Austin Independent School District Austin, Texas In only five years, J. Walter Graham Elementary School, a Title I school on the east side of Austin, Texas, went from slipping toward academic unacceptability to “one of the best elementary schools in the state of Texas,” in the words of education researcher Ed Fuller of Penn State… Continue Reading Show Up, Work Hard, Read: J. Walter Graham Elementary School
Boston Public Schools Boston, Massachusetts Fenway High School was founded in 1983 as an alternative program for students at risk of dropping out. Its founders created a small school where students would be challenged intellectually and feel safe socially. Fenway’s motto is “Work Hard. Be Yourself. Do the Right Thing.” To those ends, the school… Continue Reading Engaging Questions at Boston’s First Pilot School: Fenway High School
Beaumont, CA Principal Lauren Kinney explains how explicit, direct interactive instruction (DII) engages students in active conversations and learning, and teachers Jennifer Tillson and Tracy Waters demonstrate how kinesthetic learning helps students retain knowledge and stay engaged in learning. A student reflects on teaching another student as part of an innovative, statewide RTI intervention that… Continue Reading Gateway to Learning: Closing Gaps: Sundance Elementary School
In addition to rigorous academics, students at Elgin Middle School receive daily affirmations through “relationships, rewards, and recognition” that keep them engaged and disposed to see school as fun. Read the transcript of Keeping Middle Schools Students Motivated. Read Elgin Middle School’s National Blue Ribbon Schools application. Contact Information Current Principal: Chris Garner Former Principal:… Continue Reading Keeping Middle School Students Motivated: Elgin Middle School
Students recognize that personal attention is what makes O’Bryant unique. Teachers at this Boston school make themselves available well before and after school to support students in mastering O’Bryant’s challenging STEM curriculum. Read the transcript of “More than a Number”: The Power of Relationships. Download the John D. O’Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science Blue Ribbon… Continue Reading “More than a Number”: The Power of Relationships: John D. O’Bryant High School of Mathematics and Science
Students recite the mission statement each morning during student-led morning announcements. Faculty and staff are hired based on their commitment to this mission and seek to work at Coachman Elementary because of the educational power of this shared vision. Parents choose Alice Coachman for its strong academic climate, emphasis on skills development, and its caring… Continue Reading Aspects of School Culture: Alice Coachman Elementary School
A challenging district promotion policy prepares students for later success in school and life by ensuring that students don’t advance to the next grade level until they have mastered academic coursework and met homework completion and attendance requirements. A “21st century” report card makes a student’s progress easy to grasp. Despite its numbers of children… Continue Reading Accountability for All: Hopewell Elementary School
Pompano Beach High School students characterize their teachers as adults engage them in hands-on learning and pose realistic, engaging tasks. Service learning opportunities take students out of school to tutor students from the next-door elementary school and coordinate food drives. Pompano’s strong computer focus challenges students to create websites, presentations, and other media to demonstrate… Continue Reading Learning Through Authentic Tasks: Pompano Beach High School