College Readiness and What It Takes - An Achievable Dream High School

7/28/2019 College Readiness and What It Takes - An Achievable Dream High School

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An AchievableDream HighSchool (AAD)opened its doors

in 1992 under the belief “that all children can learnand succeed regardlessof their socioeconomicbackgrounds; and thateducation can break thecycle of poverty.” Theschool uses an expandedschedule—both more timeeach day and more days

in the school year thansurrounding schools—todeliver a rigorous collegepreparatory curriculumand expose studentsto career opportunitiesand workplace skills.

“Expanded learning givesus the option to declare:

“NO Failure,” says LeeVreeland, the director of education and studentservices at An Achievable Dream. “We are alwaysopen, so there is time to ensure that all succeed.”Though An Achievable Dream is located in one

of the poorest neighborhoods of Newport News,Virginia, inside the building, administrators andteachers hold students to the same expectationsas those attending wealthier suburban schools:Students will be ready for college and theworkplace upon graduation.

We needed additional time to ensure that ourkids could catch up,” states Vreeland. In theearlier grades, the additional time spent oncore academics not only helps students below

grade level to catch up, it also prepares them forcollege-level classes in later grades, includingAP Calculus, advanced online courses, and dualenrollment courses. In preparation for collegeentrance exams, tenth- and eleventh-gradestudents take SAT math and verbal classes eachday, familiarizing themselves with test items aswell as its format.

The school is so focused on preparing studentsfor post-secondary success that it created aunique curriculum called “What it Takes” toteach workplace skills. “We sat down withcorporations and asked them what it was thatthey wanted young people to come into workwith,” says Quentin Jackson, AAD’s assistantdirector of student services. “They all came backto us and said it was the soft skills—thingslike working with people and how to act in aprofessional manner.” Throughout the schoolyear, students take two to three What it Takesclasses each week, alternating with non-coreacademic classes (e.g. driver’s education andSpanish). These classes are taught by corporatepartners, and the relationships built betweenthem and AAD students often lead to internshipand job shadowing opportunities for eleventh-and twelfth-grade students; approximately 90percent of juniors and seniors are involved in aninternship or job shadowing experience at somepoint during the school year.

Because many of the school’s students will bethe rst in their family to attend college, AADalso supports families as they navigate thecollege application process. Once studentsidentify potential schools, AAD staff membersread through every application, including essays,before they are sent off. Upon acceptance, theschool assists families in completing nancialaid forms and nding sources of nancial aid,including offering scholarships directly fromAn Achievable Dream. Through partnerships

developed with three Virginia universities,AAD graduates accepted into Old Dominion,Norfolk State, or Virginia Tech receive a nancialpackage that includes tuition, room, and board.

“We communicate to all our students that theycan go to college,” says Vreeland, “Throughour academics, SAT prep, the help we providestudents during the application process, and thenancial supports we’re able to offer, we try tohelp our students achieve that goal.”

College Readiness and “What It Takes”at  An Achievable Dream High School /Newport News, VA

 An Achievable Dream High SchoolPrincipal: Marylin Sinclair-White

School schedule: 8:10am–4:10pm

 Additional time compared tosurrounding district: 85 min/dayand 30 days/year

Student Population Grades served: 9–12Number of students: 188Qualify for free/reduced lunch: 83%

Students Scoring At or Above Procient on the Virginia Standards of LearningTest in 2010 (difference compared to surroundingdistrict)

ELA: 93% (+2%)

Math: 92% (+6%)

“Our ultimate goal and the mission of An

Achievable Dream is to use education to breakthe cycle of poverty. We are committed to

doing whatever we can to close the achievement

gap and ensure that our students contribute

positively to society during their time here

and afterward.” Lee Vreeland, Director of Education and StudentServices, An Achievable Dream High School

TIME WELL SPENT58