Fight For Children’s 2010 Quality Schools Initiative

In 2010, Fight For Children’s Quality Schools Initiative invited select District of Columbia (DC) schools to apply for its $75,000 Champion of Quality and its $50,000 Rising Star awards. Schools decided which type of award to apply for based on criteria identified by Fight For Children. Three schools were selected to receive awards.

The Quality Schools Initiative, an innovative awards program, encourages exploration, discussion, and appropriate implementation of high-quality practices and programs that can improve student achievement in public, charter, and independent schools in Washington, DC.

The Quality Schools Initiative:

• grants winning schools cash awards to expand their effective practices.
• works with the winning schools’ leaders to document the ongoing strategies they are using to improve student achievement.
• disseminates the information on the winning schools’ effective practices throughout the DC community.

To share the practices of the 2010 Quality Schools Initiative winning schools with other educators, Fight For Children has launched this web page as a venue for telling their stories. You can also download a print version of this content.

The Champion of Quality winner of $75,000 is:
KIPP DC: AIM Academy

Fight For Children defines a Quality Schools Initiative Champion of Quality school as one that:

• consistently demonstrates excellence in teaching and learning, leadership, and professional development.
• provides evidence that students are making greater test-score gains than District average gains.
• believes that all children can learn, addresses each child's needs individually, and engages families as part of the achievement process.
• has school leaders that set achievement goals that are regularly measured in consultation with educators and families.
• articulates achievements made and has a desire to disseminate effective practices with other schools in Washington, DC.

The Rising Star winners of $50,000 each are:
KIPP DC: KEY Academy Truesdell Education Campus

Fight For Children defines a Quality Schools Initiative Rising Star school as one that:

• demonstrates excellence in one or two of the following areas: teaching and learning, leadership, and professional development.
• shows evidence of students making achievement gains.
• believes that all children can learn, addresses each child's needs individually, and engages families as part of the achievement process.
• has school leaders that have begun to set achievement goals that are regularly measured in consultation with educators and families.
• recognizes areas that need improvement and has concrete plans to address them in order to become an even stronger performing institution.

Get more information about the 2011 Quality Schools Initiative awards process.