Compton School to Receive Highest State Academic Honors

Los Angeles, CA - Just about every student at Bursch elementary is on the free or reduced lunch program. For years, their scores were far below the state's goal of 800. Not anymore. After implementing The Write Connection almost three years ago, Bursch has increased its API, or Academic Performance Index, an average of 64 points every year.

Though Bursch's African- American population is 27-percent, it is still considered significantly relevant to affect the school's overall API. African-American students traditionally test far below their white and Asian counterparts, but at Bursch clearly they changed this negative trend. In 2007, African-Americans at Bursch increased their API scores by 87 points, making it the highest gain in the state.

That's no small achievement and is being hailed as a dramatic example of the possibilities that exist when it comes to closing the achievement gap.

The achievement gap refers to the disparity in education between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability, and socioeconomic status.

Just last week, Bursch will become one of latest honorees as a California Distinguished School. Only schools that have shown exemplarily progress in achieving academic success at a high level for every student are awarded this honor.

Administrators, including Bursh's principal, Dr. Abimbola Ajala, credit a new writing program for the school's success.

The program, The Write Connection, was created by a former inner city educator.

"By implementing The Write Connection, these schools have either closed the achievement gap or are on their way," says Deborah Stephenson, the former elementary school teacher who created the program. "This curriculum significantly impacts student achievement."

Stephenson says she created a system that motivates students from all skill levels to want to learn how to write.

Some educators believe that some ethnic students struggle because teachers are unable to penetrate a cultural barrier. Though this may be true in some cases, Stephenson says that is not the case when teachers use with The Write Connection. By tapping into the child, the program crosses all ethnic, gender, socioeconomic and ability barriers. Children may have their differences, but they are still all kids.

The real power of this richly academic program is that students literally can't wait to participate in the student centered lessons.

"My students are all excited and motivated during the lessons," says Katherine Andrews, principal at Flournoy Elementary School in LAUSD. "We love The Write Connection."

Most state adopted programs generally focus too much on reading, according to Stephenson. However, some believe that replacing reading with writing they lose precious instructional minutes. Stephenson strongly disagrees with that logic.

"The opposite is true. Just because a student appears to be reading, doesn't mean they are, or even if they are, it doesn't mean they comprehend what they've read. But if students write, especially about what they have previously learned in the content areas such as science and social studies, they had to understand the information in order to write an essay. Writing is the quintessential of reading comprehension," says Stephenson.

The Write Connection is in a handful of schools across California where scores have increased dramatically.

Century Park's former principal started the program at his school. After years of stagnate scores, his once mainly Hispanic school now has the fourth highest Hispanic API increase in the state after just one year of school-wide implementation. He was so impressed with the program success, he's in the process of implementing it at his new school too.

"Schools have a duty to keep trying ways to improve student achievement, until they find the right fit for their school," Stephenson says. "It frustrating because I visit schools that I know we can help, but because they have been forced to implement curriculum in the past that was supposed to work but hasn't, it makes it a lot harder for them to believe that this program really will work."

"Today there is a lot of emphasis on test scores, but let's not lose sight that attached to these scores are children that will grow up and their future rests in the hands of our schools."

SOURCE: Bursch elementary