Improving High School Achievement in the US and California: What Can We Do

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• Improving High School Achievement in the US and
  California What Can We Do?

California State University System Campus
Presidents
June, 2005

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What Do We Know About Student Achievement?
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12th Grade Achievement In Math and Science is Up
Somewhat
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High School Achievement Math and Science
Source NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress.
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In Reading, 12th Grade Achievement is Headed
Downward
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HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT READING AND WRITING
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What about different groups of students?During
seventies and eighties, much progress.
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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
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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
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Between 1988-90, that progress came to a haltand
gaps began to widen once again.
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Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady or Widen NAEP
Math Scores, 17 Year-Olds
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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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After 1988, Gaps Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17
Year-Olds
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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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How much learning takes place at each level?
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Students Make More Growth Grade 5 to 8 than
Grade 9 to 12
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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
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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
Middle and 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
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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/
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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/
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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/
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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/
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One measure on which we rank high?Inequality!
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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
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By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 4th Grade Reading 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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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
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By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 8th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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By Family Income NAEP 8th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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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.

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AT END OF HIGH SCHOOL?
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Latino and African American 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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And these are the students who remain in school.
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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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Samuel W. Tucker ElementaryAlexandria, VA

• ?68 African American and Latino
• ?53 low-income
• Outperformed 2/3 of VA elem. schools in both
  reading and math for two years in a row (2001-2).
• In 2002, out-performed 92 of VA elem. schools in
  reading and 86 in math.

Source Virginia Department of Education
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West Manor Elementary Atlanta, GA

• ?99 African American.
• ?80 low-income
• Outscored 98 of GA elementary schools in 2nd
  grade reading in 2002.
• Outperformed 90 of GA elementary schools in 2nd
  grade math in 2002.

Source The Education Trust, Dispelling the Myth
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Lapwai Elementary School, ID70 Native American
Source Idaho Department of Education
http//www.sde.state.id.us/Dept/
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Hambrick Middle SchoolHouston, TX

• 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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Norview High SchoolNorfolk, VA

• 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 past 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).
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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).
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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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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 CarolinaRaising
Achievement, Closing GapsGrade 3 Math
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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.
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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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Scale Score
There is an 18 point gap between Los Angeles
and Houston (equivalent to almost 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), 2002 Trial Urban
District Reading Assessment.
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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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Delaware Gains in Grade 4 Reading Outpace the
Nation, 1998-2002
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
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Big Differences Among States in the Performance
of the Same Group.
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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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Where is California in All of This?
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California Standards Test 4th Grade English
Language Arts 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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California By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 4th Grade
Reading 2003
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California Standards Test 7th Grade Math 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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California By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 8th Grade
Math 2003
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CA Latino and Black 11th graders performing
below White 7th graders
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Group performance compared to other states?
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NAEP 4th Grade Reading All
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White 4th graders NAEP Reading
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Black 4th Graders NAEP Reading
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Latino 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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White 8th Graders NAEP Math
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Black 8th Graders? NAEP MATH
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Latino 8th Graders NAEP Math
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Low Income 8th Graders? NAEP MATH
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African Americans 8th Grade Reading
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Latinos 8th Grade Reading
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2003 Grade 8 NAEP ReadingAfrican American Poor
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP
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2003 Grade 8 NAEP MathPoor African American
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP
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Education Pipeline in California
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STEPS WORTH CONSIDERING
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1. Raise your voices even louder on the A-G
for All agenda. Push it at both the state and
district levels.
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2. Act aggressively (and creatively) to create
quality improvement and control vehicles for A-G
courses.

• Teachers need curriculum, lessons, assignments,
  benchmark assessments and end-of-course tests.
  And aligned professional development on all of
  this.

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3. Help design and put into place catch up
courses for students in grades 7-9 who are too
far behind to benefit from A-G courses alone.
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4. Enlist your most creative faculty in
developing new applied and interdisciplinary
packages for A-G content, especially in the
sciences. Use these to re-educate and
recertify middle and high school teachers.
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5. Continue your efforts to expand the number
of high-quality secondary teachers, especially in
math and science.
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6. Press the State Board of Education to expand
the accountability system for high schools.
Should include

• the number of students who meet CSU readiness
  standard
• the number of students who apply to and enter 2-
  and 4-year colleges and,
• the number of graduates who successfully complete
  the freshman year.

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7. Speak up. Help California shed the low
expectations that have hobbled its children for
so long.
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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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California
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You might start, by the way, in your own schools
of education.
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The Education Trust

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