Multicultural Magnet School, Bridgeport

• Ranked #3 in CT for elementary school Hispanic Scores
• Ranked #7 in CT for elementary school Low-Income Scores
• Ranked #3 in CT for middle school Low-Income Scores

Location: 700 Palisade Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06610
Principal: Marina Perez Taverner
Phone: 203-576-7505
Website

Basic Information

School Type: Intradistrict Magnet School
Size: 441students
Grades: K-8

African American: 28%
Hispanic: 49%
Low: 95%

Performance

Of the 117 public elementary schools in Connecticut with publicly reported CMT scores for Hispanics, Multicultural Magnet School had the 3rd highest percentage of Hispanics within goal range (59 percent) in the state. In 2006, Multicultural Magnet also had the 7th highest low-income student scores, with 58 percent of low-income students within goal range, and increased the percentage of student within goal range 17 percentage points between the 4th and 5th grade. At the middle school level, Multicultural Magnet’s had the third highest scores low-income scores statewide, with 74% of low-income eighth graders scoring within the goal range.

Elements of Success

Principal Marina Perez Taverner credits Multicultural Magnet’s success to a combination of high expectations, frequent assessments of student progress and a well-trained teaching staff. Each week, Multicultural’s teachers havehour-long weekly professional development meetings in the school, in addition to the Bridgeport school district’s own half and full day professional development workshops.

Multicultural has worked in recent years to make the most of the innovative online quarterly assessments run by the Bridgeport school district to ensure all students are progressing throughout the year. Additionally, after school tutoring run by the school is linked to these assessments, helping ensure that the extra time is seamlessly targeted to addressing the skills and subjects with which children need the most help.