HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT IN AMERICA: What Do We Know About How to Improve It

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HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT IN AMERICAWhat Do We
Know About How to Improve It?
Indiana High School Summit Indianapolis,
IN Education Trust, 2005
2
What Do We Know About Student Achievement?
3
12th Grade Achievement In Math and Science is Up
Somewhat
4
High School Achievement Math and Science
Source NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress.
5
In Reading, 12th Grade Achievement is Headed
Downward
6
HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT READING AND WRITING
7
What about different groups of students?During
seventies and eighties, much progress.
8
Gaps Narrow 1970-88NAEP 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
9
Gaps Narrow 1973-86NAEP 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
10
Between 1988-90, that progress came to a haltand
gaps began to widen once again.
11
Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady or Widen NAEP
Math Scores, 17 Year-Olds
32
20
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
12
After 1988, Gaps Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17
Year-Olds
21
31
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
How much of this learning took place during high
school?Students Make More Growth Grade 5 to
8 than Grade 9 to 12
14
Academic GrowthGrades 5-8, 9-12
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Value Added in High School Declined During the
Nineties
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Value Added Declining in High School Math...
Age 13-17 Growth
Source NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress
17
Still
Age 13-17 Growth
Source Main NAEP 1996, 2000
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Reading Students Entering Better Prepared, But
Leaving Worse
Source NAEP 1996 Trends in Academic Progress
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Hormones?
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Students in Other Countries Gain far More in High
School
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TIMSS
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Source NCES 1999-081R, Highlights From TIMSS
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Source NCES 1999-081R, Highlights From TIMSS
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PISA
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US 15 Year-Olds Rank Near Middle Of The Pack
Among 32 Participating Countries 1999
26
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/
27
Problems are not limited to our high-poverty and
high-minority schools . . .
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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/
29
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/
30
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/
31
One measure on which we rank high?Inequality!
32
Performance Of U.S.15 Year-Olds Highly Variable
Of 27 OECD countries
Source OECD, Knowledge and Skills for Life
First Results From PISA 2000, 2001.
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Where are we now?
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Where Are We Now? 4th Grade Reading All Students
2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
35
By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 4th Grade Reading 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
36
By Family Income NAEP 4th Grade Reading 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Where Are We Now? 8th Grade Math All Students
2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
38
By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 8th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
39
By Family Income NAEP 8th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
40
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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These patterns are reflected, too, in high school
completion, college entry and college graduation
rates.
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Students Graduate From High School At Different
Rates, 2001
Source Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster, Public
High School Graduation and College Readiness
Rates in the United States, Manhattan Institute
for Policy Research, September 2003.
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ADD IT ALL UP...
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Of Every 100 White Kindergartners
(25-to 29-Year-Olds)
Source US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the
Census. March Current Population Surveys,
1971-2001, in The Condition of Education 2002.
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Of Every 100 African American Kindergartners
(25-to 29-Year-Olds)
Source US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the
Census. March Current Population Survey,
1971-2001, In The Condition of Education 2002.
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Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners
(25-to 29-Year-Olds)
Source US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the
Census. March Current Population Surveys,
1971-2001, In The condition of Education 2002.
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Of Every 100 American Indian/Alaskan Native
Kindergartners
(24 Year Olds)
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College Graduates by Age 26
Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public
Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.
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WHY?
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What We Hear Adults Say

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

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But if theyre right, then why are poor and
minority children performing so high in...
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Some schools...
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Central Elementary

• Paintsville, KY

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Central Elementary

• 71 Low-Income
• 99 White
• Outperformed the district and state in 4th grade
  reading and 5th grade math in 2003
• Made considerable gains in 4th grade reading and
  5th grade math scores

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Making Gains at Central 4th Grade Reading
Source The Department of Education,
http//www.schoolresults.org/
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Making Gains at Central 5th Grade Math
Source The Department of Education,
http//www.schoolresults.org/
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Lapwai Elementary School

• Lapwai, ID

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Lapwai Elementary

• 75 Native American
• 21 White
• 69 Low-income
• Outperformed the state in 4th grade reading and
  math in 2003
• Native American students outscored all students
  in the state in 4th grade reading and math in 2003

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Making Gains at LapwaiGrade 4
Source Idaho Department of Education
http//www.sde.state.id.us/Dept/
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Hambrick Middle School

• Houston, TX

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Hambrick Middle School

• 72 Latino
• 23 African American
• 5 White
• 87 Low-Income
• Outperformed the district and state in 8th grade
  math in 2003

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Hambrick Middle SchoolMaking Gains, Narrowing
Gaps
Source Texas Education Agency,
http//www.tea.state.tx.us
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Johnson County Middle School, Kentucky

• 95 Low Income
• Outperformed 2/3 of other Kentucky middle schools
  in both math and reading for three years in a row
  (2000-2002).
• In 2002, performed better than about 90 of all
  KY middle schools in both math and reading.

