Springboard News

Springboard Schools Briefs Senate and House Staff on School District Best Practices

New findings on the impact of school districts on student achievement spark interest in Washington

Washington DC, March 31, 2006 – Springboard Schools, the San Francisco-based school reform network, has provided a non-partisan briefing to staff members of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Springboard's findings regarding the lessons learned from high-performing, low-income school districts in California. The briefing took place March 31 at 12:00 PM. Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Richard Lugar (R-IN), and Representatives Michael Castle (R-DE), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA), and George Miller (D-CA) sponsored the briefing, which was open to all members of Congress and their staff. Attendees included staff from the offices the House and Senate, as well as education-related offices and agencies in the Federal government. Appearing for Springboard Schools were Merrill Vargo, Executive Director, and Ida Oberman, Director of Research & Evaluation.

The briefing discussed early findings from the California Best Practices Study conducted by Springboard Schools. This installment of the study identifies the strategies of district central offices that are having success with students, with a special focus on English learners and students in poverty. To see the presentation slides, click here.

The final report will be published in May, with complete findings and recommendations for policymakers. This advance briefing will provide practical, actionable information regarding what districts can do to accelerate the learning of low-achieving students, and how policymakers can help them succeed. To read the Executive Summary, click here.

The primary questions this study addresses are:

1. What specific policies/actions/strategies at the school district level lead to academic success for traditionally low-performing students?
2. How are the identified policies/actions/strategies implemented by districts and schools? What is the most productive relationship between district and school? 

The study also examines:

• How school districts influence the success of schools, teachers and students
• The impact of state testing and internal assessment
• Systems and structures that successful school districts use to raise student achievement

Springboard Schools conducts in-depth research into California districts and schools that excel in student achievement despite having limited financial resources, large populations of poor children, and many students for whom English is not their native tongue. Springboard Schools has found that there are a set of key concepts and strategies that these districts and schools employ to overcome obstacles and provide outstanding education to their students. These strategies can be applied in any district or school willing to make the commitment to look frankly at itself and make changes based on inquiry and sharing of best practices.

Because educational reform is so important to our country, Springboard Schools has built relationships with both Republicans and Democrats in both houses of Congress. This includes private meetings and support regarding education policy and accountability.

About the Briefing Sponsors

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) is California's senior senator. She was the first woman President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman Mayor of San Francisco, the first woman elected Senator of California and the first woman member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She cosponsored Senate bill 187 which is intended to restore cuts to the Federal Pell Grant Program by ensuring that no student loses their Pell Grant or sees a reduction under the Department of Education's new rules for determining financial need.

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), who began his public career as an Indianapolis Board of School Commission member, has been a long-time advocate of education initiatives, including Success for All, Title I funding for the disadvantaged, the school lunch program and the federal Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program. He has been a longtime proponent of healthy school lunches, and has secured a pilot program for 25 Indiana schools to provide free fresh fruits and vegetables to students throughout the school day.

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is a graduate of public schools from kindergarten through college. She wrote the law creating the first authorization for federal funding for local after-school programs. Senator Boxer is working to improve our public schools by helping communities to repair crumbling schools, reduce class size, and hire more qualified teachers. She has authored legislation to increase federal aid to local after-school programs, make preschool available to more children, and promote school safety.

Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) has played a key role in enacting No Child Left Behind. He chairs the Subcommittee on Education Reform and has jurisdiction over pre-school through high school education. Castle is working toward the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act and reforming the Head Start Program to ensure children are given early education opportunities. Castle will also play a role in shaping any new high school reform legislation.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, has been a leader in increasing educational opportunity. Pelosi believes that the best investment in America 's future is an investment in our children's education, and that begins by giving every student the skills for a life of learning, good teachers, modern classrooms, and increased access to higher education.

Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) is Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a leader in the national education reform movement. Prior to becoming Chairman, Rep. McKeon headed the House Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, with jurisdiction over higher education, technology in education, teacher training, job training, and welfare reform. In this role, McKeon helped to negotiate the formula that resulted in interest rates for the student loan program dropping to the lowest level in the Federal Aid Program’s 38-year history.

Representative George Miller (D-CA) is a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee and is a leading spokesman in Congress on education. Miller was one of the four key congressional authors of the No Child Left Behind education reform bill. Many of the core concepts in the bill concerning improving teacher quality, holding schools accountable for the education of all children, and the need to provide a higher level of financial resources to schools to meet the new goals, came directly from Miller's own legislation. One of Miller's top priorities now is to continue to improve the quality of public schools.

About Springboard Schools

Springboard Schools is a nonprofit and non-partisan network of educators committed to raising student achievement and narrowing the achievement gap. They work with education organizations and their leaders at every level of the system to provide them with knowledge, skills, and tools to create school systems in which good teaching is the norm in every classroom for every student. The Springboard Schools research team has developed a reputation as a reliable source of information that is useful to both practitioners and policy-makers.

Springboard Schools is located at 181 Fremont Street , San Francisco , Ca 94105. For more information, visit www.SpringboardSchools.org or call 415 348-5500.