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Dear Colleagues,
Last week I traveled to William B. Murrah High School in Jackson, Miss., for what I consider to be one of the greatest privileges of my job — presenting the College Board’s 2009 Inspiration Award. Each year we select three exceptional U.S. high schools for improving their academic environment and helping underserved students achieve equitable access to higher education. The winning schools receive an award of $25,000.
As a Title I, inner-city school enrolling underserved students, Murrah High School has beaten the odds. Almost 80 percent of its seniors are accepted to college, and the school sends graduates to some of the country’s finest colleges. After the awards ceremony, I spent some time visiting classrooms. When I met with these students, I saw how hard they are working and how dedicated their teachers, counselors and principals are to their success. You see this at all of the winning schools, where efforts are also bolstered by the community, local businesses or colleges, and always supportive parents.
So many factors go into creating a school like Murrah, but I am usually most struck by the simple power of a school conveying high expectations for each student who walks its halls. There was an article in the New York Times a few days ago about First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to visit schools in Washington’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Her message to the students was that they shouldn’t believe people who tell them, “You can’t do it.” She shared her own experiences of meeting low expectations in the classroom and her efforts to prove them wrong. To reach the goal of succeeding in college, students need access to good teachers, rigorous course work and college guidance, but all of those things are made even more effective by a culture of high expectations for all students.
I hope you’ll read about Murrah and the other two winners, Hidalgo Early College High School in Hidalgo, Texas, and Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Calif., in this issue. I also hope that you’ll find Connection’s new format and interactive features engaging. We are now offering opportunities to post comments and rate stories as well as to watch video clips and to submit video. These enhancements are part of a much larger effort on the part of the College Board to keep you informed and engaged.
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