Think College Now

From Forbes Magazine, July 7, 2010

Have you hear about Think College Now?

Maybe you should… Here are the facts!

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Think College Now is a public elementary school of 300 students in Oakland, California. The goal is to have all the students attend college.

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THE BEST PART – Thinking College

• Hallways, notebooks and t-shirts bear emblems of various colleges
• Classes divided into groups named after Ivy League schools
• Signs that say “Am I making college-bound choices today?”

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Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

• 95% qualify for subsidized lunches
• 60% speak English as a second language
• In the city of Oakland, only 68% of students graduate from high school

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The Proof

• In 2009, 66% of the students speak English at grade level, versus 10% in 2003.
• In 2009, 81% of the students are math proficient at grade level, versus 23% in 2003.

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The Academics

• Clear standards and ways to meet them
• Frequent testing, transparent results and quick intervention
• Active parents’ organization to support children

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Testing and ELL Students

California state appeals ruled this week that public schools can test all students in English, regardless of English language skills.  According to an article in US News & World Report, there are nearly 1.6 million students in California who have limited English speaking proficiency.  Because of No Child Left Behind, English Language Learners do receive some accommodations during testing, such as the use of dictionaries.

Click here to see how California compares to other states in percentage of English Language Learners.