Building A Movement: Closing Achievement and Opportunity Gaps in California.

1

• Building A Movement Closing Achievement and
  Opportunity Gaps in California.
• What, Why, and How?

Claremont Graduate University Phyllis Hart The
Education Trust-West

2
The Gap Between Californias Young People and
Their Peers in across the nation.
3
Californias NAEP Scores for 4th Grade Reading
Lag Behind Other States
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
4
Latino 4th Grade Students NAEP READING
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
5
African American 4th Grade Students NAEP
READING
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
6
Californias NAEP Scores for 8th Grade Reading
Lag Behind Most States
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
7
Latino 8th Grade Students NAEP READING
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
8
African American 8th Grade Students NAEP
READING
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
9
And Lets Be Clear. Its Not Our Demographics.
10
Californias White 8th Grade Students Trail
Behind Their Peers in Most States
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
11
Californias Asian 8th Grade Students Also Lag
Behind Many States
Source National Center for Education Statistics,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
12
On Our Own Assessments?
13
English Language Arts CST 2007 All Students
Source California Department of Education, 2007
14
MATH CST 2007All Students
General Math Tests Grades 6 7 Standards
Source California Department of Education, 2007
15
But underneath those averages. . .
16
ELA 4th Grade, By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
17
ELA 4th Grade, By Economic StatusCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
18
Math 4th Grade, By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
19
Math 4th Grade, By Economic StatusCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
20
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.

21
But by Middle and High School Gaps Grow
Increasingly Wider. In both Reading and Math.
By the end of high school, even for those
students that stay in our school, the gaps are
staggering.
22
CA African American and Latino 7th graders read
at about the level of White 3rd graders
CAT/6 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
23
Low-Income 7th graders read at about the level of
Non Low-Income 3rd graders
CAT/6 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
24
ELA 8th Grade, By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
25
ELA 8th Grade, By Economic StatusCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
26
Math 8th Grade (General Math) By Ethnicity CST
2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
27
Math 8th Grade (General Math)By Economic Status,
CST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
28
ELA 11th Grade, By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
29
ELA 11th Grade, By Economic StatusCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
30
Algebra I (Grades 8-11), By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
31
Algebra I (Grades 8-11), By Economic Status CST
2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
32
Geometry (Grades 8-11), By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
33
Geometry (Grades 8-11)CST 2007, By Economic
Status
Source California Department of Education, 2007
34
Algebra II (Grades 8-11), By EthnicityCST 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
35
Algebra II (Grades 8-11)CST 2007, By Economic
Status
Source California Department of Education, 2007
36
CAHSEE First Time Test-Takers (Class of 2007
as 10th graders)ELA Pass Rates
Source California Department of Education, 2007
37
CAHSEE First Time Test-Takers (Class of 2007
as 10th Graders) Math Pass Rates
Source California Department of Education, 2007
38
at the end of their senior year, CAHSEE Class
of 2007
Source California Department of Education, 2007
39
And these are for the students that are left.
Drop Out Rates Staggering, Even if Unclear.
We lose most kids between 9th and 10th grades.
40
Too Few Graduate.CaliforniaClass of 2005
Includes 9th graders who graduated four years
later.
Source Education Trust-West Analysis of CDE
data, using the Manhattan Institute methodology.
41
The Gaps Dont End At High School.
42
Graduation Rates at CSU SchoolsLatino vs. White
Source CollegeResults.org (www.edtrust.org)
43
Graduation Rates at CSU SchoolsAfrican-American
vs. White
Source CollegeResults.org (www.edtrust.org)
44
Graduation Rates at UC SchoolsAfrican American
vs. White
Source CollegeResults.org (www.edtrust.org)
45
Graduation Rates at UC SchoolsLatino vs. White
46
How?

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

47
When we focus on changing those patterns, we get
results.
48
Sustainable Improvement is Possible.A Model
Ralph Bunche Elementary - Compton Unified

• 48 African-American
• 50 Latino
• 93 Low-income
• Outperforming District and State 2nd, 3rd, 4th,
  and 5th grade Math

Source California Department of Education, 2007
49
64
51
27
Source California Department of Education, 2007
50
76
56
38
Source California Department of Education, 2007
51
Hughes Middle Long Beach Unified

• 55 African-American and Latino
• 48 Low-income
• Outperforming District and State 8th grade ELA

Source California Department of Education, 2007
52
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Garfield High School Over 4000 students Over 80
low-income
El Monte High Over 2000 students Over 75
low-income
Source California Department of Education, 2007
53
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Source California Department of Education, 2007
54
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Source California Department of Education, 2007
55
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Source California Department of Education, 2007
56
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Source California Department of Education, 2007
57
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Source California Department of Education, 2007
58
A Tale of Two High Schools in California
Source California Department of Education, 2007
59
How?
60
Hold the Line on the End Goal College and Work
Readiness for All.
61
STUDENTS AND PARENTS ARE CLEAR THEIR 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.
62
CA Parents who expect their kids to attain at
least a four year degree
Source New American Media Poll, Great
Expectations, Survey of Latino, Asian, and
African American Parents on Education. Aug. 23,
2006 Available at http//news.newamericamedia.org
/news/
63
Thats Good, Because Education Pays.
California 2005 Median Income, Adults Over Age
25
Source http//www.cpec.ca.gov/OnLineData/MedianI
ncomeGraph.asp
64
Even in Jobs We Dont Expect

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

• Requirements for
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Four or five years
• of apprenticeship
• Algebra, geometry,
• trigonometry and
• technical reading

• Requirements for
• Auto Technicians
• A solid grounding
• in physics is
• necessary to
• understand force,
• hydraulics, friction
• and electrical
• circuits.

