Here are three new profiles of some of the winners in a pilot project called Schools of Opportunity, which is highlighting schools that are creating healthy environments for students, teachers and staff. Seventeen schools were named as inaugural winners in initiative to identify and recognize public high schools that seek to close opportunity gaps through practices “that build on students’ strengths” — not by inundating them with tests. (You can see the list here.)

Each high school recognized as 2015 Schools of Opportunity has supported and challenged its students — many of them at-risk — and its teachers, but each story is unique. The first story featured how Colorado’s Centaurus High School fosters a healthy climate for students and teachers. The second profile looked at how one majority-minority school on Long Island, Malverne High School, fosters a college-going culture and builds academic and social-emotional supports around students who need them. The third profile looked at Colorado’s Jefferson County Open School, which has refused to conform to standardization. The fourth looked at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in the Bronx, N.Y., which refuses to allow student learning to be driven by high-stakes tests and that attends to the health of the minds of students as well as their physical health. Thefifth was about Grand Valley High School in Colorado, which changed its academic culture to challenge all students. The sixth story looked at four Colorado schools: Center High School, Durango High School, Mapleton Early College High School, and Long View High School. This post looks at three schools  in New York.

The Schools of Opportunity project is the work of Carol Burris, who just retired as principal of South Side High School in the Rockville Centre School District in New York, and Kevin Welner, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder’s School of Education who specializes in educational policy and law. Burris was named the 2010 Educator of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State, and in 2013, was named New York State High School Principal of the Year. She took early retirement at the end of the school year to advocate for public education. Welner is director of theNational Education Policy Center at UC Boulder, which produces high-quality peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions.

By Carol Burris and Kevin Welner

If high schools provide engaging learning experiences, challenge students, and provide all of the supports needed for success, then gaps in opportunity begin to close. The New York and Colorado applicant schools that meet those challenges, in ways that are designed to equitably support all learners, were recognized as Schools of Opportunity this year.

New York’s 2015 Schools of Opportunity included Malverne High School and Fannie Lou Hamer High School, both featured on the Answer Sheet in prior weeks. The following three New York high schools, which earned Silver recognition, all have one thing in common — they expanded opportunities for all students by opening access to the schools most challenging courses while providing the support that students need to succeed.

Sleepy Hollow High School

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Principal: Carol Conklin Spillane

Superintendent of Schools: Daniel McCann

Enrollment: 884

Economically disadvantaged students: 56 percent

(Used with permission)

Since 2000, any student who wants to take an honors or AP course at Sleepy Hollow High School will find the door wide open.    Sleepy Hollow High School believes that students have the right to challenge themselves and the school’s adults have an obligation to encourage and support them in doing so. The school advises every student and his or her family of the benefits of taking college-level work in high school. Armed with good information and teacher recommendations, students are empowered to make the best decision, knowing they have the support they need to succeed.

Over the last 15 years, Sleepy Hollow increased AP offerings, participation rates, and scores on AP exams. In 2014, 238 students sat for 481 examinations and 29 percent of Sleepy Hollow students were acknowledged by The College Board for exceptional achievement. In addition to Advanced Placement, Sleepy Hollow expanded other college-level coursework through the New York State university system, and private schools such as Syracuse University and Mercy College. Students have the opportunity to earn college credits while getting the kind of exposure to challenging coursework that gives them a strong foundation that prepares students for higher education.

Long Beach High School

Lido Beach, New York

Principal: William Stoud

Superintendent: David Weis

Enrollment: 1298

Economically disadvantaged students: 32 percent

(Used with permission)

Prior to the 2006-2007, placement for Long Beach High School students in honors and college level courses was determined by a series of prerequisite courses, test averages, and teacher recommendations. These obstacles proved daunting to many students. As a result there was very little student movement from one track to another.

Long Beach High School shifted to course programming via self-selection. Self-selection provided access and opportunities for all students to access a diverse array of courses including college level (International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Syracuse University Project Advance, and college-affiliated) courses, electives, music and arts, and the core curriculum courses.   However, there were still disparities in student placement and performance with self-selection.   More affluent students took the higher-level courses and the students from economically disadvantaged families more often selected lower-level courses. This happened regardless of actual ability levels.

To fix the problem of racial and socio-economic stratification in classes and to make sure that all students were challenged, the high school moved to heterogeneously grouped English and Social Studies classes in the ninth and tenth grades. The ninth-grade English classes had a low class size (22 students) and were co-taught by an English teacher and a reading or special education teacher. In preparation for the shift, the teaching staff received training through workshops, consultants, and through their common planning periods. Today the tenth-grade English classes are also heterogeneously grouped, along with ninth and tenth grade social studies classes.

During the years immediately following the de-tracking initiative, Long Beach High School saw a 54 percent decrease in student suspensions; teachers and students reported a tremendous increase in the writing demands of the curriculum; and Long Beach High School the graduation rate, Regents Diploma rate, Advanced Regents diploma rate, and the number of students challenging themselves in honors, AP, IB, and college level courses all increased. Long Beach High School remains committed to continuing this work and to ongoing improvements for all students. Students have more opportunity because Long Beach detracked.

Eastridge High School

Principal: Timothy Heaphy

Superintendent: Susan Allen

Rochester, New York

Enrollment: 952

Economically disadvantaged students: 51 percent

Over the last decade, the East Irondequoit Board of Education made it a priority to expand access to students so that they could do college level work and earn college credit while still in high school. Providing that access, in a diverse high school in which 51 percent of all students receive free or reduced priced lunch, can be a challenge.

Determined to make equitable access happen, the district is actively seeking to bring more disadvantaged students into the best classes it has to offer. For example, Eastridge is working in partnership with the International Baccalaureate Organization on strategies to increase the number of economically disadvantaged students who take IB courses.

In addition, last year Eastridge High School entered a partnership with Monroe Community College. The college brings guest speakers into classes and provides informational programs for parents or guardians in the evening. Eastridge students can now take MCC courses in high school for MCC credit. Determined that financial restraints should not get in the way of students taking college-level courses, the district decided that they would foot the bill. All International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement exams are paid for by the district and MCC courses are at no cost to students and their families.

Eastridge goes above and beyond to send the message that you can be ready for post-secondary education, and the school will help you by giving you college experiences now.