Source The Education Trust, Dispelling the Myth
Online. Based on scale score in KY CATS
assessment system.
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Norview High School

• Norfolk, VA

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Norview High School

• 67 African American
• 28 White
• 2 Latino
• 45 Low-Income
• Outperformed the state and district in math and
  reading in 2003

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High Achievement at NorviewHigh School Math, 2003
Source The Department of Education,
http//www.schoolresults.org/
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High Achievement at Norview
Source The Department of Education,
http//www.schoolresults.org/
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University Park High SchoolWorcester, MA

• Grades 7-12
• 70 poverty
• 50 ELL
• Most students enter at least two grade levels
  behind.

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University Park Results 2004

• Only one 10th grader didnt pass MA high school
  exit exam on first attempt (turned out, didnt
  attend the school).
• 87 passed at advanced or proficient level.
• Fifth most successful school in the state,
  surpassing many schools serving wealthy students.
  

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Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
72
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
73
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
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Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
75
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org). Data are from 2002.
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Some districts...
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Aldine, TX Raising Achievement for All While
Narrowing Gaps
Source Texas Education Agency-Academic
Excellence Indicator System Report 1994 through
2001.
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Aldine, TX Raising Achievement for All While
Narrowing Gaps
Source Texas Education Agency-Academic
Excellence Indicator System Report 1994 through
2001.
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina

• 43 Low-Income
• 43 African American
• 42 White
• 9 Latino
• 4 Asian
• 3 American Indian/Multiracial
• 6 English Language Learners

Source Data provided to the National Center for
Educational Accountability by Charlotte-Mecklenbur
g School District
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North CarolinaRaising
Achievement, Closing GapsGrade 3 Math
19
35
40
Source North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction, http//www.ncpublicschools.org
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There is a 19 point gap between Poor African
American 4th graders in the District of Columbia
and Boston (roughly equivalent to 2 years worth
of learning)
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2003 Trial Urban
District Reading Assessment.
82
There is a 28 point gap between Poor African
American 8th graders in Los Angeles and Houston
(roughly equivalent to 3 years worth of learning)
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), 2003 Trial Urban
District Reading Assessment.
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And some entire states...
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MA Passing HS Competency Exam
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
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MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
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MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
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MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
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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
89
Delaware Gains in Grade 4 Reading Outpace the
Nation, 1998-2002
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
90
Minority and/or poor students in some states
outperforming white and/or non-poor students in
others.
91
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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(No Transcript)
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What Students Say Yes, some blame themselves.
But they also say...

• some teachers dont know
• their subjects
• counselors underestimate our
• potential
• principals dismiss concerns
• expectations wretchedly, boringly low.

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Indiana?
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State made a lot of progress during the nineties,
especially in math
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4th Grade Math All Student Gains Between 1992
and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
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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
98
4th Grade Math Latino Gains Between 1992 and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
99
8th Grade Math All Student Gains Between 1990
and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
100
8th Grade Math White Gains Between 1990 and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
101
8th Grade Math African American Gains Between
1990 and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
102
8th Grade Math Latino Gains Between 1990 and 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
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Clearly, challenges remain
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ISTEP 3rd Grade English Indiana, 2003
105
NAEP 4th Grade Reading Indiana, 2003
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ISTEP 8th Grade Math Indiana, 2003
107
NAEP 8th Grade Math Indiana, 2003
108
Current Performance Relative to Other States?
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NAEP 4th Grade Reading All
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Black 4th Graders NAEP Reading
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Latino 4th Graders NAEP Reading
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White 4th graders NAEP Reading
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Low-Income 4th Graders NAEP READING
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NAEP 8th Grade Math All
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Low Income 8th Graders? NAEP MATH
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Black 8th Graders? NAEP MATH
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White 8th Graders NAEP Math
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MOVING AHEAD AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL

• Six questions to help frame improvement efforts.

