Imagine a school standing in the heart of Chicago’s West Side, in an inner city community devastated by generational poverty, gangs, drugs, and violence. Each and every morning, classrooms full of children stand at attention and recite the following words in unison:

At Providence St. Mel’s, we believe. We believe in the creation of inspired lives produced by the miracle of hard work. We are not frightened by the challenges of reality, but believe that we can change our conception of this world and our place within it. So we work, plan, build, and dream— in that order. We believe that one must earn the right to dream. Our talent, discipline, and integrity will be our contribution to a new world. Because we believe that we can take this place, this time, and this people, and make a better place, a better time, and a better people. With God’s help, we will either find a way or make one.

That’s just a taste of The Providence Effect: The Amazing Story Of An Inner City School.

Rollin Binzer’s new documentary profiles Providence St. Mel, a pre-K-through-12 independent school in Garfield Park, Chicago, that has sent 100% of its graduating seniors to college every year for the past 30 years. In fact, in the last seven years, more than half of these students were accepted into tier one colleges and universities across the country. And last year, the 2008 graduating class received over $4.5 million in scholarships.

This is a remarkable achievement for any school—let alone one located in Chicago’s inner city—prompting scholars, researchers, city officials, parents, and even several U.S. Presidents to wonder: How do they do it? This is the central question posed by the film, and answered so beautifully by allowing the viewing audience to experience daily life in the school, as well as listen to interviews by the school’s founder and president, Paul J. Adams III, its principal, Jeanette DiBella, its teachers, students, parents, and alumni.

Interestingly, the answer to that question may not be what you think. In the words of Mr. Adams: “People think this is such a miracle. But it’s what we’re supposed to be doing.” And Ms. DiBella: “You take your classroom data, and teach according to what the students need…It’s not rocket science.”

And they’re right. Providing every child with a good education should not be rocket science, and there is no magic ingredient that makes Providence St. Mel’s school so successful. Instead, there are a few basic principles built into the culture of the school that make it such an effective model.

For instance, the principal epitomizes the role of instructional leader, constantly popping in and out of classrooms each day making sure that both teachers and students are doing their jobs as they should. Both faculty and students are held accountable to strict codes of conduct, and there is a 100% zero tolerance policy for foolishness or breaking the rules. Parents are partners in their children’s education, and parental involvement is mandatory. Teachers are expected to be both highly competent in their subject matter and passionate about teaching. They have certain frameworks and standards they must follow, but are given leeway to teach creatively within those guidelines. There is a palpable culture of high expectations for each and every student who are told from day one that they will be going to college, and plan accordingly. Learning and achievement are always celebrated publicly, with prizes like shares of stock and travel opportunities given to those who excel. It’s clear that at Providence St. Mel, the administration, staff, parents, and students are all united by the same goals, and work seriously and purposefully towards achieving them.

This discovery begs the next central question of the film: If there is nothing miraculous being done to achieve such extraordinary results at Providence St. Mel, can its program be replicated in traditional public schools? To answer that question, Providence St. Mel opened up a K-5 charter school in 2006 in Chicago’s South Side called Providence Englewood Charter School. Curious about the results? I’ll let you check out the film for yourself to find out. (And consider the purchase price of your ticket a donation to a worthy cause. All profits from the film are being reinvested into education and Providence schools.)

The Providence Effect was released in select theaters on September 25th.