I stepped into my classroom at Eastern Senior High School, a public school in Washington D.C., for the first time in August 2000. At the time, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) was a mess—student achievement was abysmally low, school buildings were...
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In Districts Rising, we tell the stories of ten school districts and their efforts to raise student achievement and prepare students for college and career. Each brief in the series focuses on one school district: Aldine Independent School District (Texas);...
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In the mid-1990s, Aldine Independent School District embarked on a remarkable journey to transform teaching and learning in all corners of the district. Today, many accolades later (including the Broad Prize for Urban Education in 2009), Aldine continues to refine...
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Boston Public Schools has a reputation for being one of the most-improved and stable urban school districts in the nation. In July, a new Superintendent took the reins. How will he expand on Boston’s success while addressing persistent equity gaps...
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Cincinnati Public Schools combines a comprehensive set of supports and high academic expectations to help its students beat the odds. Cincinnati pioneered the “community schools model,” where businesses and nonprofits provide services—such as health clinics, early learning centers and tutoring—to...
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In 2011, Cleveland’s schools were in crisis. Led by the mayor, a group of community organizations and district leaders created a plan to transform the district and improve student learning. With the community’s support, the district began transitioning to a...
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In less than a decade, D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) has transformed from a low-achieving, dysfunctional school district into the fastest-improving urban school system in the country. What made this turnaround happen? In this brief, we describe how DCPS has adopted...
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Just five years ago, Indianapolis Public Schools was languishing in the bottom rankings of the state. But now more students are passing state tests; taking and passing Advanced Placement exams; and graduating high school with plans to go to college,...
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School districts and teachers unions often clash over education policy, but in New Haven Public Schools, collaboration and engagement are the norm. “Engagement is a core part of NNPS’ theory of action,” explained Superintendent Garth Harries. The district has learned...
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Santa Ana Unified serves a low-income, high-minority population in Orange County, California. District leaders have set the goal of having all students graduate ready to enroll at a University of California or California State University upon graduating from high school....
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