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1. Can we agree on a single, overarching goal
for high school that will give clearer purpose,
focus to our reform efforts?
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KIDS AND PARENTS ARE CLEARTHEIR GOAL IS COLLEGE
Source U.S. DOE, NCES, Getting Ready to Pay for
College What Students and Their Parents Know
About the Cost of College Tuition and What They
Are Doing to Find Out, September 2003.
121
Indeed, Most High School Grads Do Go On To
Postsecondary Within 2 Years
Source NELS 88, Second (1992) and Third (1994)
Follow up in, USDOE, NCES, Access to
Postsecondary Education for the 1992 High School
Graduates, 1998, Table 2.
122
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
123
But Many of Those College Freshmen Not
Preparedand Do Not Return for Sophomore Year
Source Tom Mortensen, Postsecondary Opportunity,
No. 89, November 1999
124
Why? At Least In Part Because Their Teachers Had
Other Ideas About Their Plans
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To break through these old attitudes, cannot
equivocate.

• ALL students must graduate from high school ready
  for postsecondary education AND work.

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2. It is increasingly clear that skills
necessary for higher education and work have
converged. And student success--in college, on
assessments, and in gaining access to decent
jobs--depends on completing a rigorous, college
prep-level curriculum.
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Transcript Study single biggest predictor of
college success isQUALITY AND INTENSITY OF HIGH
SCHOOL CURRICULUM

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

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But college prep curriculum has benefits far
beyond college.
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Students of all sorts will learn more...
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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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They will also fail less often...
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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.
133
And theyll be better prepared for the workplace.
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Time for a Default Curriculum?

• Texas
• Arkansas
• Indiana?

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3. Shouldnt we stop leaving teachers on their
own to decide what and how to teach in college
prep courses?
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Students can do no better than the assignments
they are given...
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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.
138
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.
139
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.

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4. How can we provide extra instruction for
students who arrive behind?
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When Kids Are Behind, Schools Must Provide More
Instruction and Support

• Kentucky provides extra time for struggling
  students in high-poverty schools
• Maryland offers extra dollars for 7th and 8th
  graders who need more support
• Massachusetts and Ohio provide extra tutoring,
  instruction for students not perform

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Most of us think of semester- or year-long
increments to teach kids what they need to learn,
but...
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The Full Year Calendar
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Less Summer Vacation
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Less Weekends, Holidays, Summer Vacation
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Less Professional Development Days Early
Dismissal/Parent Conferences
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Less Class Picnic, Class Trip, Thanksgiving
Feast, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hannukkah, Awards,
Assembles, Concerts
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Less State and District Testing
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Bottom Line

• Roughly 13-15 Eight-Hour Days Per Subject Per
  Year

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5. Are there better ways to accelerate our more
advanced students?
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Over past 20 years, fastest growing part of the
high school curriculum AP, IBcollege-level
courses.

• At same time, fastest growing part of the college
  curriculum remedial, developmentalhigh
  school-level courses.

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Need to think hard about thisand be mindful of
both strengths and weaknesses of various
strategies.
153
6. How Can We Organize Schools in Pursuit of
Different Outcomes
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Its easy to fall into a pattern of blaming poor
results on problems beyond our control.

• For example, high 9th grade failure rates
  generally blamed on poor preparation, difficult
  transitions.
• But

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One Colorado High School Student/Teacher Ratio
by Grade
Source Jovenes Unidos Padres Unidos March,
2004.
156
Same Colorado High SchoolCounselor Deployment
by Grade
Source Jovenes Unidos and Padres Unidos March,
2004
157
Likewise, large achievement gaps at
exittypically blamed on large achievement gaps
at entry.But
158
Poor kids and kids of color get less than their
fair share of experienced and well educated
teachers.
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Classes in High Poverty High Schools More Often
Taught by Misassigned Teachers
Teachers who lack a major or minor in the
field Source National Commission on Teaching and
Americas Future, What Matters Most Teaching for
Americas Future (p.16) 1996.
160
Math and Science Classes of Mostly Minority
Students Are More Often Taught by Misassigned
Teachers
Source Jeannie Oakes. Multiplying Inequalities
The Effects of Race, Social Class, and Tracking
on Opportunities to Learn Mathematics and
Science (Rand 1990)
161
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.
162
Even Within Schools, Often Big
Differences
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Devastating Impact
164
If we had the courage and creativity to change
these patterns?
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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
166
In other words, the choices we make either
exacerbateor ameliorateachievement gaps.How
can we begin to make different choices?
167
The Education Trust

• Download this Presentation
• And
• Register for the Education Trust Annual Closing
  the Gap Conference, November 3-5,
• Washington, DC
• www.edtrust.org
• Washington, DC 202-293-1217
• Oakland, CA 510-465-6444