Amityville Memorial High School Recognized as National Breakthrough School by NASSP and Met-Life

AMHS Breakthrough School - Newsday Article

AMHS Staff Thank You Letter

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Amityville Memorial High School (AMHS) is one of five middle level and five high schools in the United States recognized for academic successes through the 2011 MetLife Foundation-National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Breakthrough Schools program. The schools will be honored at the 2011 NASSP Conference, which is being held in San Francisco, CA, February 24-27, 2011.

Established in 2007, the MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough Schools program recognizes middle level and high schools that are high achieving or are dramatically improving student achievement and serve large numbers of students living in poverty. AMHS and the other winning schools will be featured in the NASSP magazine and each school will receive a grant of $5,000. AMHS is one of only two schools in New York State to win the award and is the sole high school in the state to have been bestowed the honor.

“We really focused on building a strong foundation, beginning with the establishment of a trusting, supportive, caring and flexible environment that looks to create relationships based on actions and deeds, not just talk,” said AMHS Principal Dr. Scott Andrews. “It’s difficult to get the students to concentrate on academic achievement without focusing on their social and emotional development, as well. I believe our focus on personalizing each student’s experience transformed the culture of our school.”

Dr. Andrews added that the subsequent focus on adding rigor to the academic program and identifying areas of the curriculum where students struggled – and addressing those struggles individually, was a major force in the recent success. He lauded his staff and the partnership achieved with the parents and community members, adding, “Everyone is on board and that is a fantastic testament to our students, community, and staff.”

Ms. Jennifer Trotman, a Special Education and Reading teacher, commented, “Our development and growth at Amityville Memorial High School comes from a dedicated team of professionals. The positive learning environment that Dr. Scott Andrews created, gave the faculty and students a sense of pride. That pride empowered the school to be more dedicated and strive for a higher level of success.”

Ms. Trotman added, “Our community at AMHS is a family. Faculty and students care about each other. We focus on the academic, social, and emotional aspects of our students’ lives. The faculty prides themselves on the fact that students can open up and talk to us. That special relationship that we have as educators positively impacts our students’ lives forever.”
"This proves that a strong, collaborative effort between a dedicated school staff and a caring parental community, united in their efforts, produces the most a positive of results,” added Amityville Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Williams. “On behalf of the Board of Education and our entire administration, I congratulate Dr. Andrews, his faculty and staff, the students and the entire Amityville school community for shining in the national spotlight and continuing to educate for a bright future."

The leaders of schools selected for the award have proven that with leadership, time, and a clear focus, high-poverty schools can be turned around. Nine of the 2011 Breakthrough principals have been in their position for at least five years. Although “adequate yearly progress” can be an effective measure of success and growth, the call for principals to achieve AYP status within two years may not allow the same results that these turnaround principals have achieved.

“These 10 MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough Schools have made incredible gains in academic achievement by providing rigorous instruction and personalizing their schools to meet the needs of each and every student,” said NASSP Executive Director Gerald N. Tirozzi. “I applaud the schools for their focused efforts and the principals of these schools for their leadership. We look forward to featuring them as models of success in the coming year.”

“We are pleased to join NASSP in recognizing the important role of principal leadership in schools that have increased student achievement and in sharing the lessons learned," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation.”

The 2011 MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough Schools are:

High Schools
• Amityville Memorial High School, Amityville, NY, Scott Andrews, Principal
• B. F. Terry High School, Rosenberg, TX, Vera Wehring, Principal
• Columbus Unified High School, Columbus, KS, Steven R. Jameson, Principal
• North Brunswick High School, Leland, NC, Sheila Grady, Principal
• Worcester Technical High School, Worcester, MA, Sheila M. Harrity, Principal

Middle Schools
• Robert M. Finley Middle School, Glen Cove, NY, Anael Alston, Principal
• Franklin Middle School, Champaign, IL, Angela Smith, Principal
• Haymon-Morris Middle School, Winder, GA, Sheila Kahrs, Principal
• M. O. Ramay Junior High School, Fayetteville, AR, Matt S. Saferite, Principal
• Smokey Road Middle School, Newnan, GA, Laurie Barron, Principal

Selection criteria are based on a school’s documented success in implementing strategies that are aligned with the three core areas of NASSP’s Breaking Ranks framework for middle level and high schools: the cultivation of collaborative leadership skills among staff as well as students; mentoring of students and fostering of strong school-community/home connections; and providing rigorous coursework and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all learners, with a strong focus on literacy and numerical skills. Success in implementing the strategies is documented and verified through school site visits.

Representatives from NASSP recently visited the high school for a day, meeting with students and staff to listen to their testimony as to how the culture of the school has improved tremendously in recent years.

About MetLife Foundation: MetLife Foundation supports education, health, civic, and cultural organizations. In education, it seeks to strengthen public schools through effective teaching and leadership, and to prepare students for access to and success in higher education, particularly the crucial first year. The Foundation’s grantmaking is informed by findings from the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. For more information, visit www.metlife.org.

About NASSP: In existence since 1916, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the preeminent organization of and national voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders from across the United States and more than 45 countries around the world. The mission of NASSP is to promote excellence in school leadership. NASSP administers the National Honor Society®, National Junior Honor Society®, National Elementary Honor Society®, and National Association of Student Councils®. For more information about NASSP, located in Reston, VA, visit www.principals.org.