A five-day look into why some disadvantaged schools outperform their rich counterparts (May 26-31, 2002)

Thursday, May 30, 2002 -- Teachers dedicate money, time to helping students (Gretchen M. Wintermantel, San Angelo Standard Times) Susan Bailey stashes peanut butter crackers in her desk for students who complain of midmorning headaches.

Thursday, May 30, 2002 -- Head Start, preschool get boost (Jessica Wehrman, Scripps Howard News Service) Six tots younger than 1 are grabbing with chubby fingers at Fruit Loops in Styrofoam bowls in a low-income early childhood education center in Washington, D.C.

Thursday, May 30, 2002 -- Belaire staff, teachers reach out to parents and kids (Gretchen M. Wintermantel, San Angelo Standard-Times) SAN ANGELO - Debbie Ramon is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She is neither a doctor nor a police officer.

Thursday, May 30, 2002 -- Just for the Kids study Just for the Kids analyzed 2001 data from 4 million students in Texas public schools, compared them with schools of similar size and student makeup, and ranked them based on those criteria.

Wednesday, May 29, 2002 -- Strong leaders credited with schools’ successes (Venessa Santos-Garza, Corpus Christi Caller-Times) It’s not the school. It’s the principal of the thing. The message hangs next to Lozano Elementary School principal Faye Webb’s office door in Corpus Christi.

Wednesday, May 29, 2002 -- Staff works late to help kids at Corpus Christi school (Venessa Santos-Garza, Corpus Christi Caller-Times) CORPUS CHRISTI — Second-grade teacher Sylvia Mulinix knows what her students see on the way to and from school every day — dilapidated homes, abandoned businesses and gang graffiti.

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 -- Alta Vista teachers key to students' success In an Abilene elementary school classroom, smiling second-graders splattered with goo squeal as they dip newspaper strips into a flour-and-water mixture.

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 -- Against the odds: Elementaries excel by pushing reading skills Nine-year-old Chase Turnbow is devouring books two and three years above his grade level. The top reader in his third-grade class at Alta Vista Elementary School in Abilene, Chase's rapture for reading resulted from the promise of a jigsaw puzzle or a jar of candy for passing tests on the books he reads.

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 -- Abilene girl ready to spell her destiny at bee Super-speller Jennifer Tate hopes for such words as "anthropophagous" and "trichotillomania" at the 75th Annual Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee this week.

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 -- Corpus teacher tells students 'there is more' (Venessa Santos-Garza) CORPUS CHRISTI - Second-grade teacher Sylvia Mulinix knows what her students see on the way to and from school every day - dilapidated homes, abandoned businesses and gang graffiti.

Monday, May 27, 2002 -- Prized parrot helps teachers in their lessons (Ann Work) WICHITA FALLS - Rosco is the strange duck among the parrots in Rinette Ross' science classroom.

Monday, May 27, 2002 -- How good is your child's school? Just for the Kids ranks school performance

Sunday, May 26, 2002 --What is 'Lessons Learned'? Economics versus academics: Some schools reach beyond expectations Education studies repeatedly show a strong link between a student's academic achievement and his family's economic prosperity. In other words, the more economic advantages a student has, the more likely he will succeed in school.

Sunday, May 26, 2002 -- Data-driven instruction spells success (Vivi Hoang) Students at Laredo's Macdonell Elementary School take tests constantly. Tests administered by the state. The district. Their teachers.

Sunday, May 26, 2002 -- Laredo school teaches manners, minds and hearts (Vivi Hoang)
LAREDO - The air never stays still at Macdonell Elementary School. Here, the byproducts of learning rise like a vapor, from the phonetic recitations of kindergartners to the quick taps on computer keyboards by fifth-graders.

Sunday, May 26, 2002 -- Just for the Kids study Just for the Kids analyzed 2001 data from 4 million students in Texas public schools, compared them with schools of similar size and student makeup, and ranked them based on those criteria.

Sunday, May 26, 2002 -- Accountability in place, but does it work? (Monica Wolfson) AUSTIN - Texas' public school accountability system has flaws, but they aren't fatal, supporters say.