Breaking the Poverty Barrier: Changing Student Lives with Passion, Perseverance, and Performance

Strong leadership, parent involvement, mentoring, data-based intervention, and high expectations are known factors in student success. But what do they really look like in practice--and are they as powerful as research says? Breaking the Poverty Barrier illustrates the specific strategies and critical steps that transformed a school beset with poverty and shockingly low proficiency into a National Showcase School. More than just an inspirational tale, this book serves to outline the measurable results that any school is capable of with the right attitude and work ethic. In LeBlanc-Esparaza's own school, he entered at a time where the percentage of incoming freshmen who met state standards was 2% in reading, 2% in writing, and 1% in math. By the time he left, the percentage of sophomores meeting standards rose to 77% in reading, 67% in writing, and 31% in math. If these numbers seem promising, wait until you start to see your own statistics begin to rise.

Benefits

* Describes academic intervention strategies to build change from the inside out

* Suggests additional strategies for handling negative student beliefs, attitudes, and traditions that get in the way of growth

* Explores the core beliefs that lie at the heart of effective school leadership

* Offers reproducible letters that administrators and decision-makers can use in their own school