Why Did We Create The Karen For Schools™ Program?

The Karen for Schools™ (KFS) Caring Schools Model was created by Parentpoints for School Reform to help schools and districts in their school-improvement efforts. Our model uses data-based inquiries to improve student academic achievement to help close the achievement gap for minority and lower-economic based students. We provide materials, training, and onsite implementation assistance to school staff across an extended period of time.

The Caring Schools Model reflects the Parentpoints vision of accountability. Any system designed to raise student achievement must be firmly committed to equal opportunities for all students and to reorganizing classroom practices, school structure, school culture, parent involvement, community outreach, and the coordination of social services centered around a specific vision of teaching and learning.

The No Child Left Behind Act calls for an unprecedented level of accountability for student achievement. We realize that setting high standards and rigorous testing are not enough to guarantee success for all students. It is vital to collect and use data from a variety of measures beyond standardized-test results to understand what students need to be successful.

Schools implementing the KFS model take part in the mapping process. This process is designed to help teachers and administrators align curriculum with school and state standards, track and implement educational goals, highlight best practices, facilitate benchmark assessment planning and testing, and evaluate test results as they relate to curriculum plans to close the persistent achievement gap between groups of students based on income, race, gender, native language and disability.