Turning a struggling school around in St. Paul, Minnesota

On the face of it, Ames Elementary in St. Paul, Minnesota, has all the ingredients needed to make a failing school. Its families are poor, many students struggle with English and there is a high proportion of students of color. But this year, a year in which richer and whiter schools were being added to the rapidly increasing state list of schools falling behind, Ames was removed from the list entirely.

What the school has done to turn things around can be an interesting case study for other Minnesota schools struggling to educate disadvantaged students. The school has adjusted its curriculum, stepped up efforts to connect with parents, started a Saturday school, instituted uniforms and made a cultural shift to raise children's sights toward graduation and college.

"This school is built on helping the children find what their gift is, what their strong points are," said Rochelle West, who has four children at Ames and is a co-chair of the school's site council. "This school helped them find who they are, and who they can be." Read more in The Star-Tribune online.