Nash Elementary School Celebrates Highest Growth in Student Achievement in Chicago With Community Block Party
Chicago, IL (PRWEB) September 30, 2013 -- In a city that’s witnessed the shuttering of dozens of schools in recent years, Nash Elementary School Principal Dr. Tresa Dunbar is throwing a block party for her school. She has good reason. The school’s teachers and 405 students and their families are celebrating a huge turnaround in student achievement at the West Side school.
For 17 years, Nash was considered a “failing school.” Over the past four years under Dr. Dunbar’s leadership, supported by a great teaching team and powerful intervention tools, such as Achieve3000’s online differentiated literacy solutions, the school has realized great gains in all academic areas. Nash has just learned that it is no longer considered a “failing school”, and is coming off probation. In fact, as part of Chicago Public Schools Pioneer School initiative – in which students have an extended school day – Nash achieved the highest academic growth of any school in the city – nearly 15 percent.
To celebrate these accomplishments, Nash is throwing what Dr. Dunbar describes as a “down-home West Side folks’ celebration,” paid for entirely by the principal and her husband, and other local and national donors. On Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 am -1 pm, the street in front of the school will be the scene of the block party for the students and community.
“Our community fair is a gift to our school’s teachers, students, parents and community members. It will provide us with a chance to celebrate our achievements as well as express appreciation for our valued partners, such as Achieve3000, who have been with us every step of the way on our path to success,” said Dr. Dunbar. “Together, we will all celebrate our fantastic accomplishments and set a course for a school year where our students will achieve at even higher levels.”
Special guests in attendance will include Illinois Governor Pat Quinn; 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin; 37th Ward Alderman Emma Mitts; State Representative (8th District) La Shawn K. Ford; the Reverend Ira Acree, Pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church; and Chandra James, Chief of Chicago Public Schools’ Austin-North Lawndale Network. Games, entertainment, music and a community cookout will be featured at the celebration.
“I am very excited to congratulate Dr. Dunbar and the entire Nash Elementary School community for this fantastic achievement,” said Achieve3000 CEO and Founder Saki Dodelson. “Their success is exemplary of what dedicated leadership and a strong school community can achieve.”
About Achieve3000
Achieve3000® is the leader in online differentiated literacy instruction, serving millions of students across the United States. For more than 14 years, the company has been consistently helping students achieve significant Lexile reading gains—often double-to-triple the expected gains, compared to non-users of the system.
Based on decades of scientific research, Achieve3000 solutions deliver engaging, nonfiction content that supports core curriculum, Response to Intervention, English language learning, special education, and other instructional models. eScience3000® (for grades 6-8), KidBiz3000® (for grades 2-5), TeenBiz3000® (for grades 6-8), Empower3000™ (for grades 9-12) and Spark3000® (for adult learners) are aligned with Common Core State Standards for English language arts as well as Illinois curriculum standards. Achieve3000 supports 21st century education initiatives across content areas and is raising student performance across the country. The company is based in Lakewood, N.J.
Shaun Wiley, L. Wolfe Communications, +1 (773) 278-2800, [email protected]
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