A positive change is happening in Oakland public schools. Data from 2024 shows that fewer schools are struggling and more are making meaningful gains in both ELA and math. 41 schools were recognized for meaningful gains this year, instead of 33 schools last year.
This progress goes further with few schools achieving double digit gains in ELA proficiency. This is reflected in schools like Cleveland Elementary and the East Bay Innovation Academy (EBIA), both recently honored with Raise the Bar awards for their double digit growth in ELA proficiency for African American students.
Their achievements are part of a broader, encouraging story for Oakland public schools. The number of schools in decline has fallen significantly, while the number of improving schools is on the rise.
Children’s book author, Joanna Ho, visited Cleveland and read two of her books
Cleveland Elementary
For Cleveland Principal Peter Van Tassel, the jump in ELA proficiency for Cleveland Elementary’s Black students is a win that started with the school’s culture.
This culture has been built over years, is one where everyone at the school shares in the work and responsibility of raising the bar and helping students improve.
“We know that traditionally, no matter what we say, Black students’ test scores, even from well-educated families, still end up being a lot lower,” Van Tassel said. “We had to ask, what is actually happening in the classroom?”
Cleveland implemented a strategy of identifying “focal students” from key subgroups and planning lessons around their needs. Van Tassel remembered observing a classroom and how instruction was being delivered to students, with lowered expectations for Black and Brown students.
“(A teacher) was talking to some kids and engaging them on the academics, and other kids, they are just talking to them about management,” he said.
The school has since shifted to a strategy of designing lesson plans around a “focal student” who represents a targeted subgroup. It’s a strategy to find what’s being missed. By ensuring the lesson reaches the focal student, teachers automatically raise the level of support for all.
“It’s not just going to be that kid (that benefits),” Van Tasel said.
The Raise the Bar award is a testament to the Cleveland teachers and staff that this approach is making a difference.
“It’s a reminder that we got to celebrate,” Van Tassel said. “It allows teachers to be like, oh, sweet, yes, this is what we did last year. We are going to do some similar things this year, and we can expect to have similar results.”
Students at EBIA having a discussion from their reading
East Bay Innovation Academy
Many public school educators work hard for years, hoping they’re making a difference. So when East Bay Innovation Academy (EBIA) won a Raise the Bar Award for a big jump in ELA scores for African American students, it was a clear sign of progress. “The work in education can feel lonely,” said Executive Director Miranda Thorman. “You’re planting a lot of seeds, and you don’t always get to see them grow. This award helps validate the work that everyone is doing.”
At EBIA, students build strong skills by working on real-world projects. “It is a combination of making sure we are really supporting students with their foundational skill development,” Thorman said, “and combining that with our project-based approach, so having students engage in kind of relevant, real-world learning.”
This approach makes school mean more than just grades and tests. “You are not just learning something to regurgitate it or to pass a test,” Thorman said. “You are learning it so that you can do something, you can apply it to something, you can share it with a community.”
Raising the Bar for EBIA students starts with intentional work from school educators and staff. That includes building systems to encourage students to produce high-quality work.
“We really need to make sure we have protocols and practices in place to make sure that those assignments are at or above grade level,” Thorman said. “How can you take that project and make sure kids are really doing that analysis, that critical thinking?”
EBIA also has a new graduate profile as the school looks to prepare students for what comes next after they graduate. It’s a key part of the school’s roadmap for continuing to raise the bar.
“Really articulating clearly what we want for our students, what we want for our classrooms, is helping us get into increasing the achievement and the success for our kids,” she said. “Part of it is that you have to name it first and then work towards it.”
