ANATOMY OF SUCCESS:

1
ANATOMY OF SUCCESS Real Strategies for Closing
Gaps and Raising Achievement
17th National Education Trust Conference Opening
Plenary
2
First, the good news.

• After more than a decade of fairly flat
  achievement and stagnant or growing gaps, we
  appear to be turning the corner.

3
NAEP Reading, 9 Year-OldsRecord Performance for
All Groups
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
4
African American-White Gap Narrows to Smallest
Size in HistoryNAEP Reading, 9 Year-Olds
26
35
29
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
5
Latino-White Gap Narrows to Smallest Size in
HistoryNAEP Reading, 9 Year-Olds
21
28
24
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
6
NAEP Math, 9 Year-Olds Record Performance for
All Groups
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
7
African American-White Gap Narrows to Smallest
Size in HistoryNAEP Math, 9 Year-Olds
23
28
25
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
8
Latino-White Gap Narrows to Smallest Size in
HistoryNAEP Math, 9 Year-Olds
17
26
21
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
9
Bottom LineWhen We Really Focus on Something,
We Make Progress
10
Clearly, much more remains to be done in
elementary and middle school

• Too many youngsters still enter high school way
  behind.

11
But the bigger problem is that were not really
building on these successes in the upper grades.
12
Achievement Flat in Reading 13 Year-Olds, NAEP
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 107) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
13
Achievement Flat or Declining in Reading, 17
year olds, NAEP
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress.
14
Math?
15
Achievement Up in Math, 13 Year-Olds, NAEP
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 108) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
16
Achievement up in Math,17 year olds, NAEP
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress and
NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress.
17
Value Added in Middle and High School Declined
During the Nineties
18
Value Added Declining in Middle School Math...
Age 9-13 Growth
Source NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress
19
Value Added Declining in High School Math...
Scale Score Growth, From Age 13 to Age 17
Note Scale score gains reflect the difference
between the scale scores of 17-year-olds and the
scale scores of 13-year-olds four years prior.
Source NCES, 1999. Trends in Academic Progress.
Data from Long Term Trend NAEP
20
... Still
Scale Score Growth, From Grade 8 to Grade 12
Note Scale score gains reflect the difference
between the scale scores of 12th Graders and the
scale scores of 8th Graders four years prior.
Source NAEP Data Explorer, http//nces.ed.gov/nat
ionsreportcard/nde
21
And gaps between groups wider today than in 1990
22
NAEP Reading, 17 Year-Olds
21
29
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
23
NAEP Math, 17 Year-Olds
28
20
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
24
Hormones?
25
If so, wed see the same pattern in other
countries.

• And we dont.

26
Looking across the Grades?2003 TIMSS and PISA
Math

• (US only compared with countries that
  participated in all three assessments TIMSS 48
  and PISA)

27
2003TIMSS Grade 4 Math
Source American Institutes For Research,
November 2005, Reassessing U.S. Mathematics
Performance New Findings from the 2003 TIMSS and
PISA
28
2003TIMSS Grade 8 Math
Source American Institutes For Research,
November 2005, Reassessing U.S. Mathematics
Performance New Findings from the 2003 TIMSS and
PISA
29
PISA 2003Mathematics, 15-Year-Olds
Source American Institutes For Research,
November 2005, Reassessing U.S. Mathematics
Performance New Findings from the 2003 TIMSS and
PISA
30
The U.S. Ranks Low Among Participating Countries
in Each of the International Math Assessments
Given in 2003
Average
Average
Average
US
US
US
Note Countries in this analysis participated in
all three of these assessments.
Source American Institutes For Research,
November 2005, Reassessing U.S. Mathematics
Performance New Findings from the 2003 TIMSS and
PISA
31
Lets take a closer look at our 15 year olds.
32
Last year, showed you the 1999 PISA results.
33
US 15 Year-Olds Rank Near Middle Of The Pack
Among 32 Participating Countries 1999
34
The new ones?
35
PISA 2003 US 15 Year-Olds Rank Near The End Of
The Pack Among 29 OECD Countries
Source NCES, 2005, International Outcomes of
Learning in Mathematics, Literacy and Problem
Solving 2003 PISA Results. NCES 2005-003
36
A closer look at math?
37
2003 U.S. Ranked 24th out of 29 OECD Countries
in Mathematics
Source Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data
available at http//www.oecd.org/
38
Problems just with poor and minority students?

