This project provides online tools to families so students can practice reading at home and also by celebrating and acknowledging students at school for meeting their goals. Students will be able to read or listen to a book and then answer comprehension questions, via their Raz-Kids account. Families will have access to books to read together and students can be more accountable for their progress. The project is particularly focused on improving early literacy.

This project will integrate Bartram’s existing gardening program with new approaches like blended and project-based learning.  As a result of increased opportunities offered through the gardening program, student engagement and academic performance will increase.

This project involves selecting a team of teacher-leaders across grade levels to analyze the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and—based on the analysis—purchase research-based, hands-on materials to support student mastery of key concepts necessary to meet the standards. The goals of this project include achieving higher levels of conceptual understanding, measured through quarterly assessments and higher achievement on the Science PSSA.

This project will pilot a blended learning model of teaching at the 9th grade level starting in Algebra 1. The goal is that the incoming freshman class, comprised of 98 students, will have an opportunity to close the achievement gap by improving math performance and raising Algebra 1 Keystone passage rates.

The teacher team at Feltonville will create a STEM collaboratory at their school. This space will boost math and science proficiency by providing an opportunity for teachers to demonstrate and monitor hands-on science and math activities for and with students that might not be carried out in a traditional classroom setting. The laboratory will also house and support the robotics team, a junior robotics team, as well as other clubs.

The Convening of Educators to Improve Literacy Project will build a collaborative network with other schools to share best practices and resources and discuss challenges surrounding literacy. Participating in the network will include scheduled workshops and mini-conferences where teachers will have the opportunity to develop, monitor, and revise an action plan that maps out teachers’ deliverables at their schools. The ultimate impact of the network will be to increase reading proficiency of students by building the capacity of teachers to deliver high-quality reading instruction.

Teachers will use a program called Newsela—an online platform that provides students with engaging non-fiction content that adapts to their reading level—to provide differentiated literacy opportunities for approximately 30 students who have scored at the basic or below basic level on the English/Language Arts PSSA test. The aim of this intervention is to move this group of students to the proficient level in reading and writing.

The purpose of this project is to provide students with moderate to severe disabilities a space to practice functional independent living skills. The Independent Skills Center will be a room in the school set up like a small apartment or dorm room with an area for laundry, an area for daily living, and a kitchen area. This project will directly impact student outcomes in the areas of personal maintenance, domestic maintenance, interpersonal communication, recreation and leisure, and vocational skills.

The project will implement a reading intervention program, called Lexia Reading Core5, for students who are reading two or more levels below grade level. Using Lexia Reading Core5, students are automatically placed at the proper level and work independently on online activities to develop their skills. The intended outcome of the project is to boost reading proficiency for the school’s lowest readers.

The Loesche team will partner with Playworks to impact 850 Pre-K through 5th grade students by providing safe opportunities for inclusive play during lunch and recess. The goal of the project is to decrease the number of discipline incidents and injuries during recess, thereby increasing students’ instructional time in the classroom.

The Wildcat College and Career Readiness Project will prepare all scholars with the necessary knowledge and skills to apply to the high schools of their choice with increasing acceptance rates. When scholars begin the high school application process at the onset of their 8th grade year, they will be able to make informed decisions based on their college and/or postsecondary career trajectory pathway as determined by their participation in the project.

The purpose of this project is to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration through the investigation of physical phenomena and the exploration of real-world occupational issues. During the project, students will learn basic music theory, basic coding concepts, mathematics, and physical science concepts as they relate to sound waves and electricity. Students will further develop 21st century “soft skills” such as collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

The focus of this project is to create ongoing Professional Learning Communities (PLC) that engage teachers at New Foundations as well as neighboring schools. The PLC topics include: student engagement, student discipline, family engagement in education, technology integration, and meeting the needs of students special education.

Through this initiative, students receive compensation for developing and leading a diverse set of afterschool clubs and gain financial literacy through investing their compensation in personal and college savings accounts.  Project goals include equipping students with financial literacy and leadership skills and increasing student involvement in clubs.

Through art therapy, animal therapy, and mindful awareness training, this project will target the 113 neediest students in the school, those students for whom other interventions have been unsuccessful. Through exposure to alternative therapies, at-risk students will receive decreased office disciplinary referrals and out-of-school suspensions, resulting in increased instructional time and consequent improved academic achievement.

Philadelphia Learning Academy South will implement the “Wired 4 Success” project, a new Career and Technical Education offering that will immediately increase the opportunities for students to gain relevant telecommunications and connectivity training. The project will allow for students to obtain an industry-recognized certificate that will support their job search upon graduation.

The grant provides funds to create a space for Sheridan first graders that will be used to help build social awareness and enable academic learning through play.  The space will also provide a forum for students and their families to share their unique cultures.  The goals of this project include increasing cultural sensitivity, positive and respectful student interaction, and parental involvement.

Click Here to Learn About the 2016-17 Teacher-Leader Grantees