ABOUT THE SCHOOLS—OVERVIEW
Elisabeth Barnett
Introduction
What can we learn about and from Cleveland’s excellent schools? First, and most importantly, the NCREST research team confirmed that excellence can be found in varied settings in Cleveland’s education system—in primary and secondary schools; in public, charter, and parochial schools; in schools with long histories and new start-up schools. Interestingly, all of the schools included in this project were small: the largest had 784 students all together.
The research revealed that, often working quietly and with little recognition, school teams are finding ways to help children to succeed in their studies. Their schools reflect the kinds of practices highlighted in the Cleveland Schools Excellence Framework (see Appendix x):
- Shared vision: A shared vision of continuous school improvement; a sense of purpose and community; shared ideas about excellence in classroom teaching.
- Curriculum: Alignment with standards; a guaranteed and viable curriculum; a curriculum that leads to future success.
- Instruction: Engaging student thinking; supporting students’ learning.
- Use of data: Multiple forms and sources of data used to make decisions about school improvement; disaggregation of data to improve outcomes for all students.
- School environment: A nurturing, supportive learning environment; a safe and orderly environment; plentiful student and family support.
- Professional development: A positive climate for teachers; varied ways of supporting professional development.
In the following sections, some of the Cleveland Schools Excellence Project (CSEP) schools’ practices thought to influence positive student outcomes are highlighted. These are included in this summary either because they were found across multiple schools or because the NCREST team considered them especially innovative or promising with respect to encouraging student achievement.
SHARED VISION
A commitment to students: All of the CSEP schools shared a sense of purpose and an explicit focus on students. In most cases, they were preparing students for college. In all cases, they were focused on how to help students to succeed educationally. This commitment was reflected in a willingness of administrators, teachers and other staff to give much more than their jobs required. At some of the parochial schools, the spiritual underpinning for this dedication to students was written into their mission statements. At other schools, the source of their commitment was sometimes spiritual as well. For example, at Joseph Landis Elementary, a public K-8 school, one of the teachers noted that faculty and staff are “willing to give 1000%” to help students and felt that many at the school based their work on a spiritual foundation. In other cases, it was based on the belief that all children deserve a chance, and can learn if given the opportunity.
Living the commitment: In addition, these schools “walked the walk,” as well as “talked the talk.” St. Martin de Porres actually has a Vice Principal for Mission who helps the staff to prepare themselves to be excellent teachers and administrators. Other schools have developed routines and rituals that reinforce their vision. These include daily morning assemblies, systems of rewards for good behavior, opportunities for teachers to learn from one another, helpful assessment systems, and finding ways to keep students from falling behind. The Louisa May Alcott school is committed to knowing students’ individual reading levels as soon as they enter the school and making sure that they are assigned to the appropriate reading group. The Joseph Landis school staff do extra tasks that support student learning and contribute to a positive environment. Examples include organizing a gospel choir to perform at veterans’ hospitals and nursing homes, planning extra after-school activities, and developing a student volunteer program. A teacher commented that this atmosphere of caring is “very contagious” and has been actively fostered over time by both the previous and current principals. This positive “contagion” involves the kids as well. They recite a daily pledge about success that follows the salute to the flag.
A key part of living the commitment is a commitment to high standards. Many schools \ hold everyone mutually accountable—including the students—to hard work and caring, appropriate behavior. For example, Benjamin Franklin teachers and administrators interviewed for this project talked about possessing high expectations, not only of students, but also of themselves as professional educators. Success Tech students seemed to openly embrace being part of a school that is competitive and academically rigorous. Cleveland School of the Arts students must work very diligently to balance academic achievement with busy performance schedules. Passing grades, along with appropriate conduct, are required for students to participate in performances.
Shared decision making: The CSEP principals involved their staffs in making decisions and taking on leadership roles in varied ways. In response, teachers and others in the school often took their responsibility very seriously, behaving as leaders themselves rather than as job-holders. Under Louisa May Alcott’s universal leadership model, everyone- from the janitor, to the speech pathologist, to the reading aides- is responsible for guiding students, correcting them when they are misbehaving, and for the success of the school. Principals often benefited from having staff who were able to help them in dealing with change or weathering crises.
