The College Board Recognizes High Schools that Inspire

May 2012

Advocacy

Three exceptional high schools received a 2012 College Board Gaston Caperton Inspiration Award for improving their academic environments and helping underserved students achieve equitable access to higher education, overcoming remarkable obstacles in the process. Each school received a $25,000 award, and six honorable mention schools received $1,000 to apply toward programs that encourage students to attend college.

The 2012 Gaston Caperton Inspiration Award–winning schools are:

• Johnny G. Economedes High School, Edinburg, Texas
• Fort Lauderdale High School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Woodbury Junior/Senior High School, Woodbury, N.J.

The College Board honored each of the schools at inspirational assemblies attended by administrators, faculty, students, parents and local dignitaries. On May 1, College Board Senior Vice President Peter Negroni presented the award to Johnny G. Economedes High School; on May 8, Negroni presented the award to Fort Lauderdale High School; and on May 17, College Board President Gaston Caperton presented the final award for 2012 to Woodbury Junior/Senior High School.

“Each year there is nothing that I find more rewarding than presenting the Inspiration Awards,” said Caperton. “They recognize great work that too often goes unacknowledged, and they are a symbol of the great work being done quietly all over the country. The students, teachers and administrators at each of the Inspiration Award–winning schools have put in extraordinary effort to improve their schools, raise their standards and instill a culture of learning. Today we salute them, we thank them and we offer their example to the nation.”

The Gaston Caperton Inspiration Awards celebrate schools for their outstanding college-preparation programs and partnerships among teachers, parents and community organizations. Through their dedication and commitment, these school communities have opened doors to higher education for students facing economic, social and cultural barriers by improving their academic environment, creating a college-going culture and helping a significant proportion of students realize the promise of higher education. Winning high schools demonstrate significant and consistent growth across the entire student population in the number of students taking rigorous courses and the percentage of students accepted to two- or four-year colleges.

The award was created by College Board President Gaston Caperton in 2001. In early 2012, the name of the award was changed from the Inspiration Awards to the Gaston Caperton Inspiration Awards to commemorate Caperton’s service to the College Board and to mark his final year of leadership. To date, the program has awarded approximately $950,000 to high schools throughout the country.

“As I prepare to retire from the College Board, I am truly honored to have these awards rededicated in my name,” said Caperton. “The students, teachers and administrators at each of the winning schools represent everything that is right about the way we educate our youth. And they prove that with hard work and determination, there is hope for all the children of America.”

A distinguished panel of Gaston Caperton Inspiration Award judges selected this year’s winners based on the schools’ success in increasing the number of students (from all school demographic groups) being prepared for college.

Following is a list of the 2012 Gaston Caperton Inspiration Award judges:

• Brian Cashman, general manager, New York Yankees
• Edwidge Danticat, award-winning author and professor
• Mike Marriner, founder, Roadtrip Nation

• Jennifer Raab, president, Hunter College, CUNY
• Wes Moore, national best-selling author

• Roy Romer, former Colorado governor and former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District

Gains in college readiness are measured based on a variety of factors, including the percentage of students taking college-preparatory core curriculum courses; the percentage of students accepted into two- or four-year colleges; and the growth in student participation in rigorous classes such as AP^®. The Gaston Caperton Inspiration Award–winning schools did much more than meet basic eligibility requirements. They were selected for their innovative ability to inspire student success.

The following schools received an honorable mention and a $1,000 stipend:

• La Puente High School, La Puente, Calif.
• Rio Rico High School, Rio Rico, Ariz.
• Springfield Central High School, Springfield, Mass.
• Los Fresnos High School, Los Fresnos, Calif.
• United High School, Laredo, Texas
• Edna Karr High School, New Orleans, La.