Focus On Results FOCUS Schools
Principals and teacher leaders working with a district team that supports them and holds high expectations for their success always show results for students. The following schools and their leaders have been working with Focus On Results to improve student achievement.
Baird Middle School
Leaders: Donna Hogan & Diana Roy
- Baird is a large middle school in a small working class community in Western Massachusetts.
- The school has approximately 21% low income, 10% ELL, and 18% of students with IEPs.
- Their focus is students’ reading, comprehending and writing about what they read.
- Baird Middle School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above in Math from 39% to 56% between 2005-2007 in grade 7 and from 34% to 41% in grade 8.
- The school increased its Algebra enrollment rate from 21% to 92% between 2005 and 2008.
Cerritos School
Leader: Janice Hanada
- Cerritos is a large elementary school in a diverse urban area of Glendale, CA.
- The school is 82% low income, 50% English Language Learners and approximately 70% Hispanic.
- They have consistently met all AYP targets in both ELA and math including targets for all subgroups.
- Cerritos School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above on the CST (California Standards Test) in ELA from 22% to 36% and in MATH from 32% to 50% between 2004 and 2007.
- The school also increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above in ELA on the CST for the SAME group of students over time. In 2004, the grade 2 students scored 17% and in 2007 these same students (now in grade 5) scored 32%. In 2004, the grade 3 students scored 21% and in 2007, these same students (now in grade 6) scored 38%.
Crescenta Valley Senior High School
Leader: Linda Evans
- Crescenta is a 3000-student high school located in a diverse urban area of Glendale, CA.
- It has 59% low income (Comp Ed.) and nearly 30% of the students are English Language Learners.
- Using their focus and best practices in teaching aligned to state standards, they have worked to close achievement gap. They have increased their enrollment and their success in AP courses.
- The percentage of students passing the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in 2007 was:
Math 95% compared to 58% State
ELA 90% compared to 59 %State - LOW INCOME
Math 85% compared to 47% State
ELA 76% compared to 56 %State - ELL
Math 86% compared to 34% State
ELA 57% compared to 26 %State - SPED
Math 74% compared to 34% State
ELA 66% compared to 26%State.
East Street School
Leader: Brett Bishop
- East Street is a medium-size elementary school in a small working class community in Western Massachusetts.
- This Title 1 School has approximately 30% low income, 18% ELL, and 16% of students with IEPs.
- Their focus is reading comprehension with guided reading as a best practice.
- East Street School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above in ELA from 34% to 60% between 2004 and 2007, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS).
Fairview School
Leader: Shelia Boozer
- Fairview School is a medium-size elementary school in a dense urban area of Springfield, IL.
- The school is 70% low income and continues to meet its AYP targets.
- They have focused on student ability to read and respond.
- Fairview School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above between 2002 and 2007, as measured by the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) for Grade 3 Reading, from 55% to 67% and Math, from 87% to 89%.
- Fairview School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above between 2002 and 2007, as measured by the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) for Grade 5 Reading, from 39% to 50% and Math, from 37% to 69%.
Graham School
Leader: Kathy Crum
- Graham School is a medium size elementary school in a dense urban area of Springfield, IL.
- The school is 81% low income and continues to meet its AYP targets.
- They have focused on student ability to read and respond.
- Graham School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above between 2002 and 2006, as measured by the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) for Grade 3 Reading, from 59% to 76% and Math, from 59% to 89%.
- Graham School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above between 2002 and 2006, as measured by the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) for Grade 5 Reading, from 40% to 52% and Math, from 41% to 62%.
Harvard Park School
Leader: Kerry Purcell
- Harvard Park School is a medium size elementary school in a dense urban area of Springfield, IL.
- It was the first school in the city facing restructuring and was on the state watch list.
- The school is 90% low income and has turned around its results and continues to meet its AYP targets.
- They have focused on student’s ability to read and respond.
- The percentage of Harvard Park students who MEET and EXCEED (Proficient and Advanced) as the poverty level increases between 2001 and 2007 was:
Ludlow Public Schools
Leader: Theresa Kane
- Ludlow is roughly a 3000-student district in a school in a small working class community in Western Massachusetts.
- The district is approximately 18% low income, 10% ELL, and 17% of students with IEPs.
- In 2005 the district was designated a district in Corrective Action.
- In 2007, all Ludlow schools met AYP for the first time.
- Between 2005 and 2007, the district increased its number of students enrolling in four-year colleges from 35% to 45%.
Morrison School
Leader: Marsha Guerrero
- Morrison is a large elementary school in a diverse urban area of Norwalk, CA.
- The school is 77% low income, 40% English Language Learners and 74 % Hispanic.
- Their focus is literacy and they have consistently met all AYP targets in both ELA and math. The impressive growth earned the school the distinction of a Title 1 Achieving School.
- From 2002 to 2007, Morrison School’s CA Academic Performance Index grew from 601 to the current 802.
- Morrison School increased the percentage of students who are proficient and above between 2004 and 2007, as measured by the California Standards Test (CST) for ELA (from 38%to 50%) and for Math (from 57% to 59%).
Satoo School
Leader: Tanni Parker
- Satoo is a small elementary school serving an urban population in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Their focus is reading comprehension.
- They developed small set of teaching practices called BURPS (Best Used Reading Practices).
- They reached 100% proficiency on their Provincial Assessment.
- Reading results at Satoo School implementing the Seven Areas of Focus; following the same group of students over three years, as measured by the District’s Reading Measure.
Washington Middle School
Leader: Kelly Wickham
- Washington is a large middle school in a dense urban area of Springfield, IL.
- The school is 85% low income and has focused on reading comprehension and responding in ALL content areas.
- Washington Middle School increased the percentage of 8th grade students who are proficient and above between 2002 and 2007, as measured by the Illinois State Achievement Test (ISAT) for Reading (from 40% to 50%), Writing (from 23% to 45%), Math (from 20% to 52%), and Low Income Students Writing (from 18% to 44%).
