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Institute for Student Achievement and Atlanta Public Schools Open Doors to the New Schools of Carver

Posted on: Monday, 15 August 2005, 09:00 CDT

ATLANTA and LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Aug. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) and Atlanta Public Schools (APS) today announced the opening of the New Schools of Carver, a complex of five small schools designed to improve academic achievement and prepare all students for admission to - and success in - college. ISA, a leading school redesign partner that facilitates the transformation of high schools into small schools and small learning communities (SLCs), is working in partnership with APS to develop and implement three of the district's career-themed schools - Technology, Health Sciences and Research, and Arts - and to create the School of Entrepreneurship for students in grades 10-12. On August 15th, each new school will open with a cohort of 100 ninth grade students, and the School of Entrepreneurship will welcome its returning students. Each following year, the small schools will accept 100 new students entering into the ninth grade until reaching a maximum capacity of 400 students, grades 9-12, in four years.

By combining a rigorous curriculum with real-world learning experiences, the schools will prepare students for success in college and beyond. Each school is small enough to provide students with personalized attention and support, yet is also part of a larger school community of Carver's administrators, teachers, students, parents and the greater Atlanta community who share a vision of educational excellence for all the students. Located at the former site of George Washington Carver High School, the schools will support greater student achievement through internship and mentoring opportunities; extended school day and year; schedules that allow for tutoring, test preparation, homework assistance and extracurricular activities; and college planning and advising. In addition to ISA, the schools also will benefit from partnerships with Project GRAD, The Center for Excellence in Teaching, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and many other community-based organizations.

"We are extremely excited about the exceptional promise that The New Schools of Carver hold for the first - and each subsequent - class of Carver students," said Gerry House, ISA's President and CEO. "Over the past year, ISA has worked hand-in-hand with APS to establish Atlanta's first small high schools, which will enable students to graduate prepared for college or other postsecondary education, work and citizenship."

Each school will adhere to the ISA Seven Principles, a set of principles that defines and guides the ISA Model. Building upon these Seven 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.

To ensure that the New Schools of Carver are a sustainable success, ISA will provide the principals and teachers with ongoing guidance and implementation support throughout the school year. Over the next four years, each school will have an ISA coach - an experienced school leader with expertise in school development and curriculum and instruction - who will be onsite one day per week to support the schools' teams in the development of their school and in the implementation of the ISA Seven Principles. As the newest member of the growing ISA network, The New Schools of Carver will benefit from the experience and support of the other small schools in the network.

"Atlanta Public Schools and ISA share the same vision of inspiring students to reach their full potential, and ISA's proven and ongoing commitment makes it a strong partner in this initiative," said Beverly L. Hall, Ed.D, Superintendent of APS.

ISA's strength as a partner is bolstered by its relationship with the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, & Teaching (NCREST), Teachers College, Columbia University, which supplies schools with student performance and program implementation data to support continuous organizational improvement. NCREST's involvement will help to ensure that the New Schools of Carver meet the district's short- and long-term goals for improving student achievement.

ISA has a 15-year proven record of success, and its redesign model, guided by the Seven Principles, is being implemented in 32 high schools in Georgia, New York and Virginia. ISA was awarded a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop 10 new, small public high schools in New York City and will be opening a new small learning community in Ossining, NY this fall, in addition to establishing the New Schools of Carver. More information about the New Schools of Carver can be found at http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/.

About the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA)

Focusing on improving academic achievement, the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) is a leading school redesign partner that facilitates the transformation of 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 http://www.studentachievement.org/.

The Institute for Student Achievement

CONTACT: Media: Erika Freed, Zer0 to 5ive, +1-212-699-3696,erika@0to5.com, for Institute for Student Achievement, or Mikkal Hart, AtlantaPublic Schools, +1-404-802-2851, mhart@atlanta.k12.ga.us

Web site: http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/

Web site: http://www.studentachievement.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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