Teachers frequently spoke of how much they valued being part of decision making in the schools and being trusted to do a good job in the classroom. Many of the school leaders provided a general structure and lots of encouragement, and then left many decisions to the discretion of individual teachers or groups of teachers. Urban Community School teachers attribute much of the school’s success to their open relationship with the administration. This relationship includes a two-way, open–door policy where unannounced classroom visits from the administration occur regularly and teachers have direct access to administrators. Teachers say that they are “totally involved in almost everything that happens in this school.”
Parents’ involvement: Levels of parental involvement varied across schools for a number of reasons. But all CSEP school staff described parents as very willing to support the school and their children’s education. In some places, parents served as regular volunteers and entered into school-related decision making through formal groups such as PTAs. In other cases, parents were caught up in the tasks of daily living and less able to spend time at the school. Parents at Benjamin Franklin are very involved in the life of the school. There are the two parent organizations, the Parent Teacher Association and the newly formed Student Parent Organization, that participate in decision-making at the school. Parents are a strong presence at the school and have an open relationship with the principal. One parent stated that, "She [the principal] listens to us. She cares about what we think and we all care about the kids."
Several schools took extra measures to reach out to parents. Teachers from both Citizen’s Academy and Urban Community School visit every student’s home at the beginning of the year as a way to get to know them and their families. St. Martin de Porres organizes a morning prayer opportunity for parents called “Minute with the Maker.” A number of schools hold special events for parents and children to attend together. Orchard School of Science holds yearly Literacy Nights, Math Nights, and Science Nights. In addition, the parents are encouraged to examine and comment on the school’s plan and budget.
Beyond academics: While all of the CSEP schools clearly made students’ academic work and achievement a priority, many focused on other dimensions of living as well. Good citizenship was a frequent concern as was caring for others. In the case of the parochial schools, developing a spiritual life was also explicitly encouraged. For example, at Citizen’s Academy, good citizenship is a focus. Citizenship class occurs daily for fifteen minutes and addresses the seven virtues of citizenship (generosity, honesty, loyalty, courage, responsibility, perseverance, and responsibility). St. Thomas Aquinas students are encouraged to model three valued attributes: 1) academic excellence, 2) witness of God’s Goodness through outreach to those in need, and 3) witness to the Gospel values in daily life. The Urban Community School curriculum is designed to prepare students to problem-solve, to respond to issues in their community, and eventually to effect improvements in society as a whole.
In some schools, students were deeply engaged in activities outside of the traditional classroom. St. Martin de Porres students spend five days a month at a job site where they learn workplace skills as well as help to finance their education. Cleveland School for the Arts students are involved in performances of various kinds. Students at Intergenerational regularly interact with older people in settings where they can both learn and teach.
CURRICULUM
Addressing standards: There was a high level of awareness of and adherence to the Ohio state standards as well as district standards among the CSEP schools. For the public and charter schools, this was reinforced by the state testing regimen in which their students participate. As one teacher at Intergenerational noted, “In the classroom we can do whatever we want as long as we address the state standards.” The parochial schools had less external pressure and more flexibility, although the diocesan curriculum is also based on state standards. For example, many aspects of the curriculum at St. Francis are predetermined because the Cleveland Diocese Office of Catholic Education prepares and disseminates a Diocesan Course of Study to Catholic elementary schools.
Literacy and math are priorities. The CSEP schools were very concerned with insuring that students were becoming proficient in reading, writing, and math. Many used approaches endorsed and provided by the district including Accelerated Math, Accelerated Reader, and Formula Writing. These were generally highly regarded by administrators and teachers. Another national system, Direct Instruction, was used at Louisa May Alcott, and found to be effective at meeting the needs of their very diverse students, including many in special education.
Other approaches were also in use. At Benjamin Franklin, a clear instructional priority was the development of literacy skills in the content areas. Journal writing was done in art classes, as were reading and writing activities in computer classes. Teachers spoke explicitly about tying literacy to all subjects. At Citizen’s Academy, students were homogeneously grouped in literacy and math blocks where they spent the first four hours of each day. These blocks were fluid allowing students to move at certain points during the year.
