The American Institutes for Research (AIR) selected Crossland High School in Temple Hills as an example of a comprehensive high school that has been able to create and maintain a college-going culture while raising academic rigor and improving academic achievement.

“Our students, staff, and parents can be proud of what we have been able to accomplish at our school," said principal Charles Thomas. "During the past seven years we have had triple digit improvement in our High School Assessment (HSA) scores, Advanced Placement participation has improved from almost zero to more than one third of all of our students, and for the last three years, at least 90 percent of our seniors have applied to four year colleges and universities. It is a tremendous honor that the United States Department of Education will use us as an example of how this can be done."

Representatives of AIR visited the school on several occasions and spent an entire day producing an audio/video package that is currently featured on the United States Department of Education's "Doing What Works" website (http://dww.ed.gov). The site features best practices in education and is a source of information for educators world-wide.

The video package highlights one of Crossland's Honor Roll Assemblies, Advanced Placement (AP), and College Summit classes. It also includes interviews with teachers, students, professional school counselors, a College Summit instructor, and principal Charles Thomas.

The package was produced as a companion to a document recently published by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) entitled “Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do." According to Dr. Marlene Darwin, a Senior Research Analyst at American Institutes for Research, Crossland was selected in part because it already has in place the following five recommendations outlined in the publication:

1.    Offer courses and curricula that prepare students for college-level work and ensure that students understand what constitutes a college-ready curriculum by 9th grade;
2.    Utilize assessment measures throughout high school so that students are aware of how prepared they are for college, and assist them in overcoming deficiencies as they are identified;
3.    Surround students with adults and peers who build and support their college-going aspirations;
4.    Engage and assist students in completing critical steps for college entry; and
5.    Increase families’ financial awareness and help students apply for financial aid.