A Tradition of Excellence

How School Leaders Are Helping Turn One Troubled School into a Success Story

Marc Cohen, principal of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School (MLK) in Germantown, Md., writes about his experience taking over a troubled school and working tirelessly to turn it around, starting with a mind-set adjustment. 

When Cohen came to MLK, it had one of the highest rates of referrals and suspensions in the school district, so Cohen set goals that focused on excellence. He began celebrating student and staff achievements and expected his staff to be leaders and keep students focused on getting a good education. The result was a more involved community, and soon people started noticing a change of attitude within the school. 

Cohen also instituted a data-monitoring system to ensure that educators were effectively implementing action and lesson plans in the classroom. Staff would meet periodically to discuss what was and was not working and to look at problems arising in the classroom. The staff also focused their efforts on the common goal of eliminating the racial predictability of student achievement and helping get students back on track and improve their grades. 

Within three years, the school's suspension rate dropped 73 percent and referrals were down 54 percent. By setting goals and using data monitoring, MLK staff members were able to make some significant advances with students. Through shared leadership and one collective voice, Cohen is helping improve education quality and closing the achievement gap at his school.

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