Two Schools and District to be Showcased as

High-Achieving Urban Educators in San Diego

OKLAHOMA CITY – A “whole family” approach to education is credited for Linwood Elementary School being named one of five 2006 National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) Excellence in Education Award recipients. Teamwork is what gave Taft Middle School an edge as it was named one of the nine finalists in this same national awards program. The NCUST awards process highlights urban school districts exhibiting evidence of high-performance.

Principals from these two schools as well as Superintendent Bob Moore will make a presentation on what strategies have enabled the schools and the district to achieve success at the NCUST Inaugural National Symposium May 5 and 6 in San Diego. Those in attendance will be from other urban school districts from across the country.

“This is such an honor not only for the school district but also for the Northwest Classen Learning Community,” says DeAnn Davis, executive director of student performance for the Northwest Classen Learning Community. “I am so proud of these two schools. Oklahoma City Public Schools is the only district in the nation to have a winner and a finalist in the top nine applicants and then have the district itself honored as high performing, too.

A winning strategy Linwood’s principal will share is one where the school staff has developed a learning-oriented culture. They share the same mission of providing programs that meet the needs of all children regardless of background or need. “We’ve created a learning community that strives to develop the whole family,” explains Kathy Draper, principal of Linwood. “This recognition is testament to our shared vision.”

At Taft Middle School the recognition is a validation of the hard work and perseverance of the staff according to the principal, Lisa Johnson. She attributes Taft’s success to “teachers working in vertical and horizontal teams to align and integrate the curriculum. We also have a governance system which ensures decisions are made at the closest level of implementation.”

With approximately 30 schools in the district applying for the award program it called attention to the successes Oklahoma City Public Schools’ students and teachers have experienced over the past three years. That notice led to an invitation for Superintendent Moore to also present at the symposium.

“It’s an honor for the district to have an organization such as this single you out as a high-achieving district due to the implementation of successful strategies. I look forward to sharing our success stories with other urban school districts from around the country. Just as it took our district coming together as a team to get back on track to become a model urban school district, it will take school districts across the country coming together as a team to get public education back on track for all children,” comments Superintendent Moore.

According to Dr. Joseph Johnson, Executive Director of NCUST selecting the winners from the finalists was like “splitting hairs.” “This was a tough job. We were comparing great schools to other great schools. All are getting good results when you look at their test scores in comparison to other schools in their home states. Our site visits confirmed that the data submitted was telling the truth. 

“At Linwood and Taft we saw great instructors, strong leadership, good parental involvement and a strong commitment from all to achieve at high levels,” comments Johnson, adding, “All of the selected school districts should feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment because they are doing great things for all students.”

The mission of NCUST is to help urban school districts achieve academic proficiency and prepare students well for life after high school. The goal of the symposium and awards program is to identify and study urban schools and districts that are transforming teaching and learning as evidenced by excellent learning results for all students.

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