How Teacher Lisa Collum Runs Top Score Writing and Coastal Middle and High to Foster a Culture of Excellence

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 7, 2020 / When Lisa Collum started out as a young teacher, she knew something was missing from the lessons. She was shocked at how underdeveloped some curricula were in many schools.

Lisa started her long-wanted teaching career as a fourth-grade writing teacher at one of the lowest-performing Title I schools in Palm Beach County. Very soon, she realized a big problem: there was no specific writing curriculum available anywhere for her to use. Thinking outside the box and wanting to see her students pass the state writing exams someday, she devised a plan to be able to teach them the necessary lessons.

As a result of her efforts, the school’s proficiency rate rose from 50 to 95 in a matter of months. Lisa reached 100 percent proficiency for two years in a row afterward.

After seven years in the classroom, Lisa started Top Score Writing, a company that specializes in writing curriculum for grades 2 to 12. Lisa not only owns the business but also authors each curriculum level. The company engages itself in different programs such as professional development and training for teachers across the nation, consultations with schools, and tutor programs.

Top Score Writing is the sole company specifically designed to prepare students for the state writing assessment. Most schools rely solely on reading and grammar programs to teach ELA skills, yet today’s tests are heavily weighted on a student’s ability to write. The lack of writing-specific curricula results not only in lower writing scores but also in lower ELA scores across the board. Top Score Writing can directly correlate the improvement in writing scores to higher overall school grades. The company is Lexile-certified, which enables them to create custom-made and innovative lessons with thought-provoking and original passages tailored to aid in teacher instruction on targeted reading levels.

While she was on her entrepreneurial journey, Lisa found out about a small private school in her area designated for students that struggled in school, had dropped out, or just needed something different. She knew she wanted to own this school to be able to provide students with an alternative educational setting.

Lisa Collum purchased Coastal Middle and High School, a very small private school with 10 to 15 students. Though it is a fully accredited private school in Lake Park, Florida, it is far from being a normal traditional school. Coastal has a focus on flexibility, breaks, various curriculum choices, and lots of small-group and one-on-one teaching. Lisa’s mission for Coastal is not to gain profit but for it to become an efficient resource to help children. In this school, Lisa avoids the “one size fits all” approach to learning in order to accommodate her students fully. She believes that not all kids can learn the same way, and they should not have to.

Coastal creates plans and schedules that work best for their students and allow them to show their best. The school de-emphasizes grades and instead puts importance on effort so that students can learn life skills aside from mandatory school lessons. Coastal is able to accept children going through difficult situations because of its nonconformist setup. Students are able to take the time they need before diving into activities and schoolwork. This fosters a caring and nurturing environment for all students that is conducive to learning. Many students have graduated from Coastal Middle and High School and went on to attend colleges all over the state.

Learn more about Lisa Collum on her website and her company Top Score Writing. Get in touch with Lisa by sending her an email at lisa@topscorewriting.com or by calling (561) 577-2097.

SOURCE: Authority Titans

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