Dive Temporary:
- The Aspen Institute awarded two faculties — Amarillo School, in Texas, and Imperial Valley School, in California — its Prize for Neighborhood School Excellence Thursday. The winners will cut up the $1 million prize.
- The Aspen Prize is a biennial award that acknowledges the highest neighborhood faculties within the nation and the practices that permit their college students to succeed.
- Each faculties have been highlighted for the inventive methods they’ve proven their dedication to college students, in addition to their improved scholar final result metrics.
Dive Perception:
Amarillo School and Imperial Valley School have each launched creative methods to assist college students graduate. Imperial Valley, for instance, has revamped its scheduling course of across the availability of scholars. It has additionally launched into constructing tiny homes on campus for college students experiencing homelessness or previously within the foster care system.
“Once we noticed that, that simply blew me away,” Michael Sorrell, Aspen Prize co-chair and president of Paul Quinn School, mentioned Thursday on the award ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Amarillo has additionally revamped its scheduling, instructing most programs in eight-week classes.
That was a troublesome elevate, Amarillo President Russell Lowery-Hart instructed Larger Ed Dive.
“There have been pedagogical challenges. There have been scheduling and advising challenges,” he mentioned. “But nonetheless, with these challenges our scholar success charge elevated 12% over the 16-week semester lessons.”
Moreover, the school upgraded its tutoring system, referring all college students to obligatory tutoring in the event that they obtain a 70% or decrease on any project.
“You may really feel it on the campus in addition to see it within the outcomes,” mentioned Jane Swift, co-chair and former governor of Massachusetts, on Amarillo’s dedication to its college students.
The 2 faculties have knowledge to again up their dedication to college students. In simply 4 years, Imperial Valley has practically doubled the credentials awarded per scholar and seen a 12 share level enhance in commencement charges, Sorrell mentioned. The faculty enrolls 60% to 80% of its space’s highschool graduates.
Sorrell mentioned these numbers “may very well be the very best p.c Aspen and its companions have ever seen. We’re speaking a couple of historic accomplishment.”
Amarillo School, which received Aspen’s Rising Star Award in 2021, has doubled its commencement and switch charges since 2010, Swift mentioned. Graduates are making about $11,000 extra per yr than different new hires within the area.
The selection to choose two faculties to win the award, out of 10 complete finalists, was not a primary within the 12-year historical past of the prize. Schools shared the highest honor in 2013 and 2019.
“This isn’t a compromise in high quality, these are two extraordinary candidates that should be celebrated,” mentioned Sorrell. “As a substitute of choosing, why don’t we simply have fun them each?”
The 2 faculties have been chosen from greater than 100 candidates. Along with scholar final result metrics, the prize jury interviewed college, workers and college students to decide on a winner.
