兔子先生传媒文化作品

University of Colorado Boulder's听National Education Policy Center (NEPC) recently recognized 20 inspiring high schools across the U.S., as part of its听 project. The program听identifies and recognizes excellent public high schools that actively strive to close opportunity gaps 鈥� the differences in opportunities and resources that drive the well-known achievement gaps, said NEPC Director and 兔子先生传媒文化作品 Professor Kevin Welner.

鈥淐hildren learn when they have opportunities to learn,鈥� said Welner, co-director for the project. 鈥淲hen those opportunities are denied, they fall behind.

Following last year鈥檚 pilot of the project, serving just Colorado and New York, the 2016 recognitions considered high schools from coast to coast. This year's winners included New Vista High School in Boulder, which听allows students to shape the educational program to meet their needs and interests,听as well as听an innovative rural school in Vermont and听a school serving international refugees in California.

鈥淭he project offers an alternative way of assessing school quality鈥攐ne that rejects the idea that test scores identify the nation鈥檚 best schools,鈥� said Carol Burris, co-director of the project. 鈥淪chools of Opportunity use research-based practices to support all students and their teachers, thereby creating engaged and successful learning environments.鈥�

The review team 鈥� comprised of about 40 researchers, teachers, policy makers and administrators 鈥� based the 鈥済old鈥� and 鈥渟ilver鈥� recognitions on specific principles identified in the book, 鈥淐losing the Opportunity Gap,鈥� which was co-edited by Welner.

Applications went through four levels of screening, including rubric-based ratings and in-person evaluator visits to the recognized 鈥済old鈥� schools. Evaluators looked at school practices that fell into categories, such as create and maintain healthy school culture; broaden and enrich school curriculum; use a variety of assessments designed to respond to student needs; and support teachers as professionals.

The eight Gold Schools of Opportunity in 2016 are:

• Crater Renaissance Academy, Central Point, Oregon
• Hillsdale High School, San Mateo, California
• Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School, Townshend, Vermont
• Rainier Beach High School, Seattle, Washington
• Revere High School, Revere, Massachusetts
• Rochester International Academy, Rochester, New York
• South Side High School, Rockville Centre, New York
• William Smith High School, Aurora, Colorado

The 12 high schools that earned Silver Schools of Opportunity recognitions in 2016 are:

• Boston Arts Academy, Boston, Massachusetts
• Cedar Shoals High School, Athens, Georgia
• Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia
• East Rockaway High School, East Rockaway, New York
• New Vista High, Boulder, Colorado
• Northwest High School, Germantown, Maryland
• Oakland International High, Oakland, California
• Ossining High School, Ossining, New York
• Quilcene High School, Quilcene, Washington
• Stillman Valley High School, Stillman Valley, Illinois
• Urbana High School, Urbana, Illinois
• Washington Technology Magnet School, St. Paul, Minnesota

To learn more about the schools, including descriptions for each, the project and the nomination process, visit.

The Schools of Opportunity project is supported by the Ford Foundation and the National Education Association Foundation. The call for nominations for the 2017 Schools of Opportunity recognitions will launch in November 2016 and evaluations will take place in the spring.听