Carol Burris, an experienced high school principal, knows that there are many dimensions to school success. Here she writes about a new program to recognize success without relying exclusively on test scores.

Does your school qualify?

Burris writes:

Dear Colleagues,

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) has started an exciting new high school recognition program called Schools of Opportunity. http://opportunitygap.org/

Unlike previous “top 100” lists, Schools of Opportunity will recognize schools for doing the right things by their students in order to close opportunity gaps. It allows nominators (principals, teachers or parents) to show how their high school is outstanding by choosing 6 of 11 research based principles and explaining how their school made progress.

The first round requires short responses where the applicant makes his or her case.

The second round asks the school to provide the data it chooses to submit to make its case.

Using a rubric, Silver and Gold Schools will be recognized. There will be follow-up phone or Skype interviews.

Finally a few truly outstanding schools will be visited for special recognition.

We will not be “ranking” Gold or Silver Schools, but they will be recognized with much publicity.

The Answersheet of the Washington Post will be covering and publishing the lists just as Jay Matthews’ does with his challenge index list.

We are piloting this in New York and Colorado this year, and next year going national. That means that there will be a New York Schools of Opportunity list and one for Colorado this spring.

In order to be eligible, you must have at least 10% of your students receiving free or reduced price lunch, and the % of students with IEPs must be no more than 2% below the average for your district. (For most of you, you are the sole high school in your district so that is of no concern). I am one of the co-directors of the program (I am an NEPC Fellow) and because of that, South Side will not be eligible.

We need to change the conversation regarding what school quality is about. This is how we hope to make that happen.

Press releases are going out. You can find the Answersheet’s announcement here http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/02/schools-of-opportunity-a-new-project-to-recognize-schools-that-give-all-students-a-chance-to-succeed/.

The link to apply is above as well as in the WAPO announcement. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 516 255 8820. Thanks! Carol