Rhythm, Rhymes And Arithmetic Turn Things Around At North Texas Elementary School 

FORT WORTH (CBSNEWS.COM) - A North Texas school has found the perfect formula to improve test scores: music videos.

It wasn't so long ago that the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary in Fort Worth was a failing campus – but with the help of math teacher Thomas Mayfield, it has turned around.

Mayfield has been at Como for a year and says he's willing to do anything for his students.

Besides struggles in the classroom, the young people deal with obstacles in the outside would. The median family income for Como students is less than $19,000 and more than 94% of them are economically disadvantaged.

One year ago, Como wasn't in a good place... attendance was low, disciplinary action high and on annual state tests the campus had a grade of "F".

"If you do not get out of that hole then yes, the state can decide to come in and take over your school," recalled Principal Valencia Rhines. "We were knocking on that door."

Mayfield calculated that by adding students and fellow teachers together in music videos... he could help kids love what they were learning. "It's not hard work, it's heart work," he said.

It seems students have found the rhythm to the arithmetic. This year the campus received a "B" rating.