Donoghue scores national recognition for student improvement
As they listened to Director Nicole Woodard-Iliev read them a story at the Donoghue Campus of the University of Chicago Charter School, a group of 25 eager third graders shared some of the excitement about learning that has made the school a national example of how an outstanding charter school can operate.
Hands shot up in the air as Iliev asked them to comment on Fly Away Home, a book about a father encouraging his son to go to school. “Why does the father want his son to go to school?” Woodard-Iliev asked.
Many students offered reasons why their own parents want them to go to school, but Woodard-Iliev guided them back to the task at hand, understanding the reasons from the character’s point of view. Learning to read well by becoming engaged in a story is one of the lessons students learn at Donoghue, located in the historic neighborhood of Oakland at 707 E. 37th St.
Rising Test Scores
As a result test scores have risen and for that reason, New Leaders for New Schools, a national organization, recognized the school with a $35,000 award, which was shared by administrators and teachers.
Donoghue was one of 99 charter schools across the country that submitted two years of state assessment data to a competition sponsored by New Leaders for New Schools. Based on the analysis, Donoghue was the only school in Illinois and one of only 11 schools in the nation to be recognized by New Leaders for New Schools for exceptionally strong student gains made between 2006 and 2007.
In 2006, 54.2 percent of Donoghue’s third grade students met or exceeded standards on the mathematics portion of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. By the time those students were in fourth grade, 75 percent met or exceeded mathematics standards.
Donoghe’s mission is to prepare students for success in college.
“We have high expectations for our students, and we involve our parents as part of the team,” explains Woodard-Iliev.
Community and University Partnership
“Students take advantage of Everyday Mathematics, a curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, and benefit from a variety of supports. We have students who come from the University to tutor and our students take advantage of services offered by the University such as the Mobile Healthcare Van.”
As a community school, Donoghue is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and community resources that provide comprehensive academic and social supports to students and families. Its focus on the integration of academics, academic services, and social supports leads to improved student learning, stronger families, and a healthier community.
As part of the award, New Leaders for New Schools will share the lessons learned at Donoghue with other schools so that the similar student achievement improvements can happen around the country. Teamwork is one key to Donoghue’s success.
When she came to Donoghue to present the award, C. Allison Jack, Senior Program Director for New Leaders for New Schools, observed “All the teachers, everyone, were working together.”
By Bill Harms
