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 University.
Much of the credit goes to principal Blaine Anthony Helwig, who relinquished a career as a civil engineer in favor of more personally rewarding work but brought his systematic mind-set to changing Graham’s culture and practices. Four principles underlie the school’s success:
- Highly effective classroom management
- A culture of hard work
- “Stop-gap” measures to close academic gaps
- Community-wide adherence to mission
Or, as the Graham mantra has it: Show Up, Work Hard, Read! In this video, Principal Helwig and others describe how they build trust, fill knowledge gaps, and develop successful students.
Read the transcript of Show Up, Work Hard, Read! Download J. Walter Graham’s 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools application.
Contact Information
Principal: Mr.Blaine Helwig
11211 Tom Adams Drive
Austin, TX 78753
Telephone: 512-414-4071
Website: http://www.austinisd.org
Email: bhelwig@austinisd.org
Student Demographics
2012-2013 School Year
| Number of Students preK-5 | 807 |
| Students eligible for subsidized meals | 96% |
| Limited English proficient students1 | 56% |
| Students receiving special education services | 15% |
| Student mobility rate | 24% |
| Hispanic or Latino students | 79% |
| African American students | 14% |
| White students | 5% |
| Average daily student attendance | 97% |
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 5:45 — 35.2MB) | Embed
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