2010-2011 School Finder Guide - Detroit Public Schools

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DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS Students work together on new Netbooks at MARCUS GARVEY ACADEMY A Whole New Experience at DPS this Fall 7 ways Detroit Public Schools is paving the way to educational excellence This fall, when nearly 50,000 students enter the doors of Detroit Public Schools, they can expect to find a whole new learning experience. Thanks to the input and leadership of the Detroit community, school staff and administrators, teachers and parents, there’s a great deal of excitement about new changes taking place at DPS. These innovations and improvements will touch nearly every aspect of a student’s experience in school. Explains Roy S. Roberts, DPS Emergency Manager, “What I would tell the world is that we believe strongly that if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” In that spirit, DPS has been shaking things up to offer students a world-class education. Here’s a look at some of the changes you can expect to find this fall at DPS. 1. All students in grades 8-12 will be able to take home Netbooks. “We bought 40,000 computers,” says Roberts about DPS’ efforts to help students be technology-literate and have computer access at home and at school. 2. Beneficial business partnerships for schools. DPS is actively working with corporations and business leaders on innovative programs for the city’s students. Roberts points to one partnership as a model for what might be done at other schools. Funded by the Lear Corporation (based in Southfield), 100 East English Village Preparatory Academy high school students will go to nearby J. E. Clark Preparatory Academy to tutor students four days a week. The high school students will receive training in tutoring and then payment for their efforts. The three-year, $1.5 million project was jointly developed by the schools’ principals, district academic leadership, Lear Corporation and partners. 3. High quality teachers. “It is critically important for parents to know that every child, in 8 | DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS | www.DetroitK12.org | SPONSORED CONTENT SECTION
DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS every classroom, will have the very best teacher in front of them, starting Day One, this fall,” Roberts says. To make this happen, DPS initiated an extensive evaluation process that included collaborations with a number of organizations. The final result helped DPS determine, and retain, top teachers for the 2012-13 academic year. 4. Parent Advisory Councils on Student Achievement (PAC-SA). This groundbreaking effort will offer training for five parents from 91 schools, for a total of 455 parents, to become certified members of their schools’ PAC-SA. The ultimate goal of the program is to improve student achievement. “Many recent studies report that parental involvement supports teaching and learning in making the job easier for all,” says Karen Ridgeway, Superintendent of Academics at DPS. The program, which includes 20 hours of professional training, is funded by a partnership with NFL star and DPS alum Jerome “The Bus” Bettis’ The Bus Stops Here Foundation. 5. New construction completed. This coming school year marks the third and final year of the $500.5 million Capital Improvement Program that has literally changed the face of DPS’ facilities. The program has included opening three new buildings this fall along with upgrading other DPS facilities and demolishing closed and unsafe structures. 6. New high-tech DPS Police Headquarters and Command Center. This 23,000-square-foot facility, which opened earlier this year, is the hub of the district’s security operations. Thanks to state-of-the-art live-feed monitoring surveillance systems, officers are able to monitor DPS campuses 24 hours a day to ensure that students can learn in a safe school environment. 7. New Individualized Learning Maps. DPS students in 91 schools will receive their own KAREN RIDGEWAY, Superintendent of Academics at DPS detailed document that explains 1) Where they’re at academically right now; 2) Where they need to go; and 3) How teachers and parents can help them get there. Karen Ridgeway, the Superintendent of Academics at DPS, says that once students have had a chance to review their Individualized Learning Map, her expectation is that she could walk in to any DPS school and ask any student those three questions and receive answers to each. Students will understand their learning strengths and areas where they need to improve— along with how to improve— from this plan. “They’ll learn to self correct,” Ridgeway says. This process helps students develop the types of skills they need to succeed once they’re in college. DPS’ Ultimate Goal – College Readiness for All Students "Most of our kids—98.8 percent of them—are not graduating college ready as determined by the ACT’s college readiness standard,” says Roy S. Roberts, DPS Emergency Manager. But with new programs, policies and an ACT-aligned college readiness assessment, DPS is striving to change that. Parents also can help prepare their children for succeeding after they graduate by encouraging them to: 1. Attend extra classes. DPS high schools have a variety of programs in place to give students enrichment opportunities to augment their class time. Cass Tech High School Principal Lisa Phillips says that they offer regular Saturday courses for students. "One of the best compliments about our school I’ve heard from a parent is that her student didn’t want to leave. The student wanted to stay at school … on a Saturday.” 2. Be aggressive. “Some students turn their mind to college when they begin 11th grade, but those who start thinking about it in ninth grade will really have an advantage,” says Quantez Pressley, a 2004 graduate of Renaissance High School who now works for the State of Michigan. He advises students to meet with their guidance counselors regularly, maybe once or twice a month. “Talk to your parents about scholarships and have them come in with you to meet with your guidance counselor once a month,” says Pressley. 3. Apply. Apply. Apply. Cass Tech's 2011-12 graduates scored $29.6 million in scholarships and grants. How? “I encourage students to apply heavily for scholarships and grants. I push and I push for students to apply for everything,” says Principal Phillips. SPONSORED CONTENT SECTION | www.DetroitK12.org | DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS | 9
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2010-2011 School Finder Guide - Detroit Public Schools

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