Academic Achievement Gap December 2, 2004

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Academic Achievement GapDecember 2, 2004
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What is the achievement gap?

• Correlation between race, and or poverty and low
  academic achievement

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The Roots of the Gap

• while the achievement gap formally appears as
  early as kindergarten, assessments have shown
  that a sizable gap can be found in young children
  before they start school. (Kober, 2001)
• -Closing the Achievement Gap

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The History

• 1966 James Coleman
• 1970 NAEP
• 1983 A Nation At Risk
• 1988 High water mark
• 1990 The Bell Curve, Hernstein and Murray
• 1998 ECLS-K
• NCLB 2001

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The gap varies geographically

• The gaps are widest in the Midwest and Northeast.

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Urban Problem

• dimensions of the gap transcend the conditions
  found in urban schools.
• Closing the Achievement Gap, 2003

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Poverty or Race

• Even within the same schools middle class black
  students tend to score lower on achievement tests
  than whites.
• -Closing the Achievement Gap, 2003

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How is it measured?

• Standardized Testing ITBS/ ITED
• Gifted and Talented, Special Education
• AP and Advanced course enrollments
• Graduation Rates
• College Going Rates
• College Completion Rates
• Graduate School Admissions
• Income Levels

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Why ?

• Parent Involvement
• Teacher Expectations
• Teacher Race
• TV
• Test Bias
• Curriculum
• OTL
• Stereotype Threat
• Books in the Home

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Achievement Gap

• National Data
• National Thoughts on Strategies
• Des Moines Data
• Des Moines Strategies
• Des Moines Plans

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Where Are We Now? NAEP 8th Grade Mathematics All
Students 2000
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NAEP 8th Grade Mathematics 2000
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NAEP 8th Grade Math Performance 2000
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Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady or Widen NAEP Math
Scores, 13 Year-Olds
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
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Gaps Narrow, Then Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17
Year-Olds
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
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Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Reading
Skills
Source USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables
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Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Math
Skills
Source USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables
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African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Do Math
at Same Levels As White 13 Year Olds
Source NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables
(online)
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African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Read at
Same Levels as White 13 Year Olds
Source Source NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends
Summary Tables (online)
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Not surprisingly, these patterns are also clear
in graduation and college entry rates

• Education Trust

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Students Graduate From High School At Different
Rates
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 1998 (p. 20-513), Detailed Tables
No. 2
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Highest Achieving Low-Income Students Attend
Postsecondary at Same Rate as Bottom Achieving
High Income Students
Source NELS 88, Second (1992) and Third Follow
up (1994) in, USDOE, NCES, NCES Condition of
Education 1997 p. 64
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Of Every 100 White Kindergartners
(24 Year-Olds)
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2
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Of Every 100 African American Kindergartners

• 87 Graduate from High School
• 51 Complete at Least some College
• 17 Graduate from College

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Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners
(24 Year-Olds)
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2
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Of Every 100 American Indian/Alaskan Native
Kindergartners
(24 Year Olds)
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College Graduates by Age 24
Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public
Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.
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Schools Making Gains
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Wrigley Elementary

• 78 Low-Income
• 3rd Highest Performing in State in Reading
• 6th Highest Performing in State in Writing

KENTUCKY
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Mount Royal Elementary/Middle, Baltimore, MD

• 99 African American
• 73 Low-Income
• Highest Performing in State on states 5th grade
  Math test.
• Top 10 of state in 5th grade reading.

MARYLAND
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Pimlico Elementary, Baltimore, MD

• 100 African American
• 94 Low-Income
• Top 1 in improvement on the states 5th grade
  Math test.

Maryland
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DC Key Academy

• 100 African American
• 81 low-income
• Founded in 2001 in southeast D.C. In its first
  year, housed in the basement of a church in
  Anacostia.

Source KIPPSchools fact sheet from KIPP
National office. www.kipp.org
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DC Key Academy First-Year Student Gains Are
Double the National Average
Source New American Schools Education
Performance Network. Evaluating Success KIPP
Educational Program Evaluation. October 2002.
Key Academy gains compare spring 5th grade
results to fall pre-test national gains based on
spring 4th to spring 5th.
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Hambrick Middle School,Aldine, TX

• 94 African American and Latino (state 56)
• 85 low-income (state 50)
• Has performed in the top fifth of all Texas
  middle schools in both reading and math in both
  7th and 8th grades over a 3-year period.

