OSSF Schools Make Great Strides in Reading and Math

Contact: Holly Babe Faust,
Executive Director, 415-412-2230

Oakland, CA -- 2009 California Standards Test (CST) scores rose sharply for the public schools working closely with the Oakland Small Schools Foundation (OSSF). These 32 schools' students outpaced state averages, improving proficiency rates by 6.3 percent in English Language Arts and by 7.5 percent in Math, compared to 4 percent and 3 percent, state-wide.

Announced last week, the results reflect widespread achievement leaps when compared to 2008 scores. Other highlights:

• 28 of OSSF's 32 schools moved students into the "Proficient" and "Advanced" range in both ELA and Math. 25 moved students out of "Below Basic" levels in Math, and 24 did so in ELA.

• One of OSSF's client schools, East Oakland's Learning Without Limits, moved more students out of "Below Basic" than any other elementary school in Oakland.

"OSSF is proud to be doing its part to move Oakland Unified forward and help develop great and ever-improving schools for all kids in our city," says Executive Director Holly Babe Faust. Oakland is the most improved large (20,000 students or more) urban school district in the state of California over the last five years.

The news comes on the heels of two promising studies released last year. Brown University's Annenberg Institute for School Reform and Stanford University both released reports championing the approach of OSSF's schools, which emphasize personalization, strong family engagement, and data-driven academics.

For a summary of the results and a chart of every school's scores, visit www.smallschoolsfoundation.org/cst.

About the Oakland Small Schools Foundation


Founded in 2003, OSSF is dedicated to promoting excellence in Oakland's public schools so that all our students have the opportunity to achieve. OSSF is the only private organization focused on securing and managing resources and providing expert operational, communications, and fundraising services for those Oakland public schools that serve primarily low-income students, are results-oriented and data-driven, are led by innovative, entrepreneurial leaders, and emphasize personalization, collaboration, and family involvement.