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Schools in Impoverished, Isolated Brownsville, Texas, Are Thriving: Here's Why

Bekah McNeel

March 04, 2019 |

The 74 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Brownsville, Texas

In 2013 and 2016, Brownsville, Texas was ranked the poorest city in the U.S. That hasn't stopped students in the border district from outperforming their wealthier Texan peers. Leaders credit data-based interventions, effective principals, family engagement, and effective use of state and federal dollars for the district's remarkable success. "People love silver-bullet stories," Seth Rau, government and community relations coordinator for San Antonio's Independent School District, said. "It's not a turnaround story. It's a story of continuous improvement."

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Dallas Hits on Successful School Turnaround Model With ACE, but It Comes at a Steep Price. Could a Wider Expansion Across Texas Now Be Its Best Bet to Survive?

Bekah McNeel

December 11, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Dallas, Texas

Several Dallas-based ACE (Accelerating Campus Excellence) schools focus on social-emotional learning and restorative justice education. High performing teachers participate in professional learning communities and receive support from extra counselors and strategic administrators. At ACE schools like Blanton Elementary and Titche Elementary, previously among the lowest performing in the city, students are now outperforming their affluent peers on standardized tests.

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San Antonio's Public Montessori Program, Designed for Diversity — and Inclusion

Beth Hawkins

October 01, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Antonio, Texas

Steele Academy is "Montessori education for students who don't normally get it," according to Laura Christenberry, the driver behind San Antonio's first public Montessori school. Drawing on detailed census information, leaders at the combined preschool and kindergarten ensure that 50 percent of the population comes from the bottom of the income spectrum. Now, the challenge is building trust and making a diverse group of families aware of the nontraditional model.

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78207: America's Most Radical School Integration Experiment

Beth Hawkins

September 25, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Antonio, Texas

In just three years, San Antonio superintendent Pedro Martinez has raised the bar for school integration efforts nationwide - in this time, the district, where 93 percent of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, has opened 31 schools of choice that are "diverse-by-design." The curriculum, which ranges from talented and gifted to dual language programs, is intended to attract more affluent students from surrounding areas to fill 25 percent of the classroom spots. Journalist Beth Hawkins says, "In 20 years of writing about failed integration efforts, I’ve never seen anything like this."

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The Architect: How One Texas Innovation Officer Is Designing His Schools to Ensure Integration

Heather Martino

August 25, 2018 |

The 74 |

Video |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio Independent School District has adopted a new approach that allows low-income students to go to school out-of-district in order to level the academic playing field. By creating a map of the most in-need families and designing school admissions to allow for flexibility, administrators have been able to help students attend and excel in schools they otherwise wouldn't be able to access.

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Why a Boston Teachers College Is Sending Its Students to Northern Ireland to Learn About a Child Trauma Program That Could Help U.S. Kids, Too

Kate Stringer

August 21, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

In 2004, the Media Initiative set out to develop a trauma-informed curriculum for preschoolers in Northern Ireland. Using puppets, cartoons, and professional development, the social-emotional lessons have empowered students to better address conflict and communicate more effectively with each other. A Boston-based teacher education program is one of many who travel to Ireland to observe the program in action each year.

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Closing the ‘Perception Gap': With 3 in 5 Teachers Saying Students Are Not at Grade Level on First Day of School, New Digital Tool Offers Parents a ‘Readiness Check'

Esmeralda Fabián Romero

August 13, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

A new "readiness check" digital tool, available in English and Spanish, gives parents realtime feedback about whether their child is prepared to enter the next grade level and provides resources and activities to practice if a child is behind in English or math subjects. By offering a concrete, standardized assessment, the tool gives parents the data they need to advocate on behalf of their child and ensure teachers are aware of areas where a child may need extra support before they even enter the teacher's classroom on the first day of school.

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Two Years Ago, Cincinnati Voted to Fund a $15 Million Pre-K Program for Struggling Families. Now More Than 1,300 Kids Have Gotten a Leg Up on Kindergarten

Meredith Nelson

July 31, 2018 |

The 74 |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Cincinnati, Ohio

In 2016, Cincinnati, Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved a new program that would help more than 1,300 low-income families gain access to quality preschools. Not only does the program, called Preschool Promise, offer financial assistance for tuition, but they also work with additional preschools to get their programs up to speed to qualify for the program. Testimonials from parents say that it has changed their children's lives.

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How an Online Personalized Preschool Experiment Could Change the Way Rural America Does Early Education

Carolyn Phenicie

November 26, 2017 |

The 74 |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Utah

Since Upstart launched in rural Utah in 2009, 30,000 children have completed the online personalized preschool alternative from their homes. Upstart provides participating families with computers and internet access in addition to planned group gatherings intended to simultaneously encourage students' socio-emotional development. Following Utah's success with the program, an additional seven states are now piloting the model.

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Who Let the Dogs Out? How Therapy Dogs Are Aiding the Emotional Growth of Students

Lizzie Thompson

September 22, 2016 |

The 74 |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

A non profit, Fair Shake For Youth, is a social emotional learning program which offers NYC middle school students from high-poverty neighbourhoods an opportunity to work hands-on with therapy dogs. The program helps the students deal with their stress and emotions, and teaches them empathy and social skills that help them in and out of the classroom.

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