School leaders said building strong relationships and maintaining high expectations are points of focus
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Students from the urban environment make up a significant portion of school populations nationwide. Many of these scholars face various challenges, which can hinder their academic performance and limit their opportunity in life. National Heritage Academies® (NHA) schools are helping students overcome these barriers and preparing them for what’s ahead.
Pembroke Academy, located in Detroit, was recognized for its work with a 2024 Blue Ribbon award and earned the distinction of an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School. They were the fourth Detroit elementary school to earn the honor.
Pembroke Principal Salwa Kinsey and Westfield Charter Academy Principal Ira Kleiman shared their priorities to aid students and close the achievement gaps for scholars in their communities.
Building Positive Relationships
While urban students are classified as such based on where they live and their local demographics, Kinsey shared that educating in this environment is deeply connected to students’ lived experiences.
It’s a priority for both Kinsey and Kleiman to understand their students and recognize the cultural richness everyone brings to their schools. This knowledge allows both leaders to establish a strong foundation for students and their families.
“That’s a key piece to get to know your students first and foremost,” Kinsey said. “The more we can learn about our students right from the start of the school year the better. We do the pre-assessments and understand what level everybody is at academically, but we’re also finding out their learning styles and interests.”
NHA teachers and leaders add to this foundation with positivity and care, building trust with families and students. Kleiman said his team at Westfield is constantly working on positive relationships.
“We’re constantly giving out positive affirmations,” Kleiman said. “It helps when you do have to have tougher conversations because they know it’s coming from a place of love and care. We always ask ‘Have you filled their bucket before you start taking from it? Have you made the deposit before you start making withdrawals?'”
Establishing High Expectations
Another way NHA schools are helping urban students grow is through high expectations. It’s a sentiment both Kinsey and Kleiman shared, adding that these standards are one of the many reasons families choose their schools.
“Parents don’t want their kids to just be passed along,” Kinsey said. “They want the high expectations and for everyone to be rowing and moving with a sense of urgency for the utmost success for their child’s education.”
Students are also held to high character expectations as taught to them in NHA’s Moral Focus™ curriculum. This focus on character and virtues such as respect, perseverance, and integrity, are helping teach the whole child.
These standards are established for every facet of the school day. From breakfast to recess to the final bell, the structure contributes to urban students’ success.
Kinsey said she spoke with a student who shared that the school’s expectations for traveling the halls made them feel safe. NHA leaders are showing that consistently holding students accountable to high standards is helping them succeed not only in the classroom, but it’s also helping them prepare for what’s ahead.
“High expectations prepare students for the world,” Kinsey said.
Targeted Instruction
Urban students begin school with a wide-ranging level of knowledge. Some students are new to the school environment while others may already be reading. Once NHA educators and leaders identify which students need extra help, they prioritize small-group learning and targeted intervention.
“We’re addressing those deficits as early as possible with the great curriculum we have,” Kleiman said. “If we keep kids with us for at least three years, they’re going to grow. Even if they aren’t proficient, they’ll be on the road to proficiency. I know what we do here works.”
Westfield Charter Academy has a teacher and paraprofessional in every K-2 classroom to provide students the attention they need. Kleiman said this approach allows his staff to provide intentional instruction to multiple small groups at once.
This strategy is not one that school leaders set at the beginning of the year and forget about. One key to ensuring small-group time and targeted intervention works is constantly updating groups.
Kinsey said that Pembroke Academy looks at student data every two weeks and determines if updates are needed. Her educators spend that time reviewing lesson and small-group plans so they aren’t spending instructional time setting up for the session. This process benefits both educators and students.
“We determine what skills to work on and then discuss why it was chosen,” Kinsey said. “We look at test score data, which can tell us where groups need improvement. It adds collaboration and it adds accountability as well. Having systems in place like that are beneficial.”
Transforming Lives
The work Kinsey and Kleiman do at their schools are directly connecting to NHA’s mission to transform lives. Building students up and providing individualized support helps set them up for success not only in their current classrooms, but also in their daily lives.
Kleiman said Westfield prioritizes meeting student needs for services they may not receive outside of school. This includes connecting scholars with eyeglasses and implementing more social-emotional learning. With this level of care in place, students are ready to learn.
“The biggest difference we can make is build students’ confidence and give them access to skills they need to be successful,” Kleiman said. “That’s why we do what we do.”
NHA’s urban leaders are seeing the difference they make in real time. Kleiman said he sees the pride on parents’ faces when Westfield holds Literacy Night and scholars are reading to them. He mentioned one student started the year unable to read but recently read to Kleiman.
“We are making a difference,” Kleiman said. “We are transforming lives. Seeing the pride in that student’s eyes, we know we made a difference for the student and their parents. They will have a better quality of life because of the environment we are giving them.”
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies® (NHA) is a network of 103 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.
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SOURCE National Heritage Academies
