When the Bridgeport Total Learning Initiative was created, the full model was designed based on a well-researched approach: children who succeed are surrounded with a constellation of supports from birth: health, family, school (quality teachers and an enriched curriculum, delivered in developmentally appropriate ways), time (extended day and extended year), adult attention, and social-emotional and mental health support. The Total Learning logo above shows the child surrounded by all the necessary supports to succeed.
While this approach costs more per student, our research has shown that we need the entire constellation to reduce the impact of poverty on our at-risk students.
Click the following link for an interesting perspective on the underlying cause of the achievement gap. What do you think? http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/no-rich-child-left-behind/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0