03 was named North Carolina’s sixth best school out of more than 2,200.
COLLABORATION (EXTERNAL), ELEMENTARY
Winner (Best of the Best): John Stanford International School (Grades K–5), Seattle
Number of students: 404
Snapshot: Public, large city school; 31 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 19:1
At John Stanford International School (JSIS) in Seattle, being an ESL student is a distinct advantage, according to Principal Karen Kodama. The school’s unique international focus requires that every child learn a second language—in this case English, Spanish, or Japanese. “There’s an international focus to everything,” Kodama explains.
Videoconferencing connects students with their counterparts in Japan and elsewhere. And the school has adopted an impoverished school in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Students, parents, and staff from JSIS visit annually and helped to build a schoolhouse.
LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Cordova Middle School (Grades 4–8), Phoenix
Number of students: 836
Snapshot: Public, large city school; 88 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 27:1
Leadership at Cordova Middle School is not only about inspiring staff and students, it’s also about pulling, pushing, and cajoling an entire community forward. Principal Karen E. Williams does this by offering opportunities for all the stakeholders in her school to shine. Four times a year, staff, kids, and parents participate in Saturday Learning Academies. “I think the primary role of a leader is to encourage new leaders,” she says, and apparently, that’s something Williams does well. In the past six years, five Cordova staff members have been promoted to principalships and three to assistant principalships.
LITERARY ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: J.P. McConnell Middle (Grades 6–8), Loganville, Georgia
Number of students: 2,157
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe, large city school; 20 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 17:1
McConnell students understand the writing process and can take an idea from brainstorming through organizing, drafting, revising, and editing to a finished piece. And students aren’t just worried about the grade, they’re sharing their written works in school publications, conferences, workshops, and readings. Professional development is provided across all areas, giving teachers specific techniques to actively engage students in the text and enhance comprehension, recall, vocabulary development, and analysis. McConnell also provides reading-intervention classes for students whose reading level falls below grade level.
MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Fullerton IV Elementary (Grades K–5), Roseburg, Oregon
Number of students: 345
Snapshot: Public, small town school; 58 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 27:1
To get students up on math, the district is taking part in an intensive, three-year program on teaching math at Oregon State University. Fullerton IV has also initiated a before-school program, offering students an extra half-hour of academic support in the morning, using the computer-based program PLATO Math Expeditions. The school emphasizes technology programs that help with math learning, such as Math Facts in a Flash. The fun-filled Math Fiesta Night and Computer Chili Night keeps kids jazzed about the subject. The effort seems to be working. On the state-standard tests, the school’s academic scores in math were double the state target.
MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: Rocky River High School (Grades 9–12), Rocky River, Ohio
Number of students: 805
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe large city school; six percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 22:1
For those students to whom mathematics doesn’t come easily, Rocky River has created a test preparation lab with resources ranging from flash cards to study guides to software on a mobile cart unit, and all of these resources address the Ohio Graduation Test, the SAT, and the ACT. Meanwhile, more than 60 students participate in a peer-tutoring group called Students for Other Students (SOS), which sends tutors to the district’s four schools to help younger students and classmates struggling with the subject. Last year, SOS tutors accumulated more than 1,400 volunteer hours. In addition to improving state testing scores, the tutors developed a greater understanding and appreciation of mathematics.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE, ELEMENTARY
Winner: St. Raphael the Archangel Elementary School (Grades K–8), Louisville, Kentucky
Number of students: 531
Snapshot: Parochial, large city school; three percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 16:1
When Principal Paul E. DeZarn introduced the idea six years ago of giving teachers one full day of professional development every week, he said he thought his staff might hang him in effigy at the thought of losing their daily planning time. But teachers at St. Raphael the Archangel soon realized what all this professional development could mean, and they embraced it wholeheartedly. These directed learning days have made a tremendous difference in the school atmosphere, says DeZarn, because it gives teachers real time to spend together and fuse as a team. “The schedule also allows me to meet with everyone, every week,” he says. He’s also getting calls from other schools all over the country that want to follow the model.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXCELLENCE, SECONDARY
Winner: Cresthill Middle School (Grades 7–8), Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Number of students: 901
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe large city school; five percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 19:1
Cresthill Middle School is one large professional learning community with many smaller communities inside. Neighborhoods of 225 students, teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff remain together for two years. Cresthill conducts quarterly school-wide analyses of student achievement data. The team then works together to fix any gaps. Cresthill also has a full-time building resource teacher to work with teachers on best practices. Cresthill expands the philosophy of differentiated learning to staff members as well by offering Continuous Quality Improvement for all, with individualized mentoring, feedback, and professional development that is relevant from the start.
SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Phelps Elementary School (Grades PreK–6), Phelps, Kentucky
Number of students: 378
Snapshot: Public, rural outside
MSA school; 75 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 15:1
The No. 1 priority for improving scientific achievement in this poor, rural community was to change the beliefs and attitudes about the subject of science. Events like Mad Scientist Night, Science Fair, Coal Fair, and NASA Day help. Phelps students have already begun proving their science expertise, scoring an amazing 124 index in the 2003–04 Kentucky state standards in science—24 points above state requirements. In 2004, Phelps was selected as a NASA Explorer School and received professional development and resources in science, math, and technology.
SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT, SECONDARY
Winner: West Hawaii Explorations Academy (Grades 7–12),
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Number of students: 148
Snapshot: Charter, large town school; no students get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 15:1
Students at West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) participate in a rigorous, project-based-learning science curriculum that mirrors the way students learn in a graduate school science lab. The school focuses on marine biology, botany, agriculture, and energy. Students must write quarterly research papers on their studies, and they are also required to conduct extensive marine-science tours for the thousands of elementary and middle school students who come to visit WHEA each year. “We’re introducing kids to the concept of how to be self-learners,” says Principal Heather Nakakura.
TEAMWORK (INTERNAL), ELEMENTARY
Winner: Washington Elementary School (Grades K–5), Kingsport, Tennessee
Number of students: 502
Snapshot: Public, midsize city school; 34 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
At Washington Elementary School, it’s not uncommon to find 100 kids in one classroom—which is not that strange when you realize it’s a multigrade learning center. There are 25 kids per instructor, four teachers to a room. But in this school, students are grouped in small learning teams based on ability level rather than on grade or age, with groups changing for every subject. The approach forces classroom teachers to work together as a team, like it or not. “We say the learning curve is straight up, because there are so many things to [pick up],” laughs Principal Cookie Greer.
TEAMWORK (INTERNAL), SECONDARY
Winner: Middletown High School (Grades 9–12), Middletown, Maryland
Number of students: 1,290
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe of large city school; five percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
Teamwork is what it’s really all about at Middletown High School. Staff members meet regularly in professional learning communities (PLCs) in order to set out and accomplish school goals. Typical meeting times are after school, during staff development days, or during released time, when substitutes cover classes. Most staff members belong to more than one PLC, and participation in some, such as those for content areas, is mandatory. The school also runs an advisement team, which provides every student with a caring adult who maintains contact with the student throughout his or her high school program.
TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE, ELEMENTARY
Winner: Lee Academy of World Studies and Technology (Grades K–5), Tampa
Number of students: 404
Snapshot: Public, large city magnet school; 67 percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 20:1
At Lee Academy of World Studies and Technology, students use a wide variety of technology resources on a daily basis. Of course there’s the ubiquitous computer lab, but kids also have at their disposal the Spectrum Lab for science, the music technology lab, and the video production center, as well as SMART Boards, Texas Instruments handhelds, and five to seven desktop computers and two to four laptops within each classroom. Teachers have their own web pages on which to share information about classroom activities, policies, homework, and field trips.
TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE, SECONDARY
Winner: Advanced Technologies Academy (Grades 9–12),
Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of students: 1,011
Snapshot: Public, large city school; no students on free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 22:1
Kids at Advanced Technologies Academy can opt to specialize in computer science, banking and finance, information technology, computer graphics, law-related careers, systems technology support, or pre-engineering. The school is comprehensive: Students take the six courses per day that they would at any other Nevada high school and then attend two additional program-area courses per day to develop their specializations. Not surprisingly, the tech is top of the line, but despite the impressive things the school has achieved, Principal Jane Oler still believes that “technology is just a tool for learning.”
TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION, SECONDARY
Winner: Mabry Middle School (Grades 6–8), Marietta, Georgia
Number of students: 877
Snapshot: Public, urban fringe school; five percent get free and reduced lunch; student-teacher ratio is 28:1
Budding filmmakers may want to get their parents to pull up stakes and move to Marietta to enroll them in Mabry Middle School. Here, sixth through eighth graders can take home an “Oscar” for their work producing movies for the annual Mabry Film Festival, now going into its fifth year. The video project was developed to address many areas of higher-level thinking, according to Tim Tyson, the person who thought up the moviemaking and who has been Mabry principal for the past five years. These days, a local adman responsible for the 1982 “Coke Is It” commercials works with the kids to refine their key points, scriptwriting, and visual ideas.
Photo of Lincoln Avenue Academy: ©Patrick Farrell
Photo of Academy of Allied Health and Science: ©Laura Pedrick/Getty Images