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Hambrick Middle School, Aldine, TX
Source New York State Department of Education.
Analyses by Student Subgroup of School
Performance in English Language Arts and
Mathematics for Lincoln School in Mount Vernon
City School District. March 7, 2002.
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Prince Edward County High, Farmville VA
(715 students 55 African American and Latino)
Sources Virginia Department of Education Web
site, http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/200
2SOLpassrates.html.
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Norview High School, Norfolk, VA
(1,560 students 70 African American and Latino)
Sources Virginia Department of Education Web
site, http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/200
2SOLpassrates.html.
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Iowa

• Cedar Falls
• Creston
• Davenport
• LeMars
• Saydel
• South Tama

Breaking Barriers to Learning and Teaching Award,
2004
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And some entire states...
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4th Grade Math African American Gains Between
1992 and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
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4th Grade Math Latino Gains Between 1992 and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
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Differences among states so large that minority
and/or poor students in some states outperforming
white and/or non-poor students in others.
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8th Grade Writing African Americans in Texas
Perform as Well or Better Than Whites in 7 States
Source NCES, National Assessment of Educational
Progress
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Successful schools, districts, and states a
wonderful good news story for public education.
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But also contain a lot of lessons on what works...
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They Have Clear, High Goals and Consistent
Approaches

• They are relentless in pursuing them
• They dont keep changing strategies.

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Grade 10 Writing Assignment
A frequent theme in literature is the conflict
between the individual and society. From
literature you have read, select a character who
struggled with society. In a well-developed
essay, identify the character and explain why
this characters conflict with society is
important.
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Grade 10 Writing Assignment
Write a composition of at least 4 paragraphs on
Martin Luther Kings most important contribution
to this society. Illustrate your work with a
neat cover page. Neatness counts.
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Transcript Study single biggest predictor of
college success is the quality and intensity of
the high school curriculum

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

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Students of all sorts will learn more...
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A Rigorous Math Curriculum Improves Scores For
All Students
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress, 1992 Mathematics Trend Assessment,
National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP
1992 Trends in Academic Progress (p 113).
Washington, DC US Department of Education. 1994
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Students Who Take Algebra Show Greater Gains in
Mathematics Achievement
Source Algebra for Everyone? Benefits of
College-Preparatory Mathematics for Students With
Diverse Abilities in Early Secondary School,
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Vol.
22, Fall 2000.
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Vocational Students Taking High-Level English
Courses Score Higher
Source Bottoms, Gene. Report of the SREB, High
Schools That Work 1998 Secondary Teacher Survey,
SREB, 1998, NAEP Scores.
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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
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Take Manufacturing, for example
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Requirements forTool and Die Makers

• Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or
  postsecondary training
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics
• Average earnings 40,000 per year.

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Requirements forSheet Metal Workers

• Four or five years of apprenticeship
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical
  reading

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Auto Mechanics Reading Level- Grade 13Aviation
Mechanics Reading Level- College
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Leading districts, states making college prep the
default curriculum.
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Leading Districts, States Provide Extra
Instruction for Students Who Need It
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And if you dont live in a smart state?

• Many schools, districts finding ways to double,
  even triple, amount of time spent on literacy,
  math.

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Good Teaching Matters More Than Anything Else
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Students who have several strong teachers
in a row, will thrive no matter what their family
background.
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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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Most teachers--like most other professionals--can
get more and more effective.
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Accordingly, smart districts do two important
things

• Stop drive-by workshops
• Invest in intensive, focused
  professional development.

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In the meantime, though, weve got to work
toward a more equitable distribution of teachers.
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Poor and Minority Students Get More
Inexperienced Teachers
Teachers with 3 or fewer years of experience.
High and low refer to top and bottom
quartiles. Source National Center for Education
Statistics, Monitoring Quality An Indicators
Report, December 2000.
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High-Poverty Schools Get More Low-Scoring
Teachers
Teachers scoring in the bottom quartile on on
SAT/ACT. High-poverty schools have 2/3 or more
students eligible for reduced-price
lunch. Source Education Week, Quality Counts
2001, January 2001.
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By our estimates from Texas schools, having an
above average teacher for five years running can
completely close the average gap between
low-income students and others. John Kain and
Eric Hanushek
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Other Research

• High Quality early childhood education
• Well prepared experienced teachers
• Reduce class size in the early grades
• Equitable representation across tracks in high
  schools
• Bridge home and school cultures
• Find reasons to expect each student to succeed

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Other Research, contd.

