Elev8kids Feed

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Publishes Op Ed on “Escaping the Constraints of No Child Left Behind”

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:29:05 -0700

In a piece published in the Washington Post, Secretary Duncan praises states' efforts to adopt "bold and comprehensive reforms to support academic achievement for all students," but laments the fact that NCLB is "unintentionally creating barriers for these reforms." He goes on to discuss the Obama administration's waiver plan, which is "offering states flexibility from

Elev8 Reflects on 2011 Advocacy Gains

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:30:00 -0700

In 2011, Elev8 joined a range of partners to support programs that keep young people—including our most vulnerable—on track toward high school graduation, college and careers.

Youth Recognized at Elev8 Oakland Awards and Celebration Dinner

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:58:59 -0700

Elev8 Oakland celebrated its third annual Student Award Dinner Ceremony in May at the Mills College Campus. The event was held for over 300 students who successfully completed the required work in the Extended Academic Mentoring Program.

Elev8 Baltimore Calls Attention to Poor Conditions in City Schools

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:49:20 -0700

Elev8 Baltimore parents recently gathered to tell the city's leaders about "deplorable conditions are in our public school buildings." Along with parents from other schools in the city, they asked leaders to consider an innovative plan out of Greenville, SC, which was able to raise $1 billion for school construction.

Elev8 Chicago Creates “Invisible Shield” to Maintain Student Safety

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:42:29 -0700

Elev8 and the Southwest Organizing Project's Safety Zone initiative have partnered to dramatically reduce gang activity near Marquette Elementary School.

High School Students Praise Elev8’s Influence

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:26:13 -0700

Elev8 Chicago has begun interviewing graduates to explore how their Elev8 experiences in middle school have impacted their high school careers.

Gadsden Middle School’s Microsociety Confronts Real-Life Challenges in the Community

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:32:18 -0700

Learning is being made relevant at New Mexico's Elev8 schools through efforts like Microsociety, a national program that allows students to build and administer their own societies. In Microsociety, students produce goods and services, establish laws, arbitrate disputes and report the news.

Study Links Academic Setbacks to Middle School Transition

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:07:42 -0700

A new Harvard University study of Florida schools suggests that the critical transition for students may be the transition into middle school.

Middle Schoolers Getting Prepped for College

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:05:28 -0700

There has been an increase in research affirming the importance of the middle school years, which has led to a growing number of college- and career- readiness programs aimed at middle school students.

Growing Costs of Students Dropping Out of High School in Illinois

admin — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:07:49 -0700

A new report by the Northeastern University Center for Labor Market Studies examines the growing costs of students dropping out of high school in Illinois.

Op-Ed Addresses Poverty and Education Policy

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:23:25 -0700

In an Op-Ed published in the New York Times on Dec. 7, Helen F. Ladd and Edward B. Fiske argue that our country's education policy must "address the ways in which poverty undermines student learning. " They highlight initiatives that "provide poor students with the social support and experiences that middle-class students enjoy as a matter of course."

Zero-Tolerance School Policies Doing More Harm than Good

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:40:32 -0700

A Vera Institute of Justice blog post recently highlighted research findings that show that zero-tolerance policies tend to lead to negative outcomes for youth.

Elev8 Baltimore School-Based Health Centers: Healthy Minds Make Healthy Classrooms

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:59:41 -0700

Elev8 Baltimore has found that its school health clinics aren't just for asthma attacks, headaches, and bloody knees, but have become places to find friendships, confront bullying, and cope with stress.

Need for Free Meals at School Surges

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:06:02 -0700

The New York Times reports that "millions of American schoolchildren are receiving free or low-cost meals for the first time as their parents, many once solidly middle class, have lost jobs or homes during the economic crisis, qualifying their families for the decades-old safety-net program...

Elev8 Advocates for Federal Budget Priorities

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:47:04 -0700

As policymakers consider deep cuts to the federal budget, representatives from Elev8's diverse communities—in Baltimore, Chicago, New Mexico and Oaklandread more

Elev8 Oakland Featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:31:09 -0700

Elev8 Oakland's innovative History of Gangs class is profiled in the Winter 2011 issue of SSIR.