• Not even close!

39
U.S. Ranks Low in the Percent of Students in the
Highest Achievement Level (Level 6) in Math
Source Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data
available at http//www.oecd.org/
40
U.S. Ranks 23rd out of 29 OECD Countries in the
Math Achievement of the Highest-Performing
Students
Students at the 95th Percentile
Source Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data
available at http//www.oecd.org/
41
U.S. Ranks 23rd out of 29OECD Countries in the
Math Achievement of High-SES Students
Source Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data
available at http//www.oecd.org/
42
Problems not limited to math, either.
43
PISA 2003 Problem-Solving, US Ranks 24th Out of
29 OECD Countries
Source NCES, 2005, International Outcomes of
Learning in Mathematics, Literacy and Problem
Solving 2003 PISA Results. NCES 2005-003
44
More than half of our 15 year olds at
problem-solving level 1 or below.
Source OECD Problem Solving for Tomorrows
World. 2004
45
One measure on which we rank high?Inequality!
46
PISA 2003 Gaps in Performance Of U.S.15
Year-Olds Are Among the Largest of OECD Countries
Of 29 OECD countries, based on scores of
students at the 5th and 95th percentiles.
Source Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), PISA 2003 Results, data
available at http//www.oecd.org/
47
These gaps begin before children arrive at the
schoolhouse door.

• But, rather than organizing our educational
  system to ameliorate this problem, we organize it
  to exacerbate the problem.

48
How?

• By giving students who arrive with less, less in
  school, too.

49
Some of these lesses are a result of choices
that policymakers make.
50
NationInequities in State and Local Revenue Per
Student
Source The Education Trust, The Funding Gap
2005. Data are for 2003
51
While many educators find these inequities
offensive, they can be comforting, as well. They
make the achievement gap somehow not about us.
52
In truth, though, some of the most devastating
lesses are a function of choices that we
educators make.
53
Choices we make about what to expect of whom
54
Students in Poor Schools Receive As for Work
That Would Earn Cs in Affluent Schools
Source Prospects (ABT Associates, 1993), in
Prospects Final Report on Student Outcomes,
PES, DOE, 1997.
55
Choices we make about what to teach whom
56
Fewer Latino students are enrolledin Algebra 1
in Grade 8
Source CCSSO, State Indicators of Science and
Mathematics Education, 2005
57
Fewer Latino students are enrolledin Algebra 2
Source CCSSO, State Indicators of Science and
Mathematics Education, 2001
58
And choices we make about Whoteaches whom
59
More Classes in High-Poverty, High-Minority
Schools Taught By Out-of-Field Teachers
High poverty Low poverty
High minority Low minority
Note High Poverty school-50 or more of the
students are eligible for free/reduced price
lunch. Low-poverty school -15 or fewer of the
students are eligible for free/reduced price
lunch. High-minority school - 50 or more of
the students are nonwhite. Low-minority school-
15 or fewer of the students are nonwhite.
Teachers lacking a college major or minor in the
field. Data for secondary-level core academic
classes. Source Richard M. Ingersoll, University
of Pennsylvania. Original analysis for the Ed
Trust of 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey.
60
Poor and Minority Students Get More
Inexperienced Teachers
High poverty Low poverty
High minority Low minority
Teachers with 3 or fewer years of experience.
Note High poverty refers to the top quartile of
schools with students eligible for free/reduced
price lunch. Low poverty-bottom quartile of
schools with students eligible for free/reduced
price lunch. High minority-top quartile those
schools with the highest concentrations of
minority students. Low minority-bottom quartile
of schools with the lowest concentrations of
minority students
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
Monitoring Quality An Indicators Report,
December 2000.
61
Results are devastating.

• Kids who come in a little behind, leave a lot
  behind.

62
By the end of high school?
63
African American and Latino 17 Year-Olds Do Math
at Same Levels As White 13 Year-Olds
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education
Statistics, NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
64
African American and Latino 17 Year-Olds Read at
Same Levels As White 13 Year-Olds
Note Long-Term Trends NAEP
Source National Center for Education
Statistics, NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress
65
So What Can We Do?
66
What We Hear Many Educators Say

• Theyre poor
• Their parents dont care
• They come to schools without breakfast
• Not enough books
• Not enough parents . . .

