Summary
There is at least one example of a K-12 reform model designed to get more disadvantaged kids to college that seems to be succeeding in multiple communities around the nation. It's called Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams), and it seeks to change the culture of schools serving low-income populations from passive acceptance of failure to an expectation that every student can succeed with the right preparation. Project GRAD provides instructional support in reading, math, and classroom management; family support coordinated by on-campus social service organizations; and financial support to expand professional development for teachers. It reduces fragmentation by working within "feeder systems" of elementary, middle, and high schools that serve the same low-performing populations. In addition to guaranteeing college scholarships to students who complete a rigorous high school curriculum, Project GRAD forms partnerships with parents, educators, and business and community leaders, creating a web of support for students who are typically the first in their families to pursue higher education.
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College-Bound
In the littered landscape of urban school reform, many promising programs haven't survived their first plantings. And few of the reforms that seem to work so well in individual settings have achieved success on a broader scale.
In their 2003 study for the Learning First Alliance,1 Wendy Togneri and Stephen Anderson found that the "familiar prescriptions for improving achievement in high-poverty schools" - such as heroic principals, inspiring teachers, and creative charte...See the full content of this document
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