ADDRESSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP

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ADDRESSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
A Challenge and Opportunity to Ensure Equity and
Excellence for Students in Washington State

• A Work in Progress
• Sue Shannon, OSPI
• WERA March 2008

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Overview of Presentation

• Background information on 2nd Edition
• Defining the gap
• Progress in reducing the gap
• Highlighting additional concepts
• Small group discussion
• Full report available in the spring

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Purpose of Report

• Review synthesize current body of research
• Expand and deepen understanding of the issues
• Address three broad questions
• 1. What is the size of the achievement gap in WA?
• 2. What are root causes and conditions that tend
  to perpetuate the gap?
• 3. What appears to be working to help close the
  gap?

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Defining the Gap

• Gap can be measured in various ways
• By type of group
• Gender, race/ethnicity, Spec. Ed., LEP, SES
• By type of outcome
• Test scores (WASL, SAT, AP)
• Other measures (e.g., grades, grad/dropout
  rates)
• By type of comparison
• Compare groups to each other
• Compare groups to fixed standard

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Primary Focus of This Report

• Differences in student achievement according to
  racial/ethnicity and economic status
• Gap between white and minority students
• Gap between affluent and low-income students
• Differences between group performance and
  state/federal expectations (high standards)

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Limitations/Caveats

• Generalizations
• Mask performance of individual students
• Can reinforce stereotypes
• Mask differences within groups
• Literature review
• Did not examine technical merits of some
• primary sources
• Focused primarily on classroom and school
  contexts.
• Added some discussion of systemic issues

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Audience Activity

• What do you know and want to learn?
• Write two things you know about the achievement
  gap.
• Write one thing you want to learn about the
  achievement gap.
• Briefly pair and share with a neighbor

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Size of the Gap in Washington

• Examined differences between groups
• Statewide tests (WASL)
• Other tests (NAEP, SAT)
• Dropout and graduation rates
• Other indicators (TV, homework)
• One year and trends over time
• Progress in reducing the gap

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Audience Activity Looking at data

• Looking at 2007 WASL results and 2003-2007
  trends, what do you see?
• What do you see in the charts on achievement
  gains? Size of gaps?
• Looking at 2005 and 2007 NAEP results, what do
  you see?

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2007 WASL Results Grade 4
Numbers in small type are first-year (1997)
results
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2007 WASL Results Grade 7
Numbers in small type are first-year (1998)
results
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2007 WASL Results Grade 10
Numbers in small type are first-year (1999)
results
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Reading, Grade 4 Trends
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Mathematics, Grade 4 Trends
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Reading, Grade 7 Trends
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Mathematics, Grade 7 Trends
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Reading, Grade 10 Trends
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Math, Grade 10 Trends
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Minority improvement achievement gap
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Achievement gaps by free/reduced lunch
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Achievement gaps by free/reduced lunch
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Graduation and Dropout Data
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Elementary uniform bar (3-5)AYP
100
100
88.1
90
80
76.1
82.4
70
64.9
64.2
60
52.2
Percent Meeting Standard
47.3
50
40
29.7
30
20
10
0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
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Middle school uniform bar (6-8)AYP
100
100
90
82.5
80
79.3
70
65.1
58.7
60
Percent Meeting Standard
47.6
50
38.0
40
30.1
30
17.3
20
10
0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
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High school uniform barAYP
100
100
87.2
90
80
74.3
81.2
70
62.4
61.5
60
Percent Meeting Standard
48.6
50
43.6
40
30
24.8
20
10
0
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
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Context of the Gap

• National poverty rate for Blacks, Hispanics, and
  American Indians is triple that of Whites(more
  minorities live in poverty than whites)
• Minorities represent a growing portion of the
  population
• Nearly 3 in 10 people in US are minorities
• About 21 of total population in WA
• More than 25 of K-12 students in WA in 2001(up
  from 18 in 1990)

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Context of the Gap

• Most teachers, school district administrators
  are white (nearly 90 in each category)
• Gap has existed for years on many tests
• (e.g., SAT, ACT, NAEP, CTBS, ITBS)
• Greater expectations and higher standardsfor all
  students
• EALRs and WASL internationally competitive
• Federal goals (No Child Left Behind) for
  subgroups
• Washington Basic Education Law revised goal

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Benefits of Closing the Gap

• Education is a stepping stone to a better future
  (benefits individuals and society)
• Economic (income and jobs)
• Health/mortality
• Civic involvement/social contribution

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Audience Activity

• What do you think are causes or
• sources of the achievement gap?
• Think of one or two possible causes
• Share with your neighbors

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Root Causes andPerpetuating Conditions

• Historical Factors
• Education debt
• Socio-Cultural Factors
• Racism a system of advantage
• Family Economic Factors
• Personal/Psychological Factors
• Microaggression
• Disidentification

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Root Causes andPerpetuating Conditions (cont.)