67
But the people in this room know thats not right
68
Last Years Dispelling the Myth Winners included
69
Daytons Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School
70
Daytons Bluff Achievement Plus ElementarySt.
Paul, Minnesota

• 312 Students in Grades K-6
• 48 African American
• 21 Asian
• 14 Latino
• 15 White
• 92 Low-Income

Source Minnesota Department of Education School
Report Card, http//education.state.mn.us/ReportCa
rd2005/
71
Daytons Bluff ElementaryImprovement Over Time,
Grade 5 Math
Source Minnesota Department of Education School
Report Card, http//education.state.mn.us/ReportCa
rd2005/
72
Frankford Elementary School
73
Frankford ElementaryFrankford, Delaware

• 449 Students in Grades PreK-5
• 29 African American
• 34 Latino
• 34 White
• 76 Low-Income

Source Delaware Department of Education Online
School Profiles, http//issm.doe.state.de.us/profi
les/EntitySearch.ASPX
74
Frankford ElementaryClosing Gaps, Grade 5 Reading
Source Delaware Department of Education, DSTP
Online Reports, http//dstp.doe.k12.de.us/DSTPmart
/default.asp
75
Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High School
76
Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High SchoolElmont,
New York

• 1,966 Students in Grades 7-12
• 75 African American
• 12 Latino
• 24 Low-Income

Source New York State School Report Card,
http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/reportcard/
77
Elmont MemorialHigher Percentage of Students
Meeting Graduation Requirements than the State,
Class of 2004 Regents English
Source New York State School Report Card,
http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/reportcard/
78
Elmont MemorialHigher Percentage of Students
Meeting Graduation Requirements than the State,
Class of 2004 Regents Math
Source New York State School Report Card,
http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/reportcard/
79
University Park Campus School
80
University Park Campus SchoolWorcester,
Massachusetts

• 220 Students in Grades 7-12
• 9 African American
• 18 Asian
• 35 Latino
• 39 White
• 73 Low-Income

Source Massachusetts Department of Education
School Profile, http//profiles.doe.mass.edu/
81
University ParkHigher Percentage of Students at
Proficient and Advanced than the State2005 Grade
10 Math
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
School Profile, http//profiles.doe.mass.edu/
82
Tonight, youll hear about five more.
83
Each has a different story, but the bottom line
is very clearWhat schools do matters big time!
84
What do we know about the anatomy of their
success?

• Eleven powerful lessons

85
1. They focus on what they can do, rather than
what they cant.
86
Some schools and districts get all caught up in
correlations.
87
Spend endless time tracking

• Percent of babies born at low-birthweight
• Percent of children born to single moms
• Percent of children in families receiving
  government assistance
• Education levels of mothers and

88
The leaders in high-performing high poverty
schools and districts dont do that.

• They focus on what they can do, not on what they
  cant.

89
Its not that they dont understand the effects
of poverty, and many work hard on public policies
that will help. But
90
Some of our children live in pretty dire
circumstances. But we cant dwell on that,
because we cant change it. So when we come
here, we have to dwell on that which is going to
move our kids.

• Barbara Adderly, Principal,
• M. Hall Stanton Elementary, Philadelphia
• Quoted in Philadelphia Daily News, 11/2/06

91
2. They dont leave anything about teaching and
learning to chance.
92
An awful lot of our teacherseven brand new
onesare left to figure out on their own what to
teach and what constitutes good enough work.
93
Result? A System That

• Doesnt expect very much from MOST students and,
• Expects much less from some types of students
  than others.

94
A Work in Poor Schools Would Earn Cs in
Affluent Schools
Source Prospects (ABT Associates, 1993), in
Prospects Final Report on Student Outcomes,
PES, DOE, 1997.
95
Elementary School Example

• Kindergarten Assignment
• Based on our reading, draw a picture of an ocean
  animal that you would like to be.

96
Elementary School Example

• Kindergarten Assignment
• Based on our reading, choose an ocean animal you
  would like to be. Explain what you would look
  like, what you would eat, and what you would do.
  Why do you want to be this animal?

