Press Releases

The College Board Recognizes Most Improved U.S. High Schools

2008 Inspiration Awards Honor Schools in Georgia, Texas
and Washington, D.C.

04/22/08

NEW YORK — Three outstanding high schools that have successfully improved the academic environment and helped students achieve equitable access to higher education despite social, economic and cultural challenges have been named College Board 2008 Inspiration Award winners. Each winning school receives a $25,000 award to be used by the school to boost efforts to guide and encourage more students to realize the promise of higher education.

“The College Board’s Inspiration Awards honor those high schools that initiate unique programs and create partnerships among teachers, parents, community organizations and local businesses to help more students pursue a college education,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton.

Recipients of the 2008 awards are:

• Edinburg High School in Edinburg, Texas
• Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Ga.
• Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington, D.C.

“More than ever, we need schools to prepare every student to succeed in higher education,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “Schools like this year’s winners set a strong example by leveraging innovative strategies and community partnerships to overcome challenges. They can be proud of cultivating learning environments with high expectations, challenging course work and teachers who care. This Administration will continue to promote policies to help ensure that every diploma is a ticket to success in college and beyond.”

Edinburg High School

Edinburg High School in Edinburg, Texas, is a short distance from the Texas-Mexico border. The school serves a student population of more than 2,150 students, of whom 95 percent are Hispanic and 83 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. Although students face social, cultural and economic barriers, Edinburg has an unsurpassed commitment to equity in education.

College preparation begins the first day of freshman year at Edinburg. Incoming freshmen participate in a summer mentoring program that facilitates their transition into high school and introduces AP® classes and college planning. Edinburg hopes to use the Inspiration Award funds to implement a ninth-grade academic preparation program so that students will have a four-year-long profile including portfolios and research. This will enable the students to update and plan their personal goals and career/college choices while in high school. Edinburg is continually striving to increase the number of its graduates who attend college.

Through Edinburg’s strong academic initiatives and promotion of college readiness, it has established itself as a great school producing motivated students. In 2007, Edinburg was named an AVID National Demonstration School with Distinction, one of only two schools in the nation to receive the highest AVID commendation. Edinburg students also regularly receive recognition for their academic preparation and determination to succeed.

Berkmar High School

Berkmar High School is located in Lilburn, Ga., part of the metropolitan Atlanta area. The school has a diverse enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, of whom 36 percent are African American, 28 percent are Hispanic and 14 percent are Asian. Sixty-four percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Berkmar High School’s expectation of high student achievement has increased measurably through the school’s “stretch culture” initiative, in which students are identified for Advanced Placement Program® (AP) courses using testing data, teacher evaluations and student preferences. The school aggressively challenges all students to meet their potential.

The responsibility that comes with preparing students for college success is a task that the school has wholeheartedly embraced. The rigorous curriculum and small class sizes at Berkmar provide students with a foundation for success. Students are offered mentoring relationships with teachers, enabling students to better meet academic demands.

Friendship Collegiate Academy

Friendship Collegiate Academy is an urban charter school in Washington, D.C., with an enrollment of  more than 1,200 students, nearly all of whom are black/African-American. Many of the school’s students come from troubled neighborhoods and will be the first in their families to attend college. Friendship Collegiate strives to combat the challenges its students face by preparing them for college studies with rigorous course work and building strong relationships with colleges through its dual enrollment program.

Nearly every student at Friendship Collegiate takes at least one AP or college course before graduating. This spring, the school will administer nearly 600 AP Exams, compared to 62 in 2005. The faculty takes pride in the many students who have graduated from Friendship Collegiate with multiple passing AP grades.

As a Woodrow Wilson Early College High School, Friendship Collegiate sends all juniors and seniors to college classes for half of each day. Students report that their time on campus with professors has made them more excited about going to college and has focused their goal setting. The school hopes to increase the number of these experiences with the Inspiration Award funds.

Five honorable mention schools receive $1,000 each to apply to programs that encourage students to attend college. The following schools are recipients of the College Board 2008 Inspiration Awards Honorable Mention:

• Hogan Preparatory Academy, Kansas City, Mo.
• Miami Edison Senior High School, Miami, Fla.
• North Central High School, Spokane, Wash.
• Palm Beach Gardens High School, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
• United South High School, Laredo, Texas

The College Board: Connecting Students to College Success

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,400 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.

Contact

Jennifer Topiel  The College Board  212-713-8052  jtopiel@collegeboard.org