Kinder and Gentler

As districts get more assertive in trying to jump-start achievement in their most troubled schools, San Francisco stands out for its emphasis on assistance. Rather than restructure schools, or dictate particular teaching models, the aim is to try first to remove the barriers to good instruction. Called the STAR, short for Students and Teachers Achieving Results, allows low-performing schools to get a full-time substitute teacher, more teacher planning time, and a master educator to lead school-wide training. In this article, the author reports how Glen Park Elementary School, which used to belong to the lowest-performing schools in San Francisco, has benefited from the STAR program.