• Educational Systems Factors
• Disparate Conditions and Opportunities
• Subtractive Schooling
• Teacher Attitudes and Beliefs
• Inadequate Instruction and Support
• Teacher quality
• Inequities in resources

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Audience Activity

• What do you think works to
• close the gap?
• Think of one example from your experience or
  reading.
• Record ideas on feedback form
• Share with your neighbors

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Strategies for Closing the Gap

• 1. Changed Beliefs and Attitudes
• 2. Cultural Competence and Cultural
  Responsiveness
• 3. Greater Opportunities to Learn
• 4. More Effective Instruction
• 5. Authentic Family and Community Engagement
• 6. Systemic initiatives

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1. Changed Beliefs and Attitudes
Strategies for Closing the Gap

• Caring, positive relationships
• Expectations
• Efficacy, effort-based ability
• Persistence

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2. Cultural Competence and Responsiveness
Strategies for Closing the Gap

• Develop and foster cultural competence
• Confront racism (system of advantage based on
  race)
• Adopt anti-racist approaches
• Acknowledge legitimacy of cultural heritages
• Create/maintain trusting relationships
• Teach students to know and take pride in their
  own and each others cultural heritages
• Use wide variety of instructional strategies
• Incorporate multicultural information across
  school subjects

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3. Greater Opportunity to Learn
Strategies for Closing the Gap

• Extended Learning Time
• Before and After School
• Double dipping
• Summer school, year around
• All-day kindergarten
• Early childhood, Pre-school
• Rigorous Curriculum
• Personalized support
• Enriched and Varied Programs

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4. Effective Instruction
Strategies for Closing the Gap

• Use core learning principles
• Use standards for high quality intellectual
  performance
• Teach for understanding
• Balance basic and advanced skills
• Personalize instruction to meet each students
  need
• Use data and assessments for learning
• Support students to insure they learn
• Involve adults who share childrens culture
• Develop and maintain coherence in systems

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5. Authentic Family/Community Involvement
Strategies for Closing the Gap

• Increase opportunities for authentic involvement
• Parenting
• Communication
• Volunteering
• Learning at home
• Decision-making
• Collaborate with the community, build
  partnerships
• Reach out in non-traditional ways to engage
  families

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6. System Initiatives
Strategies for Closing the Gap

• Improve learning environment for all students,
  particularly students of color
• Build cultural competence
• Promote anti-racist and anti-bias approaches
• Increase instructional coherence and
  effectiveness
• System-wide vision of good instruction
• Data-use and assessment for learning
• Reallocate resources based on student needs
• Assign most qualified teachers to students with
  most needs
• Allocate resources equitably
• Expand/deepen school district improvement
  strategies

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Implications/Next Steps

• Changes in state and district systems
• Take leadership in creating vision of equity and
  excellence
• Create political will to make change
• Build partnerships and increase collaboration
• Allocate resources based on student needs

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Changes by individuals, schools and
communities
Implications/Next Steps

• Use core learning principles
• Use standards for high quality intellectual
  performance
• Teach for understanding
• Balance basic and advanced skills
• Personalize instruction to meet each students
  need
• Use data and assessments for learning
• Support students to insure they learn
• Involve adults who share childrens culture
• Develop and maintain coherence in systems

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Final Audience Activity

• What professional sources have you found
  valuable?
• What programs or activities are working based on
  your experience?
• Record ideas on feedback form
• Share ideas with your neighbor

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What Appears to be Working?

• Chenowith, K. (2007). Its Being Done Academic
  Success in Unexpected Schools. Cambridge, MA
  Harvard Education Press.
• Center for Improvement of Student Learning. OSPI
• http//www.k12.wa.us/CISL/default.aspx
• Partnership for Learning Success Stories
• http//www.partnership4learning.org/success?page1