Strong School Cultures, Character Development Drive Increased Student Achievement

New book reveals the essential missing ingredients for great schools

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Schools that nurture students while demanding high performance and focus on character development dramatically increase student achievement, according to a groundbreaking new book, On Purpose: How Great School Cultures Form Strong Character, released today by renowned author and education leader Samuel Casey Carter.

On Purpose details the secrets of success from twelve schools that have overcome significant obstacles to provide children with effective educational environments—providing a roadmap to success that principals and school leaders across the country can follow. Five traditional public schools, three public magnet schools, two public charter schools and two private schools are profiled in the book, published by The Center for Education Reform and Corwin.

On Purpose is the culmination of Carter's path-breaking work as a Senior Fellow with The Center for Education Reform, where he studied the cultures of more than 3,500 schools across the US and discovered the link between school culture and student growth.

Carter's book argues that strong, principled leadership and an unwavering commitment to high performance is more essential to a school's overall success than the socioeconomic backgrounds of the students it serves. Indeed, as the schools profiled by Carter demonstrate, the devastating achievement gap between low and higher-income children can be all but erased in a school that embraces a culture of success.

Each school profiled "beats the competition in their local areas as far as academic and other student achievement is concerned. All of them far exceed the national performance levels for the populations they serve," Carter writes.

"A school's faculty and administration, given the right priorities and a proper coordination of effort, can purposefully create a school culture that dramatically improves the lives of the children entrusted to their care," Carter writes in On Purpose. "These schools show that children who benefit from these environments experience a renewed sense of self and an individual sense of purpose that can then be tapped to drive remarkable student achievement."

"Casey's outstanding work is more than just an academic study, it's a roadmap for the future of schools in our country during a time when far too many are not meeting expectations," said Jeanne Allen, president of The Center for Education Reform. "Casey brings us inside the classrooms of these twelve schools and lets us meet amazing leaders who will do anything to see their students succeed, and the students whose lives are changed, and in the process, helps others discover new ways to improve their own schools."

The schools profiled are: Arlington Traditional in Arlington, Virginia (PK-5); Osmond A. Church in South Ozone Park, NY (PK-8), An Achievable Dream in Newport News, Virginia (PK-12); Cotswold Elementary in Charlotte, North Carolina (K-5); Grayhawk Elementary in Scottsdale, Arizona (K-6); Atlantis Elementary in Port St. John, Florida (K-6); Benjamin Franklin Public Charter School in Franklin, Massachusetts (K-6); Hope Christian in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (K-8); Providence St. Mel in Chicago, Illinois (K-12); Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton, California (6-8); Veritas Academy in Phoenix, Arizona (6-12); and Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale, Illinois (9-12).

Carter previously wrote the critically acclaimed No Excuses, is a senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute, and is the president of CfBT USA, an educational services company.

For more information, please visit http://www.edreform.com.

The Center for Education Reform drives the creation of better educational opportunities for all children.  CER changes laws, minds and cultures to allow good schools to flourish.

SOURCE Center for Education Reform