• Hold schools and students accountable
• Support students with tutoring, summer programs
  and follow-up assistance
• Desegregate schools and programs within
  schools Eliminating the Black-White Achievement
  Gap, Thompson and Quinn

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Other Research

• To adopt a multicultural basal reader is far
  easier than to guarantee that all children will
  learn to readto train teachers in a few
  behaviors in cultural awareness or curriculum
  inclusion is easier than to address widespread
  student disengagement in learning.
• Sonia Nieto,Dept of Teacher Education, UMASS

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Other Research

• Look at the sociopolitical context of education
  and school policies and practices

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Sociopolitical Context

• Societal ideologies
• Government policies and mandates
• School finance

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School Policies and Practices

• Curriculum
• Pedagogy
• Tracking
• Testing
• Discipline
• Hiring

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Troubling Questions

• Who is taking calculus? (12 v. 6.6)
• Which classes meet in the basement?
• Who is teaching the children ?
• Experience, preparation
• Race, ethnicity
• Teachers influence

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Teachers Influence

• The proof is growing that all teachers-regardless
  of race, ethnicity, or gender-who care about,
  mentor,and guide their students can have dramatic
  influence on their futures, even when these
  students face tremendous barriers related to
  poverty, racism, and other social ills.
• Sonia Nieto

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Des Moines Data
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Measures of Student Data Used to Demonstrate
Achievement Gaps

• Standardized Test Scores ITBS
• College Preparatory Course Enrollment and
• AP Course Enrollment and AP Test Passing Rates
• Graduation Rates
• ACT Scores

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Standardized Test Scores by Language Fluency
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Standardized Test Scores by Ethnicity
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Standardized Test Scores by Ethnicity
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Standardized Test Scores by Ethnicity
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Standardized Test Scores by Ethnicity
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Standardized Test Scores by Ethnicity
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Standardized Test Scores by Ethnicity
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Standardized Test Scores by Income
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Graduation Rates by Ethnicity
Graduation Rate defined as Number of 12th
graders receiving diplomas divided by number of
entering 8th graders four years earlier
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Standardized Test Scores by Income
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Standardized Test Scores by Income
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Standardized Test Scores by Income
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Standardized Test Scores by Income
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Standardized Test Scores by Income
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(No Transcript)
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Federal Role

• Minimize interstate resource differences
• 1995-96 Mississippi spent 4900 to New Jerseys
  9090 adjusted for cost of living
• 1996 Mississippi received 590 and New Jersey
  received 340
• Flanagan and Grissmer, The Role of Federal
  Resources in Closing the Achievement Gap

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Federal Role

• Support sound educational research
• Improve teacher quality
• Broaden assessments

All Students Reaching the Top, Strategies for
Closing Academic Achievement Gaps, NCREL 2004
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Colleges and Universities

• Teacher training focused on research from
  learning sciences

All Students Reaching the Top, Strategies for
Closing Academic Achievement Gaps, NCREL 2004
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State Level

• Preparation of School Leaders
• High quality supplemental education services

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Des Moines Strategies

• Early Childhood Programs
• All Day Kindergarten
• Focused Professional Development
• Class Size Reduction
• Additional Resources
• Focus on Literacy
• Curriculum Alignment
• Prep Academy

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Des Moines Strategies

• Sisters for Success
• Minority Achievement Program
• Collaboration, Partners in Economic Progress
• Transformational Leadership for Principals
• Benchmark on the Gap 2000

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Gap Plan

• Focus on African American, and Latino student
  achievement
• 80 FRPL
• Lowest achievement
• Success transferable

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Plan for Progress

• Input from Multiple Sources
• Soft Data
• Parents
• Community
• Students, focus on success
• Staff, focus on success
• Hard Data
• Test Scores, 1.4
• AP Enrollments
• Suspensions
• Research

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Existence Proof

• Students
• Schools
• Districts
• No one has brought it to scale

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Gap Plan Areas

• Engage the Community
• Build Leadership Capacity
• Quality Teachers
• Improve District and School Culture
• Aligned, Rigorous and Engaging Curriculum
• Address the Needs of Struggling Students
• Evaluate Current Programs, Focus Efforts
• Benchmark Districts

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Excellence without equity is privilege. Equity
without excellence is tokenism.

• -Adam Urbansky, President Rochester AFT

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A lot of folks are waiting for Dr. King or
Mahatma Ghandi to come back. They are not coming
back. We are it.

• -Marian Wright Edelman