Press ReleaseINSTITUTE FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT RECEIVES GRANT TO DEVELOP SMALL HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK
LAKE SUCCESS, NY, January 23, 2006 – As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that high school students are prepared for the challenge of college and work, the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) announced today a $7,886,381 investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish 12 new small schools and small learning communities (SLCs) in New York City and elsewhere. This investment will allow for the creation of six new small high schools in New York City and support a plan for the transformation of two large traditional City high schools into small learning communities, as well as provide for the creation of four additional small high schools outside of New York City.
ISA, a leading school redesign partner that facilitates the transformation of large comprehensive high schools into high-performing small learning communities and small schools that prepare students for college, was previously awarded a $6 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create 10 new small schools in five years. Six of these schools are already in operation; the remaining four are expected to open during the 2006-07 school year.
The latest grant awarded to ISA was part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel I. Klein’s recent announcement of $24 million in private funding to support and expand secondary school initiatives in New York City. In total, these funds will support the range of secondary school initiatives previously announced by Mayor Bloomberg to ensure that students graduate and are prepared for post-secondary education and work. The Mayor and Chancellor announced this important initiative with Jim Shelton, Program Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Caroline Kennedy, Vice Chair of the Fund for Public Schools, at South Brooklyn Community High School on November 17, 2005.
“We are extremely honored to receive such a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and are delighted that they recognize ISA’s dedication to raising student achievement,” said Gerry House, ISA’s President and CEO. “ISA is deeply committed to creating small schools and small learning communities that will enable high school students – particularly those that are underserved – to graduate fully prepared for success in college or other postsecondary education, work and citizenship.”
Currently, up to 30 percent of America’s high school students fail to graduate from high school with a regular diploma – as such, this sizable grant will support ISA in the development and implementation of new small schools and small learning communities that will help to raise the achievement levels of participating students. ISA has already established partnerships with Bayard Rustin High School for The Humanities and Murry Bergtraum High School for Business Careers to create small learning communities within these two large New York City schools and is initiating the planning process for the remaining new schools.
ISA’s rapidly growing network of partner schools adhere to the ISA Seven Principles, which define and guide the ISA Model and include a college preparatory curriculum; Distributed CounselingTM; a dedicated team of teachers and counselors; continuing professional development; extended school day and year; parent involvement; and ongoing organizational improvement. Building upon these Principles, ISA collaborates with schools to create comprehensive plans and implementation strategies for school redesign that are customized to meet the unique needs of schools and districts.
ISA’s strength as a partner is bolstered by its engagement with the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, & Teaching (NCREST), Teachers College, Columbia University, in which NCREST provides all partner schools with student performance and program implementation data. Access to this critical information helps to ensure that all ISA partner schools meet their short- and long-term goals for improving student achievement.
Approximately 8,000 public school students participate in 32 small schools and small learning communities in 11 ISA partner school districts, located in New York, Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia. ISA recently with Union City Board of Education in New Jersey to create eight new small learning communities, slated to open for the 2006-07 school year, and has partnered with Atlanta Public Schools to design and open four small schools at the Carver Educational Complex, which opened in August 2005.
About the Institute for Student Achievement Focusing on improving academic achievement, the Institute for Student Achievement is a leading school redesign partner that facilitates the transformation of low-performing high schools into small learning communities and small schools designed to prepare all students for success in college. Founded in 1990, ISA partners with school administrators and teachers to create and sustain intellectually rigorous and caring, personalized learning environments. A set of Seven Principles defines and guides the ISA model. Building upon these Seven Principles, the Institute for Student Achievement collaborates with schools to create comprehensive plans and implementation strategies for school redesign that are customized to meet the unique needs of schools and districts. For more information contact us at (516) 812-6700 or visit www.studentachievement.org. |
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