America's Best Urban Schools
June 5, 2023
- National Center for Urban School Transformation
- 619-594-7905
- ncust@sdsu.edu
- 9245 Sky Park Court Suite 120 San Diego, CA 92123
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We endeavor to support urban schools, districts, and their partners in becoming their best selves. Our studies of outstanding urban schools have led us to learn that, when at their best, urban schools infuse hope into the lives of children and communities. They lead all demographic groups of students to learn challenging academic standards, develop a love of learning, and graduate well prepared to succeed in post-secondary education, careers, and their communities. They empower students to reshape the trajectories of their lives. We seek to support urban schools, districts, and their partners as they endeavor to transform themselves in ways that emulate the best characteristics of the outstanding urban schools we have had the privilege to identify, celebrate, and study.
In every community, citizens can quickly tell you the names of their worst schools. However, if you asked which urban schools in their community outperformed overall state averages, many citizens might think you were asking a trick question. NCUST delights in identifying, awarding, and celebrating America’s best urban schools: schools that achieve multiple evidences of academic excellence for every racial/ ethnic/income group served. We look for schools where students with emerging English proficiency are thriving. As well, we look for dual language academies where all demographic groups of students are developing proficiency in two or more languages. We celebrate schools where Black, Latinx, and Native American students outperform statewide averages for all students. We thrill to find schools where students with disabilities learn the same challenging academic standards being taught to all other students. Our annual America’s Best Urban Schools Award Program provides us with outstanding opportunities to find schools where excellence and equity merge to form the beacon of light that directs all efforts.
We learn so much each time we visit an outstanding urban school! We observe classrooms. We talk with students, parents, and teachers. We shadow principals. We attend teacher collaboration meetings. We try to understand how school personnel work together to create such a powerful difference for all the students they serve. Then, we endeavor to share what we have learned through speeches, workshops, articles, books, webinars, courses, and our annual America’s Best Urban Schools Symposium.
We strive to help our partners become their best selves in service to their students. Each partnership is tailored to build upon local strengths and respond to local needs. We continuously seek to improve our services (to become our best selves) in ways that help our partners make a powerful difference in their communities.
established in 2005, NCUST strives to help urban school districts and their partners transform urban schools into places where all students achieve academic proficiency, evidence a love of learning, and graduate well prepared to succeed in post-secondary education, the workplace, and their communities.
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