Curriculum innovation: Two of the schools developed their own unique curricula. In the case of Intergenerational, curriculum was developed by the principal with input from some of the teachers. The curriculum serves as a framework to assist teachers in planning their lessons and is regularly revised and improved to assure that students are prepared for the Ohio state tests. The curriculum is described as holistic (taking into account the whole student in the context of his/her community), meaning-based (incorporating authentic tasks), and constructivist (allowing students to arrive at their own understanding of each topic of study). At St. Martin de Porres, an outside expert was asked to convene a group to create the “curriculum that they’d always wanted to write.” The group organized the curriculum around four themes- care for community, self, the world, and the earth- corresponding to the four grade levels and intended to reflect students’ developmental levels over time.This curriculum also allows teachers a great deal of latitude in its implementation.
Community partnerships: A number of CSEP schools have strong partnerships with community organizations, colleges, businesses, and arts organizations that provide support for student learning. This can take the form of teaching classes, volunteer tutoring, helping students prepare for the college application process, or offering jobs and internships. Intergenerational matches groups of students with senior citizens organizations for collaborative learning activities. Benjamin Franklin has developed a close partnership with the Groundworks Dance Theater Company. The dancers come to the school for six-week sessions to integrate arts into the curriculum. The culmination is a student performance for parents displaying what they have learned. Joseph Landis is supported by volunteer tutors from numerous educational and community organizations such as Case Western University, Cleveland State University, and Bethany Church.
INSTRUCTION
Differentiated instruction: A major theme and commitment among CSEP schools was finding ways to support the learning of each and every student.. These schools were finding ways to work with students with very different skill levels, including many in special education or with deficits in their earlier education. Miles Park, Joseph Landis, and Louisa May Alcott had developed effective ways to include their special education students into regular classrooms wherever possible, and to provide help to students in small groups based on individual needs. Orchard School of Science and Intergenerational were notable for using data to inform their grouping practices.
Schools found it easier to differentiate reading and English instruction within a classroom than math instruction. Intergenerational had decided to teach math at the same time of day, allowing students to move to the most appropriate class. Other schools were working on ways to better their math instruction for students with different needs and skill levels.
Accountability and high expectations: Students were often helped to take their education seriously by modeling learning as important to the adults, by considering learning to be students’ “job,” and by maintaining high expectations for their performance. Students were generally expected to arrive to school on time, with homework, and ready to learn. At the same time, the schools were committed to giving them every opportunity to succeed. For example, at St. Francis the school started an after-school homework club to make sure that students had the support they needed to complete homework. Citizen’s Academy prides itself on its “no excuses” culture. At Miles Park, school leaders are very generous with praise and make sure to acknowledge teachers individually for their accomplishments. As well, teachers’ classrooms are recognized when all of the students reach 100% of their reading goals, with a 100% pizza party. At Intergenerational, the principal noted that it takes a lot of work for the staff to continuously maintain high expectations. They are constantly vigilant to keep students (and themselves) on track to maximize learning.
Real life and project-based learning: The CSEP schools work to make in-school learning meaningful and relevant, and to engage students in different ways. This takes varied forms including hands-on activities, projects tied to school themes, and collaborations with community organizations. Interesting and creative examples abound. At the Cleveland School for the Arts, the faculty work collaboratively to create lessons that integrate students’ artistic and academic learning. At Benjamin Franklin, students undertake projects such as designing recreational centers and creating Powerpoint presentations to pitch their designs. The curriculum at St. Martin de Porres calls for extensive project-based learning tied to the school’s themes. An example is the 10th grade community health fair, tied to the theme of care of self. At Urban Community School, students participate in the Graduation Outcomes Project, a capstone experience required of all eighth graders. At Joseph Landis, the eighth grade class runs a school newspaper.
Out-of-school learning is an important part of the instructional practice at several schools as well. At St. Martin de Porres, the work study experience provides students with exposure to the world of work, helpful mentors, and real-life job experiences. At St. Francis, one of the school’s goals is to expose its students to life outside of the classroom and the immediate neighborhood. This includes trips to farms, zoos, and performances. At Benjamin Franklin, teachers seek out grant money to make field trips possible, such as to the Groundworks Dance Theater.
Test prep: Preparing students to do well on state achievement tests is a fact of life for many schools throughout the United States. Most of the CSEP schools deal with this matter-of-factly. At Louisa May Alcott and Citizen’s Academy, test preparation is embedded into the curriculum throughout the year. In addition, Louisa May Alcott helps students prepare for tests by setting up peer-to-peer tutoring where a student in a higher grade is paired with one from a lower grade. At Joseph Landis, teachers work together to develop and share strategies for helping students to be successful on tests.