CATEGORY: Students, Teachers and Leaders
Isabella Senzamici • Jun 3, 2026
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Many of Serena Barton’s eighth graders at Achievement First Bridgeport Middle School entered this school year far behind in English Language Arts. Just 2 percent of her students scored proficient on the ELA mock assessment the year before. Flash forward one year and, today, 58% percent scored proficient.
Academic growth like that doesn’t happen by accident. But don’t give credit to Serena, who is in her 13th year at Achievement First. She attributes these gains to the unique character of her students.
“They came in with this really beautiful sense of community. They really care about each other. They like to celebrate with each other and they also like to support each other when they’re struggling.”
That culture has helped students rebuild confidence in themselves as readers and writers. Serena says many students entered eighth grade doubting their own abilities. Rather than focusing only on big end goals, her classroom emphasizes steady growth, peer feedback, and the belief that improvement happens step by step.
One student entered the year reading at approximately a second grade level and often disengaged during class, sitting quietly and staring at the page rather than participating. Over the course of the year, his reading level increased by roughly three grade levels. More importantly, Barton watched his confidence transform.
“Now he’s raising his hand, participating more, explaining his thinking to the class,” Barton said. “He got really into our test prep unit and was very motivated to analyze the questions and use all the new strategies he learned.”
Serena designs her lessons to help students see themselves as thinkers, leaders, and changemakers.
One unit centered on the book Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, which tells the story of Claudette Colvin, the teenager who challenged bus segregation months before Rosa Parks became the public face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Inspired by the book, students researched modern-day teenagers working to address social issues they care about, from climate change to racial justice.
Some students studied well-known youth activists like Greta Thunberg, while others uncovered lesser-known teen leaders making change in their own communities, such as Elijah Lee (child abuse awareness), Marley Dias (representation in literature) and Olivia Julianna (reproductive rights). Barton said students became deeply invested in the assignment because it connected literature to the real world and gave them opportunities to share their passions with classmates.
Another standout project invited students to turn inward through writing. In a poetry portfolio assignment, students created three-poem sequences exploring their identities, personal experiences, and defining moments in their lives. Many of the poems were deeply personal, revealing students’ growth as young people discovering their voices.
The emphasis on student voice is intentional. Barton says her goal is to help students understand that the skills they are building in middle school will stay with them long after eighth grade.
“We’re not asking them to be perfect,” she said. “We’re asking them to be a little better than they were yesterday.”
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