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From Education Newsfeed:

U.S. Department of Education Assistant Deputy Secretary Morgan Brown today visited Pan-American Elementary School (PAES) in Phoenix, Ariz., to celebrate the release of the Department's new Innovation in Education guide, K-8 Charter Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap.

This new resource profiles seven charter schools from across the U.S., including PAES, making strides under No Child Left Behind to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged students and their peers.

K-8 Charter Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap examines factors contributing charter schools' successes including a mission-driven focus, innovative academic programs, positive school culture, partnership with families, accountability for achieving results, and continuous professional learning and improvement.

Unveiled last month by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings during a charter school visit on her No Child Left Behind back-to-school bus tour, the guide highlights practices that inform educators on ways to help students meet high academic standards.

Just six years after opening its doors, Pan-American Elementary School has experienced a steady increase in students' academic achievement, which school leaders attribute to strong parental involvement and a focus on standards-based instruction.

Although 100 percent of students are achieving below grade level when they enter Pan-American, PAES is achieving adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind and received a "Performing Plus" ranking by the Arizona Department of Education in 2005-06.

In addition to Pan-American Elementary, the schools profiled in the Innovation in Education guide are: Alain Locke Charter Academy (Chicago, Ill.); Amigos Por Vida---Friends for Life Charter School (Houston, Texas); Amistad Academy (New Haven, Conn.); Carl C. Icahn Charter School (Bronx, N.Y.); Cesar Chavez Academy (Pueblo, Colo.); The Intergenerational School (Cleveland, Ohio).

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