Schools of Opportunity | |
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Location | Boulder, Colorado |
Founder | Carol Corbett Burris [1] |
Country | United States |
Launched | 2014 |
Website | https://www.schoolsofopportunity.org/ |
Schools of Opportunity is a project that aims to recognize public high schools that minimize opportunity gaps with outstanding education. [2] The National Education Policy Center, a non-profit education policy research center, created Schools of Opportunity as a project in 2014. [3]
The Schools of Opportunity project gives annual "gold" and "silver" recognition to schools in the United States. [4] The project seeks to recognize those high schools that follow practices such as supporting students' physical and psychological health, having outreach to the community, and having a broad, enriched curriculum. [5] It is built on criteria set forth in the 2013 book, Closing the Opportunity Gap. [6]
The Schools of Opportunity project believes that high quality schools are those that use research-based practices, and that standardized testing mainly reflects the student's learning opportunities outside of school; therefore, the project does not focus on how effective the school is. [7] [8] That is, the project illustrates an alternative to ranking systems based on test score, which overwhelmingly reward schools that serve wealthy or cherry-picked student bodies. [9] Schools submit initial applications explaining and documenting why they should be recognized with a reward. Then, after two online reviews and one school visit, the gold and silver recognitions are announced. In order to qualify for recognition, the school must be a public or charter school; it must enroll high school students; at least 10% of the school must qualify for free or reduced priced lunch; the percentage of students with Individualized Education Programs must not fall 2 or more points below the district where the school is located; the school must commit to ensuring all students have access to rich, challenging but supported learning opportunities; and it must be committed to non-exclusionary discipline practices. [10] While designated Schools of Opportunity do not receive extra funding, the directors of the project hope for them to serve as role models for other peers. [11]
Schools of Opportunity was founded in 2014 in New York and Colorado by the National Education Policy Center and expanded across the United States in 2015. [12] The project has been funded by, among others, the Ford Foundation, the NEA Foundation, and Voqal. [13]
School | Reward |
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Centaurus High School | Gold |
Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School | Gold |
Grand Valley High School | Gold |
Jefferson County Open School | Gold |
Malverne High School | Gold |
Center High School | Silver |
Charles D’Amico High School | Silver |
Durango High School | Silver |
Eastridge High School | Silver |
Elwood – John H. Glenn High School | Silver |
Fox Lane High School | Silver |
Harrison High School | Silver |
Long Beach High School | Silver |
Long View High School | Silver |
Mapleton Early College High School | Silver |
Sleepy Hollow High School | Silver |
Sunset Park High School | Silver |
School | Reward |
---|---|
Crater Renaissance Academy | Gold |
Hillsdale High School | Gold |
Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School | Gold |
Rainier Beach High School | Gold |
Revere High School | Gold |
Rochester International Academy | Gold |
South Side High School | Gold |
William Smith High School | Gold |
Boston Arts Academy | Silver |
Cedar Shoals High School | Silver |
Clarke Central High School | Silver |
East Rockaway High School | Silver |
New Vista High | Silver |
Northwest High School | Silver |
Oakland International High | Silver |
Ossining High School | Silver |
Quilcene High School | Silver |
Stillman Valley High School | Silver |
Urbana High School | Silver |
Washington Technology Magnet School | Silver |
School | Reward |
---|---|
Broome Street Academy Charter High School | Gold |
Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences | Gold |
Denver South High School | Gold |
Health Sciences High & Middle College | Gold |
Lincoln High School | Gold |
Seaside High School | Gold |
Hammond High School | Silver |
William C. Hinkley High School | Silver |
School | Reward |
---|---|
Casco Bay High School | Gold |
Clark Street Community School | Gold |
Native American Community Academy | Gold |
Pocomoke High School | Gold |
Salt Lake Center for Science Education | Gold |
Social Justice Humanitas | Gold |
Martin Luther King Jr. Early College | Silver |