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ERIC Number: EJ1113534
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 7
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1539-9664
EISSN: N/A
The Bronx Is Learning: Content-Rich Curriculum Drives Achievement at Icahn Charter Schools
Sahm, Charles
Education Next, v16 n4 p8-14 Fall 2016
This article reports on the fine results being experienced by students from the South Bronx (New York), at one of the seven Icahn Charter Schools. Jeff Litt, superintendent of Icahn's network of charter schools, has been instrumental in seeing that the learning about history, other cultures, and other countries--subjects fascinating to children--became important content-rich curriculum subjects, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The article presents the historical efforts of Litt to offer kids a rich, broad knowledge of the world and how Litt's introduction to the Icahns (Carl and Gail) opened the door to the opening of one of the first charter schools in the New York area. Litt used the "Core Knowledge" curriculum, hired the best teachers he knew and understood that providing children with background knowledge on a wide variety of topics--history, literature, geography, science, art, and music--is key to building successful readers and learners. Proof of superintendent Litt's efforts were shown on New York's 2015 state exams, where the average proficiency among Icahn charter students was 61 percent in math and 45 percent in English language arts, far outpacing proficiency in the South Bronx school districts where Icahn schools are located, and placing the charter network among New York City's top-performing. The Icahn network takes great care to ensure that graduates move on to strong high schools.
Hoover Institution. Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-6010. Tel: 800-935-2882; Fax: 650-723-8626; e-mail: educationnext@hoover.stanford.edu; Web site: http://educationnext.org/journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York (New York)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A