One year after the Village Nation started, test scores rose 53 points. In the past four years, test scores have continued to climb over 100 points. It didn't take extra money to get these results—all it took was thinking outside the box. "When we started this thing off, we had no indications of that type of a jump," Fluke says. "Our focus was on them making better choices, and obviously the results of the tests is a great by-product of that."

In fact, Fluke says there was almost an investigation after scores rose so much! How did they do it? "I think that what we were able to do was to create an environment where we created discipline by expectation," Bill says. "The idea that we raised the level of expectation for these kids. They went from being disinterested and uninvolved to interested and involved."

As a testament to the students' involvement, California recently made Cleveland High School a California Distinguished School—the highest award possible in the state!