Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Teacher-Led Initiative Helps California School Double Its Graduation Rate | NEA Today

Teacher-Led Initiative Helps California School Double Its Graduation Rate | NEA Today:

Teacher-Led Initiative Helps California School Double Its Graduation Rate

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By Cindy Long
For anyone who still needs proof that giving teachers a voice raises student achievement, March Mountain Continuation High School is an excellent case study. In one year, the Moreno Valley, California school went from a 35 percent graduation rate (the lowest in the state) to a 61 percent rate, and the number of graduates continues to rise. The secret? They got “REAL” with staff-led committees that focus on Resources, Environment, Achievement and Life-long Learners.
“The REAL program is so clever, so simple, so integrated to everything that we needed,” says March Mountain English teacher Julie Alexander. “The idea was that each committee could choose projects that would improve any and every aspect of our campus.”
Although the REAL committee concept originally came from a consultant the school hired with funds from a federal School Improvement Grant, now that it’s in place, it’s a cost-free program that relies on what 
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