"The foundation offered in first grade and kindergarten is unbelievable. It’s very rich in phonics and language development, which later leads to success."
JOAN REILLY, SFA Facilitator
The Challenge
When Edward Hynes Charter School in New Orleans reopened in 2006, after Hurricane Katrina, the teachers decided to adopt the instructional framework and materials provided by the Success for All whole-school improvement program, to get their students’ reading up to speed. They hoped the rigorously-evaluated program developed at Johns Hopkins University would provide the structured curriculum, professional development, data tools, and intervention strategies required to succeed.
“SFA is a template for learning and teaching; in a 90-minute lesson, it’s got all of the effective strategies for balanced delivery of a good reading lesson,” says principal Michelle Douglas. “We felt that with SFA, we were so well trained and moving on our way to reform that we couldn’t imagine teaching children the old way.”
The Results
When it came time for fourth graders at Edward Hynes to take the state reading test recently, the teachers knew the students were well prepared, perhaps more so than children in other grades at the New Orleans school. The students proved them right when 100% of the class met or exceeded the grade-level standard on the LEAP test.
Students throughout the K–8 school have benefited in the LEAP results: 91% of eighth graders met grade-level benchmarks, a significant improvement over previous scores.
But Douglas downplays standardized tests as a true measure of success. What’s more important to her, the Hynes staff, and SFA is the creation of a learning environment where all students can succeed.
“It’s not just about the test scores,” she explains. “Success for All Foundation brought in the collegiality and the collaborative approach to instruction. And the Foundation is always kicking it up a notch, making sure we sustain our growth, but always digging deeper to improve learning for all our kids.”