97
Middle School Example

• 7th Grade Assignment
• Name and describe functions of the five body
  systems.

98
Middle School Example

• 7th Grade Assignment
• Explain the difference between the systems of
  the body affected by an allergy to pollen and
  those affected by an allergy to food as well as
  the process by which different medicines reduce
  the symptoms of each allergy.

99
High School Example

• 10th Grade Assignment
• Draw a map of the Caribbean, labeling major
  cities and geologic features.

100
High School Example

• 10th Grade Assignment
• How does Mercators 1633 map of the New World
  differ from Kirchers 1678 map? If you were going
  to sail alone from Europe to the New World, which
  map would you use and why?

101
High Performing Schools and Districts

• Have clear and specific goals for what students
  should learn in every grade, including the order
  in which they should learn it
• Provide teachers with common curriculum,
  assignments
• Assess students every 4-8 weeks to measure
  progress
• ACT immediately on the results of those
  assessments.

102
Theyre methodical, in other words, but also take
responsibility for student learning.

• When teachers in these schools say they taught
  it, that means their students learned it.

103
3. They set their goals high.
104
Elementary Version
105
M. Hall Stanton ElementaryPercent of 5th
Graders ADVANCED
106
High School Version
107
Even when they start with high drop out rates,
high impact high schools focus on preparing all
kids for college and careers

• Education Trust 2005 study, Gaining Traction,
  Gaining Ground.

108
Thats Good, Because Education PaysAnnual
Earnings of 25-34 yr-olds by Attainment, 2001
Source US bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau
of the Census, Current Population Survey, March
2002
109
Growing Need for Higher Levels of Education
Projections of Education Shortages and Surpluses
in 2012
Shortage
Surplus
Bachelors Degree
Associates Degree
Some College
Source Analysis by Anthony Carnevale, 2006 of
Current Population Survey (1992-2004) and Census
Population Projection Estimates
110
Even if you have your doubts, NEW STUDY FROM
ACTCollege ready, workforce training readysame
thing
111
4. They put all kidsnot just somein a
demanding high school core curriculum.
112
Single biggest predictor post-high school
success is QUALITY AND INTENSITY OF HIGH SCHOOL
CURRICULUM

• Cliff Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box, U.S.
  Department of Education.

113
But what are students actually getting?Ed Trust
Transcript Study Our Current Favorites

• Pre-Spanish
• Future Studies
• Exploring
• Principles of PE
• Teen Living
• Life Management
• Food Fundamentals
• Winter Activities.

Source Education Trust Analysis of High School
Transcripts 2005
114
Rigorous, college prep curriculum has benefits
far beyond college.
115
Students of all sorts will learn more...
116
Low Quartile Students Gain More From College Prep
Courses
Grade 8-grade 12 test score gains based on 8th
grade achievement.
Source USDOE, NCES, Vocational Education in the
United States Toward the Year 2000, in Issue
Brief Students Who Prepare for College and
Vocation
117
They will also fail less often...
118
Challenging Curriculum Results in Lower Failure
Rates, Even for Lowest Achievers
Ninth-grade English performance, by high/low
level course, and eighth-grade reading
achievement quartiles
Source SREB, Middle Grades to High School
Mending a Weak Link. Unpublished Draft, 2002.
119
And theyll be better prepared for the workplace.
120
Leading schools, districts, states making college
prep the default curriculum.

• Texas, Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kentucky,
  Kansas.

121
5. They are obsessive about time, especially
instructional time.
122
Scouring the schedule for minutesThe case of
the pencil sharpener lady.
123
High SchoolWhat do most high schools do?

• Kids who arrive behind in readingoften simply
  assigned to courses that dont demand much
  reading.

124
Average High School Percent of Instructional
Time in Reading Intensive Courses
125
Surprise Gaps Grow.
126
Higher Performing High Schools

• Behind students spend 60 additional hours (25
  more time) over 1 year in reading related
  courses)
• Behind students get 240 additional hours over
  4 years!

