To Chapter 13
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| Solving the
dropout dilemma |
433 |
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lights are out. The teacher smiles; her ratings were good that day.
A typical day at SuperCamp, if
any day could be said to be typical. Each day the staff model the key principles of
self-esteem and highly motivated achievement. And the results, as we've reported, are
lasting.
And how do parents feel about it? An overall positive
attitude towards the learning experience is expressed by 92 percent of parents and 98
percent of students.25
Learning Forum,
parent company of The SuperCamp organization, is now working with different American
schools and several entire districts to incorporate the program outlined in co-founder
Bobbi DePorter's book Quantum Learning, and in the more recent Quantum
Teaching.
Quantum
Learning for Teachers is a professional development program for educators "to put joy
back into the learning process". And the results speak for themselves:
 Thornton
Township High School District, South Holland, Illinois,has three high schools, each with
approximately 2,200 students. A big percentage of those come from low-income families,
including 83 percent from African-American families. Since 1992 Learning Forum has
organized multiple day trainings to put the SuperCamp principles into school settings. By
1998 detailed research 26 showed both teachers and students dramatically increasing their effectiveness.
In spring 1997,
incoming Thornton ninth graders were identified as performing well below grade level in
math and English. They were given the opportunity to attend a 22-day Quantum Learning
summer school. And after that many showed a two-year gain in math (for those who had not
yet reached grade level) and a six-year gain for those who had. English grades were also
up dramatically.
Grossmont Union
High School District in La Mesa, California, has spent more than a year tracking students
being taught with the Quantum Learning methods. Result: 18 percent of students
scoring C- or lower have now raised their grades substantially.
And at
California's Rancho Bernardo High School, Quantum Learning-trained Teacher of
the Year Lori Brickley reported: "Quantum Learning's methods made things happen
with the kids that I couldn't believe. Six weeks into this school year my
'at-risk' students achieved a one-point grade jump."
Add all
these ingredients together and you're starting to find a recipe that will create the
schools that tomorrow demands.
Contents Page Preface
To Chapter 13
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