National nonprofit Batelle for Kids released their Global Education Study that listed the world’s five best school systems—and Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) was one of them.
The enormous achievement not only places LBUSD side-by-side with the educational systems of Finland—which holds one of the world’s most impressive literacy rates at 90 percent—and Hong Kong—where the graduation rate hovers at 85 percent—but is impressive because the school district didn’t seek out the honor. Rather, Batelle sought them.
“We didn’t apply for this or solicit it,” said Chris Eftychiou of the LBUSD. “We didn’t even know about this group until they approached us.”
The study, which also included Singapore and Ontario, Canada to round out the top five, began in 2011 when Batelle began researching drivers of student success.
Using the metaphor that the secret to the farmer who always wins the best crops at the County Fair shares his seeds with his neighbors, the nonprofit sought to analyze not systems which achieved a singularly great year, but system’s whose students were improving while maintaining a great level of achievement over multiple years.
LBUSD was recognized for its Pathways programs—the initiative to incentivize and encourage K12 students to reach for higher education via the triad partnership of LBUSD, Long Beach City College, and Cal State Long Beach—as well as its proximity to economic engines like the Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Even further, teacher selection was key in honoring LBUSD and emphasized Batelle’s metaphor of sharing greatness. According to the study, “Long Beach teachers are comfortable sharing their best practices with their colleagues and asking for help,” along with using adjunct professors from our two higher education institutions to help find teachers and hone curriculum. The report also noted that a large percentage of LBUSD teachers live within the District, strengthening community bonds and continued personal investment.
This week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson congratulated LBUSD, releasing the following statement:
“Hats off to Superintendent Christopher Steinhauser and the teachers, administrators, staff, parents and students of Long Beach Unified School District for this well-earned recognition as one of the highest-performing school systems in the world. Their work to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century by providing them with the real-world skills they need for college and the workplace has made Long Beach a shining example of the success that comes from teamwork, focus, and commitment.”
The findings were presented at a Global Education Summit hosted by the Ohio-based education nonprofit Batelle for Kids in November of 2012. Much of the data that led to LBUSD’s inclusion on this prestigious summit was culled from a 2010 study from McKinsey & Company that listed the District as one of the world’s top 20 school systems, a title that had LBUSD as one of only two actual districts in the U.S. that had accomplished sustained and significant improvements.
To learn more about Batelle for Kids and to watch a video describing the world’s top school districts, click here. The entire Batelle for Kids report is below.
Six Drivers of Student Success: A Look Inside Five of the World’s Highest-Performing School Systems by