Paul J. Adams III

Jeanette DiBella

Providence-St. Mel School has earned its reputation as “The School That Works.” This independent, nonsectarian, K-12 college preparatory school with 600 African-American students, located in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago, achieves remarkable results. For the past 27 years, 100 percent of its graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities. For the past four years, over fifty percent of these students have gained admission to top-tier/Ivy League schools. Led by its founder and president, Paul J. Adams III, and its principal, Jeanette DiBella, Providence-St. Mel has been hailed as “a model for urban education”by renowned effective schools researcher Michael Pressley of Michigan State University. These accomplished school leaders are now sharing their model with other educators in Chicago and elsewhere throughout the United States. At this briefing, they shared their insights with our students and policymakers.