All Students Supported
Individually at Ravenwood
Grady McGinnity, a senior at SCORE Prize finalist Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, wasn’t persuaded to
take an advanced placement (AP) class by a teacher or guidance counselor. It was another student.
At the time, Grady was a freshman just learning to navigate his large new high school. An upperclassman
connected with him through Ravenwood’s Freshman Mentorship Program (FMP). FMP sends mentors to
each freshman homeroom on a regular basis. The visits are most concentrated at the beginning of each
school year, when freshmen most need the relationship.
Mentors teach traditional pep rally cheers. They introduce the many diverse student organizations available
at Ravenwood, which sets a goal for every student to be involved in at least one student group or athletic
team. Details like the two-minute class warning bell are explained. Academic planning information and study
tips are also shared, and when this information comes from a peer, the impact is outsized. Grady remembers
the day a mentor calculated his grade point average (GPA) to demonstrate the importance of grades during
the freshman year, and explained the weighting effect of AP classes. The mentor also discussed the benefits
of AP exam credits.
“I would not have taken the AP classes otherwise,” Grady said. “FMP is probably one of the biggest strengths
of the school. It creates a very personalized feeling.”
With about 1,900 students in four grades and a 250,000-square-foot school building, there’s no question
about it: Ravenwood is big. But that doesn’t mean students disappear into the crowd. With strategies like
FMP and a teacher collaboration effort called Power Mondays, Ravenwood nurtures academic growth by
creating an individualized experience for each student.
And students are succeeding at Ravenwood. The school has an AP pass rate of 79 percent, and a high ACT
average of 24.5. Ravenwood students score well above statewide averages on all TCAP end of course assessments, and posted strong three-year marks on TVAAS growth in Algebra I and II, English II, and Biology I.
Ravenwood’s staff is intentional about forming relationships with students and quickly identifying those in
need of additional supports. Special education and content teachers collaborate to meet all learning needs.
A hallmark of classrooms throughout the school is student-focused – and often student-led – instruction.
These practices are nourished by an innovation-friendly culture that encourages teachers to always find new
ways to connect with each student.
Kristi Neuroth, a teacher of AP Human Geography at Ravenwood, says this culture begins at the county level.
The superintendent of her school district, Williamson County Schools, sends a weekly email to teachers with
reminders to recognize each individual student, to send positive notes home to families, and to always find
new ways to reach out. And within Ravenwood, teachers have concrete opportunities to collaborate and push
forward with “Power Mondays,” a weekly 40-minute block of time for teacher development and teamwork.
“When teachers are treated like professionals and given creative space to dream big in their classrooms,
I think that’s where the magic happens,” Ms. Neuroth said. “It’s a part of the culture to remind us not to
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