Gulf County School Receives Award for Reaching Ambitious Goals

While schools across the country are grappling with budget cuts and teacher layoffs, one Florida school has managed to overcome these challenges and earn the title of “School of Distinction” for making significant strides in preparing their students for college.

College For Every Student (CFES), a national nonprofit that helps underserved students get to college and be successful there, granted the awards to 14 schools nationwide, including Port St. Joe Middle School, for their success in meeting ambitious goals during the 2009-10 academic year. These goals include 90 percent or more of students increasing their attendance rate, grade-point average, level of civic engagement, and leadership capacity.

Unlike other CFES schools, which target a portion of their enrollment – the designated “CFES Scholars” – to participate in program activities, schools vying for School of Distinction status are required to engage all students as CFES Scholars.

“The purpose was to move CFES from a cohort of 100 Scholars per school to every student in the school,” says Rick Dalton, CFES president. “It ensures that the program has high impact and cultivates a culture of college-going in the school.”

Changing student expectations and behaviors is particularly important for CFES schools, which serve a large percentage of students who live below the poverty line. CFES activities inspire low-income youth to see college as a real option and provide the tools and opportunities that enable them to graduate from high school and make a successful transition to college.

Remarkable among the 14 award-winning schools was their ability to meet the rigorous School of Distinction standards within the parameters of their existing budgets. Educators sought out resources and materials within their own communities and volunteered time outside of school to help students write college essays and chaperone college trips, among other offerings.

The School of Distinction process galvanized educators, families, and other community members to work together toward a common goal: to put more underserved youth on the path to college. Participants agree that without the School of Distinction framework, and guidance from their CFES program director, these collaborative efforts probably would not have materialized.

“School of Distinction gives the schools a goal to work towards and criteria to meet that goal,” said Stephen Broadwell, superintendent of the Willsboro School District in upstate New York. “It goes beyond the normal evaluation that looks at test scores and progress, and rewards schools for taking additional steps to prepare students for post-secondary education.”

ABOUT CFES

College For Every Student (CFES) – a nonprofit organization based in Cornwall, Vermont – is committed to raising the academic aspirations and performance of underserved youth so that they can prepare for, gain access to, and succeed in college. Ninety-six percent of students participating in CFES went on to attend college over the last five years.

To learn more about the organization, please visit our website at: http://www.collegefes.org