Anastasia Jean loves going to the Engelwood Neighborhood Center after school. 

"Because I like to go to the computer lab and the gym," Anastasia said. 

In fact, it is Spring Break right now but the first grader at Engelwood Elementary School is still participating in extra-curricular activities and getting help with her homework at the city's community center.

“Like sometimes there’s something hard I don’t remember, like 13 plus 14. I don’t understand the numbers so I need help," Anastasia said.

“I think it’s a tremendous help. She’s above average, she stayed above average, they always help here after school with work, as well as any activities after school that she’s involved in. I think those also help her academically as well," shared Anastasia's mother, Tiffney Jones. 

According to the Education Equality Index, the partnership between Orange County Public Schools and the City of Orlando is creating a more level playing field for low-income families by offering spring and summer break learning loss programs. 

“It’s no cost for me to bring her here and that’s a big factor as well," Jones added. 

“Truly, when the community steps up it makes a tremendous difference," said Orange County School Board Chairman Bill Sublette. 

Orlando is stepping up their efforts even more at the Engelwood Neighborhood Center to help students, by hiring teachers to offer after-school academic support every day through a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant.

“Closing those achievement gaps between our high and our low-income students and between our minority and our non-minority populations, it’s really probably the single most important metric for a public school system," Sublette shared.

"So we’re extremely proud of this report," Sublette continued.

Engelwood Elementary, which is located just off Semoran Boulevard between Lake Underhill and Curry Ford Road, has been recognized as one of the top 10 Orlando area schools with the smallest achievement gap. 

In the report, national education leaders said the Orange County / Orlando model is an example more cities from across the nation can learn from.

“In the summer time, she could just be sitting at home with her older sister but that’s not something that she wants either. She likes it here and she wants to be here, so the learning that they teach here is also something that she likes to do," Jones said.

According to the EEI, the 10 Orlando area schools home to a small or nonexistent achievement gap that serve a student population where the majority of students receive free or reduced price lunch are:

  • Andover Elementary School
  • Cheney Elementary School
  • Endeavor Elementary School
  • Engelwood Elementary School
  • John Young Elementary School
  • Oakshire Elementary School
  • Orange Center Elementary
  • Passport Charter School
  • Pine Castle Elementary School
  • Wetherbee Elementary