127
PSWhat about the after school hours?

• Good schools find good partners to help them fill
  those up with powerful learning experiences, too.
• CITIZEN SCHOOLS

128
In other words, high performing schools both
maximize time and dont leave its use to chance.
129
6. Principals are hugely important, ever
present, but NOTthe only leaders in the school
130
Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High School
131
In high performing schools

• Teachers regularly observe other teachers
• Teachers have time to plan and work
  collaboratively
• New teachers get generous and careful support and
  acculturation
• Teachers take on many other leadership tasks at
  the school

132
7. They know how much teachers matter, and they
act on that knowledge.
133
Students in Dallas Gain More in Math with
Effective Teachers One Year Growth From 3rd-4th
Grade
Source Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, and Dash
Weerasinghe, The Effects of Teachers on
Longitudinal Student Achievement, 1997.
134
LOW ACHIEVING STUDENTS IN TN GAIN MORE WITH
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS One Year Growth
Sanders and Rivers, Cumulative and Residual
Effects of Teachers on Future Academic
Achievement, 1998.
135
Cumulative Teacher Effects On Students Math
Scores in Dallas (Grades 3-5)
Beginning Grade 3 Percentile Rank 57
Beginning Grade 3 Percentile Rank 55
Source Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, and Dash
Weerasinghe, The Effects of Teachers on
Longitudinal Student Achievement, 1997.
136
1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
137
Good teachers matter a lot.

• But some groups of kids dont get their fair
  share of quality teachers.

138
More Classes in High-Poverty, High-Minority
Schools Taught By Out-of-Field Teachers
High poverty Low poverty
High minority Low minority
Note High Poverty school-50 or more of the
students are eligible for free/reduced price
lunch. Low-poverty school -15 or fewer of the
students are eligible for free/reduced price
lunch. High-minority school - 50 or more of
the students are nonwhite. Low-minority school-
15 or fewer of the students are nonwhite.
Teachers lacking a college major or minor in the
field. Data for secondary-level core academic
classes. Source Richard M. Ingersoll, University
of Pennsylvania. Original analysis for the Ed
Trust of 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey.
139
Poor and Minority Students Get More
Inexperienced Teachers
High poverty Low poverty
High minority Low minority
Teachers with 3 or fewer years of experience.
Note High poverty refers to the top quartile of
schools with students eligible for free/reduced
price lunch. Low poverty-bottom quartile of
schools with students eligible for free/reduced
price lunch. High minority-top quartile those
schools with the highest concentrations of
minority students. Low minority-bottom quartile
of schools with the lowest concentrations of
minority students
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
Monitoring Quality An Indicators Report,
December 2000.
140
Results are devastating.

• An example from Illinois

141
Percent of Students More/Most Ready by High
School TQI and Highest Math Level
Presley, J. and Gong, Y. (2005). The Demographics
and Academics of College Readiness in Illinois.
http//ierc.siue.edu/documents/College20Readiness
20-202005-3.pdf
142
High performing schools dont let that happen.
143
They work hard to attract and hold good
teachers they make sure that their best are
assigned to the students who most need them and
they counsel out teachers who are not good
enough for their kids.
144
8. They are obsessive about data.
145
Charts and graphs decorate the school walls.

• And every scrap of evidence is carefully
  scrutinized.

146
What does that mean? At every moment, they know
which students are behind and are intensely
focused on bringing them up.
147
9. They are nice places to work.
148
Not EASY places. And folks work really hard.

• But there is lots of camaraderie, lots of
  stability, and lots of support.

149
And when they have vacancies, get out of the way.

• Elmont Memorial
• 350 applications for every opening.

150
10. They are very different places for
students, too.
151
Today, we adults make lots of assumptions about
the youth culture. And a lot of educators think
that low-income and minority youth are somehow
inherently anti-intellectual and anti-authority.
152
At my old school, it was functional to act
stupid. At this school, nobody lets me get away
with that. Not my teachers. Not the students.

• ---Elmont Student, 2005

153
11. They never back down.
154
When others doubt their childrenor their
accomplishmentsthey stare them down, and SHOW
them the evidence.
155
In this environment, the easiest thing of all is
to succumb to all the negativity around us, to
give in to the rampant cynicism.
156
Do we participate in a politics of cynicism, or
do we participate in a politics of hope?

• Barack Obama, 2004 Democratic National Convention

157
The Education Trust

• Download this Presentation
• www.edtrust.org
• Washington, DC 202-293-1217
• Oakland, CA 510-465-6444