Two N. Phila. schools win accolade in Time

Stanton Elementary School in North Philadelphia has collected national accolades for improving student test scores, hosted a visit by U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and been profiled in a new book from Harvard Education Press.

Now, Stanton and nearby Blaine Elementary School are featured in a Time cover article about how the federal No Child Left Behind Act is affecting schools nationwide. A Time spokesman said the June 4 issue was scheduled to be on newsstands today.

Blaine and Stanton are highlighted for dramatic academic turnarounds in high-poverty neighborhoods. The many photographs that illustrate the article were taken at Blaine and Stanton. The law, though controversial, has made school districts pay more attention to schools that had been failing.

The article opens with a scene at Blaine, a school in the Strawberry Mansion section where 90 percent of the students come from low-income families and qualify for the federal free- or reduced-lunch program.

Last year, after an assortment of improvements, Blaine met the federal law's benchmarks for academic progress for the first time. If Blaine makes the mark again this year, the school, with 416 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, will be removed from the district's list of failing schools.

The state Department of Education usually announces in late August the schools that have met the law's criteria for "adequate yearly progress" based on student scores on the state standardized tests.

Stanton, a K-7 school with 412 students and a 90 percent poverty rate, has met federal academic standards for the last three years. It once was one of the Philadelphia School District's lowest-performing schools.

The article calls Stanton "everybody's favorite Philadelphia story." Five years ago, only 12.2 percent of Stanton's fifth graders were reading at advanced or proficient levels on the state standardized test. Last year, 70.2 percent were.

Paul Vallas, chief executive of the city schools, said he called both principals yesterday morning to congratulate them. He said having the schools' accomplishments highlighted in Time provided additional recognition for the children, parents, teachers and administrators who had worked hard to improve scores.

"I am thrilled for the kids; I'm thrilled for the system," said Vallas, who is leaving the district next month after five years to take the helm of the New Orleans schools.

Sterling Garris, principal of Blaine, could not be reached yesterday for comment.

Barbara Adderly, Stanton's principal, said her school was delighted by the recognition. "What a way to celebrate an inner-city school in an area like this," she said.

"It's great for the teachers' egos, and it sure does make me feel good - and the parents and the students," Adderly said. "It's a wonderful thing."

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