From the Gates Foundation: what college graduates look like today
The Hour: Carver named as one important element in the success at Brien McMahan High School
No simple formula for improving graduation rate at BMHS
By Roz McCarthy, May 6, 2017 SEE THE ARTICLE HERE
For the past two years, Brien McMahon High School has had stellar four-year graduation rates — 95 percent and 96 percent, respectively — after years of scoring in the high 80s. Something must have changed.
Was it:
a. The APEX program — online courses kids can take for credit?
b. House, the school-wide advisory program?
c. An emphasis on student-centered learning?
d. A change in school culture?
According to Principal Suzanne Koroshetz, it’s not any one of those reasons. Rather, it’s all of them and more, but she starts with the House program.
“The House advisory program has had a halo effect that shows in a lot of places,” she said.
During this weekly 20-minute meeting, students and their advisors talk about how to be successful — emotionally, socially and academically. Every quarter they look at their GPA’s and form goals for the next quarter. They learn about their learning styles, strategies for studying, and time management. House, she said, is a “systematic conversation about academic success” that has helped kids keep their eyes on the prize — graduation, college and career choices.
Math department chairman Tom O’Neil, a BMHS teacher for 15 years, said he sees a difference in the kids’ attitudes. For years, he despaired that many students thought the goal of school was just to get through the day-to-day academic work. Their understanding of the big picture, the value of their education, seemed weak.
In the past few years, however, he has sensed a change. Now, he said, when freshmen enter the school, “we really try to show them that their education is not about today, but it’s about investing in themselves.”
He credits Principal Koroshetz with having a strong vision for school improvement. She demands that teachers do what’s best for kids, and, he said, “she doesn’t just say it; she really believes it.” New programs like House, YDP (a comprehensive after-school program designed by teachers and funded by the George Washington Carver Center), and a strong emphasis on academics have made a difference.
“We try to open doors for them,” he said. “We push, we push, we push to get them into high-level courses.”
Guidance department chairperson Dawn Leeds said having freshmen-only guidance counselors has made a difference. “We get into their lives faster because we are concentrating on the needs of freshmen only.”
As a freshmen counselor, she looked closely at their performance and reacted quickly when trouble began to brew. “I’d pull them in. I’d say, ‘I see you. What’s happening?’”
In spite of the support systems, in spite of new programs, and in spite of the strong encouragement, some kids still fail or lose course credit because of poor attendance. The APEX program, online courses that students take after school, was designed to help those students. Principal Koroshetz called APEX “summer school during the school year.”
Teachers monitor the after-school APEX program and offer help while students work on their individual courses. Right now, 36 students are working to gain the credits they need. Students are enrolled for as little as ¼ credit or as much as 2 credits.
Housemaster Qadir Abdus-Salaam, who supervises the program, said it is “absolutely effective.” As of today, 11 seniors have completed the course work they need to graduate in June. Without this option, they’d either go to summer school or night school next year.
But it’s one thing to have the APEX program available; it’s quite another to make sure students complete their work. “I have to really be on top of them,” he said. “Sometimes I’m walking in the hall after school and I say to a kid, ‘Go to APEX now.’ Sometimes, I pull them into my office, take out a Chromebook and say, ‘Get to work!’”
He relentlessly pursues the kids. “I hate the thought of our young men and women going out without a diploma,” he said.
Clearly, there is no magic formula for improving the graduation rate. Rather, the increase reflects an array of changes in the school. As O’Neil said, “Change is hard and doesn’t happen instantaneously.”
But for Koroshetz, the biggest change has been that “we put the students in the center of everything. We just work differently now, and all the little things add up to a big change.”
Roz McCarthy is a former Norwalk school board member and Norwalk Public Schools employee. Look for her Chalk Talk column the first of every month. Email her at rozmcc2@gmail.com.
Bankwell continues its longterm financial and volunteer support of Carver
Here is Christine Chivily, Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer for Bankwell, standing with Carver's Joe Gallagher, Waid Ramsubhag, and with some of our younger students at the Carver Community Center.
Ms. Chillily was visiting Carver to interact with our students, to learn more about their aspirations, and to share her knowledge of finance with them.
Bankwell is a community bank and so for them "community support" means providing financial support to Carver and to many other great organizations and events that serve and promote areas of education, health and human services and the arts throughout Connecticut. Bankwell employees regularly fan out across Fairfield and New Haven Counties to get involved - volunteering, mentoring and helping to improve life in our communities.
Bankwell was the only Connecticut bank to make the 2016 Top 100 Community Banking listing. Learn about about that coveted award here.
Bankwell exemplifies the essence of being a Connecticut community bank and the Carver community is grateful for their commitment to our wellbeing!
This is National PE and Sport Week!
Click here to learn more at the official website listing ideas on how to be involved!
Norwalk High School student TV profiles Carver YDP student initiatives
In this video (fast forward to 13:46 minutes), Bear Country News, the Norwalk High School student-run video news station "created for students by students to inform and entertain," profiles a Carver Youth Development Program (YDP) student-led initiative to help the Connecticut Humane Society in Westport.
YDP students are raising funds and awareness for the Connecticut Humane Society in Westport. The students visited the agency to learn more about the needs of the animals there and how to help them. YDP students are sharing images of the animals on social media and they are raising funds to donate to the agency by displaying donation canisters in the school cafeteria and by conducting bake sales. Ms. Dolan, the NHS Culinary Arts teacher, helps the students prepare the baked goods that go on sale each Wednesday. The students had raised more than $100 by the time of the video broadcast.
Carver is one of the very few charities in the nation to achieve Charity Navigator's 4 Stars, the highest rating!
Carver is among only 41 nonprofits in Connecticut to receive Charity Navigator's highest rating, far exceeding industry standards for financial health, transparency and for our accountability to our donors. Only 17 charities received the 4 Stars in Fairfield County. The only other charity in Norwalk besides Carver to receive the 4 Star rating is the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Nationwide, less than 25% of rated nonprofits receive the 4 Star rating.
Here is Carver's rating on Charity Navigator.
Carver also received Guidestar's Platinum Seal, it's highest rating after the Bronze, Silver and Gold seals, for organizational transparency and performance measurement. GuideStar is the world's largest source of information about nonprofit organizations.
May 8th begins Teacher Appreciation Week! Plan now!
2017 Child of America Gala raises $420,000!
See the Facebook photo album here.
Our annual gala at Wee Burn Country Club in Darien on Friday, April 28, 2017 was a great success in honoring Marcus Mabry of CNN and Austin McChord of Datto, Inc. and in raising $420,000 for the benefit of Carver kids!
See the Silent and Live Auction here!
See the gala Program Journal here!
See more details at the 2017 gala website that will remain a permanent online record of this year's event.
Our 2017 Gala Co-Chairs were Leah Glover and Jacqueline Novotny. Our Gala Committee Members were Wendy and Rich Baskin; Alexandra and Rich Baudouin; Erin and Sean Berry; Marilyn Altman Fider; Craig Glover; Joan and John de Regt; Margaret and Patrick Steele; Mary Ellen Walsh; Meggan and Joe Warren; and Barbara and Richard Whitcomb.
Our students and their families, Carver Board of Directors, staff and volunteers join the 2017 Gala Committee in thanking everyone for participating in our annual celebration of Building Lifetime Achievers!
The evening began at 6 PM with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and good fellowship on the picturesque Wee Burn Country Club veranda. A fun and exciting silent and live auction and dinner followed conducted by Michael B. Nuzzo.
Then there was fellowship and fun from 9 to well after 11PM!
