Our team reviews all of the data gathered from all of our finalists to determine who will be our bronze, silver and gold winners. Those that have the most evidences of success earn our gold award, followed by silver and then bronze.
Across all schools we find evidence of high-expectations for student learning, teacher collaboration, direct and small-group instruction to address diverse learning needs, processes to identify and support students who need intervention, opportunities for students to engage in rich arts and extra-curricular activities, and caring, supportive relationships among students, faculty, parents, and community members.
We find students who feet valued, capable, and cared for by all of the adults in the schools. Bent on preparing their students for college and career, teachers helped their students grapple with rigorous content through problem-based inquiry, interdisciplinary instruction, and small-group discussions of essential questions. Through career pathways, students gained necessary technical skills while learning to work collaboratively and think critically. In addition, these schools offered students impressive instrumental and choral music programs, visual arts, drama, dance, culinary arts offerings, pre-veterinary science courses, along with a myriad of clubs and other opportunities to enrich and extend learning.