District Administration - September 2007 - (Page 22)

DistrictProﬁle ATLANTA (GA.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS A Small School Approach to Transforming a District R. BEVERLY L. HALL’S GOAL when she became the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools in 1999 was to transform the struggling K12 school system into one of the nation’s leading urban districts. Hall targeted the youngest students ﬁrst, implementing a standards-based curriculum at the elementary school level. In 2003, 75 percent of fourth-graders met or exceeded the state standard for reading, and 67 percent met or exceeded the state standard for math, up from 47 percent and 43 percent respectively in 2000. New Schools of Carver Oﬀ to a good start, Hall set her sights on reforming the district’s struggling high schools. In 2003, APS’s graduation rate was 54 percent, nearly 10 percentage points below the state average. After looking at several research-based school reform models, Hall decided to have the district test the small school approach at its Carver campus, which had a 36 percent graduation rate in 2005. Since over 40 percent of the students that lived in Carver’s school zone either dropped out or turned to private schools for their high school education, APS worked closely with the community during the planning and implementation phases to increase buy in. APS conducted informational sessions with the Atlanta Housing Authority to win the support of the school board. Plus, APS worked with the existing PTSA to organize Carver’s current students and their parents into focus groups, and it used surveys to gain input from everyone from the faculty and staﬀ to community members. Now called the New Schools of Carver, 22 September 2007 By Jennifer Maciejewski D Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Beverly L. Hall (far right) and Abigail Crawford, principal of Carver School of Business and Entrepreneurship, congratulate a senior. APS broke down Carver High School into ﬁve schools, each with no more than 400 students, beginning with the 2005-2006 school year. All of the New Schools of Carver share certain resources, but each Atlanta (Ga.) Public Schools No. of teachers: 3,465 No. of students: 49,392 No. of high schools: 14 Per-pupil expenditure: $11,563 District population: 450,000 Free and reduced-priced lunch: 74% Schools meeting AYP in 2007: 83.5% Graduation rate in 2006: 69% Superintendent: Beverly L. Hall Web site: www.atlanta.k12.ga.us school employs its own principal, guidance counselor and teachers. Using themes to hook the students, incoming freshmen choose which one of the New Schools of Carver they will attend: School of Technology, School of Health Sciences and Research, School of the Arts, and Early College. Carver High School’s existing 10th- through 12th-graders make up the student body of the ﬁfth school: the School of Entrepreneurship. Though the four main schools will add a grade each year until they meet capacity, the School of Entrepreneurship will lose a grade each year until it phases itself out. Changing the Culture But changing the high school’s structure is only part of the equation. “A lot of districts spend a lot of time thinking through restructuring their schools, but it’s really about changing the culture and the District Administration http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - September 2007

Cover
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
District Buying Power 2007
X-Factor Student Achievement Awards 2007
We've Got Mail
Supporting New Teachers
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Problem Solution
Computer Literature
Research Corner
Online Edge
Supervisor’s Opinion
Speaking Out
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - September 2007