BALTIMORE, Aug. 27,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Success for All
Foundation (SFAF), a pioneer in whole-school improvement, is
proving that school wide success can be replicated. SFAF has been
awarded a multi-year grant to create scholarships to allow
elementary schools in disadvantaged areas to implement its powerful
approach to increase student achievement. "We are thrilled that
this funding will establish scholarships for schools eager to adopt
SFA's transformative approach, beginning in January 2025," said Julie
Wible, CEO of Success for All Foundation.
Success for All's goal will be to dramatically improve reading
achievement for participating schools in disadvantaged areas.
According to the National Assessment for Educational Progress
(NAEP), considered the nation's report card, only 19% of 4th
graders in economically disadvantaged areas read
proficiently. In contrast, schools implementing Success for
All have substantially greater success. In Steubenville, Ohio, third graders in Success
for All partner schools achieve 95% proficiency in Literacy on
Ohio state assessments, in spite
of the high poverty levels in the community.
Success for All was developed by Robert
Slavin and Nancy Madden,
educators and researchers at Johns Hopkins University. The
approach provides extensive professional development in methods
such as cooperative learning, classroom management, frequent
assessment and feedback, use of data to guide instruction,
strategies for English learners, and family support. Success
for All implementation involves school-wide collaboration among
teachers, school leaders, and the community to utilize research
proven strategies for success. Teachers work together to
create common routines to support a positive school climate with
high expectations for success and positive peer interactions.
New classroom instructional routines focus on student engagement
and discussion, with students working together in cooperative
teams. Parents become involved to listen to their child's
reading daily and celebrate progress. School leaders engage staff
in goal setting and progress monitoring to creates shared
responsibility for success. Success for All Foundation
provides school and classroom resources, guidance, training, and
extensive coaching for partner schools over the first three years
of implementation to assist schools with implementation.
This new scholarship initiative will fund much of the start-up
cost for implementing Success for All beginning in January 2025 for 30 schools, and for an
additional 50 schools in January
2026, and January 2027. Schools in low-income
communities focused on higher levels of reading achievement will be
eligible to apply for a scholarship.
"Success for All has provided a solution to reach all
students where they are in their learning journey and has
accelerated growth in a significant way," said Paula M. Escala, Senior Director and
Superintendent of Schools
"The SFA program turned my professional life around
concerning instruction and leadership. The skills, cooperative
learning and partner reading, the structure, and the impact that
the different components have upon children is unbelievable. We
have gone from the lowest school in our district to the highest,
and we have 95% economically disadvantaged children," said
Jerry Allen, former Principal,
Lackland City Elementary School,
Early reading success is critical for long-term academic and
personal achievement, as children who struggle with reading are
four times less likely to graduate from high school. This
initiative aims to close these gaps by ensuring that all students
receive the high-quality instruction they need to thrive.
"Early reading failure is not only a catastrophe for individual
children, it is also a key driver of inequality. Education
researchers disagree on much, but they are united in this
conclusion: We have the tools right now to ensure success in early
literacy. We just need to use the evidence. This grant
funding will support schools as they make real and lasting
differences for all kids," said Wible.
Success for All plans to award scholarships to 130 schools over
the next three years, setting 100,000 children on a path to
success. This initiative is about more than immediate gains; it's
about creating enduring change in education.
Learn More:
https://www.successforall.org/school-success-scholarships/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuccessforAll
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/success-for-all-foundation
Contact
Anna Fox
410-6162317
382372@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Success for All Foundation