194 schools honored for success
Students meet standards despite high poverty rates The Columbus Dispatch
10/10/2007
By Catherine Candisky
Weary of the stereotype that wealthy students outperform those from poor homes, the Ohio Department of Education is highlighting “Schools of Promise,” where poverty has not deterred students from excelling in the classroom.
A record 194 schools across the state are being honored, including 10 in Franklin County, for meeting state and federal academic performance requirements while serving large concentrations of poor students. This is the sixth year for such designations.
“High poverty does not preordain” academic failure, said Mitchell Chester, senior associate superintendent for the Ohio Department of Education.
In a presentation to the Ohio Board of Education yesterday, Chester said the increase in the number of Schools of Promise is another example of improved academic performance among Ohio students. Last year, 117 schools were recognized.
“Those schools are not accepting excuses and they are not blaming children. When they don’t get results, they change,” he said. The schools typically have “strong leadership and are making efforts to involve parents.”
Other commonalities included ample professional-development opportunities for teachers and clear discipline policies.
The recognition is given to schools in which at least 40 percent of students qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program — that means their household income is less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or $31,764 a year for a family of three.
In addition, the schools must show adequate yearly progress among all students as required under the federal No Child Left Behind law and have at least 75 percent of students pass reading or math proficiency tests.
“Schools of Promise are solid evidence that students from low-income communities can beat the odds,” Superintendent Susan T. Zelman said.
The 194 schools honored are among 1,607 in Ohio with 40 percent or more of their student body considered economically disadvantaged.
Recognition went to 25 schools in Ohio’s eight largest urban districts and 80 schools in the state’s Appalachian region. Among those honored were 147 elementary schools, 12 middle- or junior-high schools, and 35 high schools.
“People generally think that students of schools with high poverty levels will not perform as well as those in wealthier school districts,” Chester said.
“These data confirm that great teachers and good schools can make a positive difference in the education of all students, no matter where they live.”
