Last week I attended a fascinating presentation sponsored by the Center for Reinventing Public Education at the UW - a story about saving a Catholic school in Seattle and the lessons it holds for public education.

Three years ago, St. Therese Catholic Academy, a K-8 school serving mostly poor children in the Madrona neighborhood in Seattle, faced closure. Enrollment had dwindled to 90 children. Rising expenses threatened the school’s existence. St. Therese, in case you do not know, was a young 19th century French nun whose classic work “Story of a Soul” teaches that small, daily acts of kindness toward others can lead one to heaven.

To save their school, the leaders of St. Therese examined all the elements that make a school successful, whether big or little, public or private. They found that leadership is key. They replaced the principal. They found funding is essential. They sought help from the Gates and Fulcrum Foundations. They found that Rocketship and KIPP public charter schools set high expectations for students. They adopted a school culture of motivation. And they found that technology can support teachers in the classroom. They adopted blended, online courses for every student.

Today, St. Therese looks completely different than it did three years ago. St. Therese has 190 students and is led by a new, dynamic principal, Mrs. Theresa Hagemann-Chase. St. Therese is using both technology and a culture of motivation to transform the way the children are taught. With blended learning, teachers use interactive computer programs to deliver lessons to students. Children work in rotations on the computer, followed by small group work with a teacher. The computer programs provide small bits of valuable feedback on student progress to teachers, so they can give children extra help on an as-needed small group, or one-on-one basis.

No less important than the technology, St. Therese has created a school culture that nourishes student effort, day by day. Students are given awards and are celebrated for perfect attendance, for perseverance, and for academic achievement. Their photos are displayed on posters posted in the school. The children love the attention and public recognition they receive for working hard in school.

Teachers at St. Therese were understandably anxious last fall when Jeff Kerscher, their new young high-tech whiz, introduced them to the 10 different computer programs they would be using. Now, eight months later, the teachers love the whole setup.  They say they would never go back to their old ways in the classroom.

Mr. Kerscher reports that mid-year test scores show students are doing very well. He says he can’t wait to see year-end results.

St. Therese’s approach saved money. Blended learning reduced costs by between $1,500 and $2,000 per child, by approximately 25%. Class sizes at St. Therese are now at 30 students per class, yet all kids receive the attention they need.

St. Therese's success in cutting costs, improving leadership, supporting teachers in the classroom and using online lessons hold important lessons for school administrators seeking to improve public education.

St. Therese school’s salvation was not the result of one act but, as their patron taught, of many small acts by many ordinary people, put together in one whole, for the sake of the children in their community.