Broad Acres Continues to Achieve

Last year, NEA’s Priority Schools Campaign reported on Broad Acres Elementary School, the highest-poverty school in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 2000, the school was on the verge of being taken over by the state when the Montgomery County Education Association put forth a proposal to restructure the school with staff and administrator involvement. As a result of that collaborative partnership, Broad Acres achieved adequate yearly progress (AYP) within three years and the students continue to make gains:

• In 2009, 81 percent of Broad Acres students met reading proficiency standards, up from 47 percent in 2003.
• In 2010, reading proficiency rates were about 75, 86, and 76 percent for the third, fourth and fifth grades respectively; math proficiency rates were about 82, 94 and 78 percent in the same grades.
• 100 percent of fourth-grade African-American students were proficient in math in 2010, the biggest improvement in math scores of any school in Montgomery County.

This remarkable transformation demonstrates the power of shared leadership, high expectations, frequent monitoring of student performance and focused professional development.

Part of Broad Acres success also stems from the increased attention on parental and family engagement at the school. Watch Kim Oliver Burnim, a teacher at Broad Acres and former Teacher of the Year, talk about reaching out to parents and getting them involved.