“Cleveland Schools That Are Making a Difference”
A study that examines how 13 schools in inner-city Cleveland are producing strong academic performance among poor students found common threads: strong leadership, robust parental involvement, innovative strategies in curriculum and instruction, and an emphasis on professional development for teachers.
The schools are a mix of traditional public, charter, private, and parochial campuses, but all of them have a majority of students from low-income families.
The researchers, from the Lake Success, N.Y.-based Institute for Student Achievement and Teachers College, Columbia University, spent months conducting site visits, reviewing data, and interviewing students, teachers, principals, and parents.
They produced detailed profiles of each school they examined for the report, which was commissioned by the Cleveland and George Gund foundations.