When visitors step inside Pocomoke (MD) Middle School, they are immediately surrounded by a profound sense of pride and high expectations. Students are actively engaged in instruction, the classroom walls are covered with student work, and the halls are lined with pictures of students demonstrating success. Beanbag chairs await eager readers,…

"Built by the Past--Ready for the Future" is more than a school motto at Isaac E. Young Middle School in New Rochelle, NY. Built in 1925, Isaac became the iconic U.S. secondary school when Dick Sargent's painting of it appeared on the cover of the October 17, 1959, issue of "The Saturday Evening Post." The changes that the…

Forest Grove (OR) High School places a high value on achievement for all students. Large banners highlight the recognition the school has received for academic accomplishments, such as Oregon's Closing the Achievement Gap award, which it has received for two years running, and for meeting adequate yearly progress. In classrooms, students are…

"Relentless" is the word that staff members at Stelle Claughton Middle School in Houston, Texas use to describe how they operate: "We don't give up on our students, their families, or our own commitment. We recognize that our own attitudes, choices, and behaviors toward our students and about their learning have the greatest impact…

What does shared leadership look like? At Westwood High School in Memphis, Tennessee, it is evident when teachers and staff members talk with students in the halls between classes; when students demonstrate pride in themselves and their school by being fully engaged in their classrooms; when parents participate in their children's school life; and…

In many ways, Roxbury Preparatory Charter School is typical of Boston's Mission Hill area: the student body is composed entirely of students of color, most of whom live in single-parent households. More than 68% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. What is not typical is that for the fourth consecutive year, Roxbury Prep, which…

"You have a choice every day regarding the attitude you will embrace for that day," observes Theodore (Alabama) High School's Web site, effecting the faculty and staff members' belief that raised expectations lead to improved student performance. "Your attitude will make or break our school...," the site continues. "The…

Given its success as a high achieving, award-winning magnet school for academically oriented students in grades 9-12, Columbus Alternative High School has more than successfully fulfilled its ambitious mission in the 30 years since it was named. According to the school's mission statement, Columbus Alternative aims "to create a truly…

School improvement demands focus. Staff members at James Cashman Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, believe that student achievement comes from challenging every student and ensuring that no student is overlooked. Adopting this belief could not have come at a better time for the school. Cashman's students were struggling. The school was in the…