Special White House Town Hall to Convene Immediately Following The Gathering
Boston, MA. (April 22, 2014) – The Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC), the only national network of school leaders focused on educating boys and young men of color today announced the recipients of the prestigious 2014 COSEBOC School Awards. The International School of Louisiana – Camp Street Campus, New Orleans, La., and Jumoke Academy Charter Schools, Hartford, Ct. will receive their awards at the 8th annual COSEBOC Gathering of Leaders at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, on April 23-25, 2014. Following COSEBOC’s Gathering of Leaders conference, the Obama Administration will convene two special events including a community forum aligned with the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and a White House Town Hall on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
This year’s awardees, the International School of Louisiana – Camp Street Campus, New Orleans, La., and Jumoke Academy Charter Schools, Hartford, Ct. were selected after a rigorous three-part evaluation of the academic success of their boys of color over a three-year period. The criteria for selection includes an assessment of how each school aligns with the research based COSEBOC Standards. These awardees share the common characteristics of successful schools such as strong school leadership, culturally responsive school climate, rigorous academic offerings and more.
“Both the International School of Louisiana (ISL) and Jumoke Academy Charter Schools exemplify innovative, real world practices, and exemplary leadership that reflect the COSEBOC Standards for success,” said Ron Walker, COSEBOC’s Executive Director.
“Research shows that 85-98% of male students of color at our Award Schools achieve academic success at or above that of their white peers statewide, and 85-95% of male students of color at the Award elementary schools passed their state’s ELA test. We are pleased to add ISL and Jumoke to our growing list of successful schools and look forward to sharing their benchmark practices with our network of school leaders across the country”, Walker stated.
The International School of Louisiana
Guided by Principal Melanie Tennyson, The International School of Louisiana – Camp Street Campus, (ISL) New Orleans, La., is a full language-immersion public charter school serving 600 students grades K-8; two-thirds are students of color. In keeping with its mission to provide a challenging education emphasizing language immersion, international awareness, celebration of diversity, and community responsibility, ISL programs address culture, ethnicity, learning capacity, and religion, offering quality learning that transcends socio-economic boundaries. The results of ISL’s highly effective education programs are evidenced by designation as an “A” School in 2012-13 by the state; male students of color consistently scoring higher than state averages on state standardized tests; higher retention rates than state averages for ISL male students of color; and 100% of 5th grade students in the French immersion track passing the French DELF examination, qualifying them to receive the official French-language diploma awarded by France’s Ministry of National Education.
Jumoke Academy Charter Schools: Hartford, Connecticut
Jumoke Academy Charter Schools has a simple: goal – make every child believe there is nothing he or she cannot accomplish. Headed by Dr. Michael Sharpe, CEO, Jumoke’s schools accomplish this through its multiple initiatives in support of young men of color, including mentor programs, student celebrations, awards ceremonies that include students and parents, fathers’ groups, afterschool programming and Saturday and summer programs. Jumoke Academy has built and maintained a strong school culture that promotes success of all of its “Young Kings” and “First Ladies”.
Likely a result of hard work on the part of the school’s faculty and staff, data shows great retention of students, families and faculty from year to year as well as high levels of academic achievement and proficiency rates on state standardized testing.
The International School of Louisiana and Jumoke Academy Schools join a select group of COSEBOC School Award Winners from across the U.S. including 2012 and 2013 Award-winning schools: Bedford Academy, Best Academy, Devonshire Elementary School, Eagle Academy for Young Men – the Bronx, Fenway High School, Merrillville High School, Salk Elementary School, Thurgood Marshall Academy and Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice.
The 2014 Award recipients will be honored at the COSEBOC Annual Gathering: Onward and Upward: Advancing the Affirmative Development of Boys and Young Men of Color. Over 600 educators and school leaders from across the United States are expected to attend. The lead sponsor for the Gathering of Leaders is the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with additional support from the NEA, Scholastic and the American Reading Company.
Attendees of The Gathering of Leaders are also invited to attend a community forum on Friday, April 25th aligned with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans Town Hall on April 26th presented at Jackson State University. COSEBOC Executive Director Ron Walker, educator David Banks and COSEBOC youth will be featured among the panel participants at the forum and town hall events.
For more information regarding COSEBOC, the Annual Gathering and the 2014 Summits on Educational Excellence for African Americans presented by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans please visit our website at www.coseboc.org.
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About COSEBOC
The Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) is a national network of school leaders focused on educating boys and young men of color. The non-profit organization is a leading resource and a repository of tested, innovative, ‘real world’ practices and research that help boys and young men of color succeed. COSEBOC ‘s mission is to connect, inspire, support and strengthen school leaders dedicated to the social, emotional and academic development of boys and young men of color. COSEBOC provides Standards for schools to adopt based on research and the innovative policies and practices of successful schools. The publication, “Standards and Promising Practices for Educating Boys and Young Men of Color”, provides a framework for assessment, curriculum, training, leadership, community engagement and more for schools across the country. Headquartered in Boston, MA., COSEBOC’s national network of school leaders represents 600 schools educating 300,000 students across the United States.
About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.
The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