Elev8 Chicago Finds Lessons Don't Stop at Graduation

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:15:40 -0700

By Elizabeth Duffrin/LISC Chicago

In June 2010, Reavis Elementary in Bronzeville bid farewell to its 8th-grade graduates. More than a year later, most are still there-mentoring younger students, painting murals or just dropping by to help out.

Elev8 National Learning Institute 2011

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:36:53 -0700

Beginning on November 14, Elev8's National Learning Institute drew large multi-disciplinary teams from the four Elev8 initiatives (in Baltimore, Chicago, New Mexico and Oakland), as well as an array of outside experts.

Elev8 Strongly Represented at Children’s Aid Society’s Community Schools Practicum

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:14:54 -0700

Elev8 stakeholders from Baltimore, Chicago, New Mexico and Oakland converged in New York City on October 26 for the Children's Aid Society's Community Schools Practicum, "Focus on Results." The practicum brought together leaders from nonprofit, education, community

Elev8 Staff Visit Ireland!

admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:06:58 -0700

In October, a team came together from the Elev8 initiatives in Baltimore, Chicago, New Mexico and Oakland for an unforgettable journey to Ireland.

East Bay Community Law Center Joins Elev8 Schools

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:37:34 -0700

(This article is reposted with permission from YouthVentures/SafePassages)

Elev8 Schools File Over $104,000 in Tax Returns for Community Residents

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:51:23 -0700

(This article is from the YouthVentures/SafePassages website)

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) 2011 Provides Free Tax Services to Community

New York Times Op-Ed Endorses Extended School Time

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:43:04 -0700

In a recent New York Times opinion piece, Luis A. Ubiñas, president of the Ford Foundation, and Chris Gabrieli, chairman of the National Center on Time and Learning, argue that more classroom time is needed for improved school performance. The authors note that budget cuts are contributing to reduced classroom time in schools, when the exact opposite is needed for student success.

Elev8 New Mexico Schools Making Attendance Adjustments to Start New Year

admin — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:35:57 -0700

As students dive into a new school year, Wilson Middle School is implementing new policies to address attendance issues; these policies were developed over the last school year by the Elev8 Family Engagement Team and school staff.

Summer Program Blends Literacy Skills With Fun

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 06:59:28 -0700

(This article is reposted with permission from LISC)

It's not yet 9 a.m. on a steamy morning in July, but the Reavis Elementary School gym in Bronzeville is alive with chanting and arm-waving worthy of a church revival.

Chicago and Baltimore Parents and Students Learn and Share Their Experiences

admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:13:53 -0700

In early July, employees from Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) traveled to Elev8 sites at East Baltimore Community School (Baltimore) and Perspectives-Calumet Middle School (Chicago). While at the sites, P/PV conducted a workshop with Elev8 students attending summer programming as well as with some of their parents.

Elev8 Students Gear Up For Summer Learning Activities

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:07:00 -0700

Elev8 students are getting ready for their summer learning activities to begin. At Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland, approximately 120 sixth and seventh graders will be participating in Elev8 summer programming. The programs will focus on both academic (math and English Language Arts) and enrichment activities.

Summer Learning Resources

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:00:31 -0700

Now that summer has begun, students are at risk to lose the academic progress they made during the school year. In fact, research shows that students lose approximately two months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills during summer vacation.

Handbook for School-Based Health Centers

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 07:02:44 -0700

This handbook stemmed from a request from Chicago Elev8 principals who requested written guidelines for working with their School-Based Health Centers. As requested, the Illinois Coalition for School Health Centers, the Chicago Public Schools and the Illinois Department of Human Services have collaborated to author: Partnering with School-Based Health Centers: What Schools Need to Know.

RAND Report: Making Summer Count

admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 07:12:01 -0700

A new RAND report discusses the potential for summer programs to improve achievement, and the challenges of developing and sustaining such programs.