65
Even in Jobs We Dont Expect

• Plumbing-Heating-Air Conditioning
• Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or
  post-secondary training
• Algebra, plane geometry, trigonometry and
  statistics
• Physics, chemistry, biology, engineering
  economics.

ALL of these jobs require a strong foundation
of reading, writing and speaking the English
language in order to comprehend instructions and
technical manuals

• Construction
• and Engineering
• Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or
  post-secondary training
• Algebra, plane geometry
• Critical thinking, problem solving, reading and
  writing

Sources Plumbing  Shapiro, D., and Nichols, J.
Constructing Your Future Consider a Career in
Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning
(HVAC) PHCC Auxiliary 2005 downloaded March 13,
3006 http//www.phccweb.org/PDFs/PHCC20pg.pdf,
Construction California Apprenticeship Council
Division of Apprenticeship Standards 2001 Annual
Legislative Report Downloaded March 15, 2006
http//www.dir.ca.gov/das/DASAnnualReport2001/LegR
ep2001.pdfsearch'architecture2C20construction
2C20engineering2028ace20pathway2920course20
outline'  
66
All Kids College and Work Ready Focusing on
Course Quality, Redesign.But Dont Forget Here
Too, Access (To The Right Courses) Is Still A
Huge Problem.
67
Few Graduate College Ready. California Class
of 2005.
Includes 9th graders who have completed the A-G
course sequence with a C or better in each
class four years later.
Source Education Trust-West Analysis of CDE
data, using the Manhattan Institute methodology
68
Even though most students want to go to college,
the truth is, many low income students and
students of color arent getting the classes in
the first place.
69
San Diego City Schools Two High Schools

• Gompers HS
• 1543 Students
• 87.1 Latino African-American
• 81.1 low-income
• 17 of graduates successfully completed A-G in
  2004

• La Jolla HS
• 1688 students
• 25 Latino African-American
• 17.8 low-income
• 56.7 of graduates successfully completed A-G in
  2004

Source CA Dept of Education, 2005
70
Opportunities to take higher level math classes
are much more limited at the high-poverty,
high-minority high schoolGompers HS vs. La
Jolla HS, San Diego City Schools
Number of classes offered in 2004-05
Source Ed Trust-West Analysis of CA Dept of
Education Data, 2005
71
A-G as the Default Curriculum Is A Necessary
Step.
72
Ultimately, why does good teaching matter?
73
What does it look like?Equity in
Rigor?What is Rigor?
74
Students can do no better than the assignments
they are given.
75
Grade 7 Standards Based, Rigorous Writing
Assignment
Essay on Anne Frank Your essay will consist of
an opening paragraph which introduced the title,
author and general background of the novel.
Your thesis will state specifically what Anne's
overall personality is, and what general
psychological and intellectual changes she
exhibits over the course of the book You might
organize your essay by grouping psychological and
intellectual changes OR you might choose 3 or 4
characteristics (like friendliness, patience,
optimism, self doubt) and show how she changes in
this area.
Source Unnamed school district in California,
2002-03 school year.
76
Grade 7 Low-Level Writing Assignment

• My Best Friend
• A chore I hate
• A car I want
• My heartthrob

Source Unnamed school district in California,
2002-03 school year.
77
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.

78
Middle School Example

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

79
The Odyssey Ninth Grade High-level Assignment
Comparison/Contrast Paper Between Homer's Epic
Poem, The Odyssey and the Movie "0 Brother Where
Art Thou" By nature, humans compare and contrast
all elements of their world. Why? Because in the
juxtaposition of two different things, one can
learn more about each individual thing as well as
something about the universal nature of the
things being compared. For this 2-3 page paper
you will want to ask yourself the following
questions what larger ideas do you see working
in The Odyssey and "0 Brother Where Art Thou"? Do
both works treat these issues in the same way?
What do the similarities and differences between
the works reveal about the underlying nature of
the larger idea?
80
The Odyssey Ninth Grade Low-level Assignment
Divide class into 3 groups Group 1 designs a
brochure titled "Odyssey Cruises". The students
listen to the story and write down all the places
Odysseus visited in his adventures, and list the
cost to travel from place to place. Group 2
draws pictures of each adventure. Group 3 takes
the names of the characters in the story and gods
and goddesses in the story and designs a
crossword puzzle.
81
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.
82
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.
83
Using the SAME TEXT BOOKCollege-prep assignments
from

• School A, District A, California
• 1467 students enrolled in 2005
• 82 White
• 6 Asian
• 4 Latino
• 2 Black
• 2 Low-Income

• School B, District B, California
• 2001 students enrolled in 2005
• 45 White
• 4 Asian
• 48 Latino
• 1 Black
• 27 Low-Income

84
Same Text Book High-Level college-prep
assignment.

• Describe the fundamental problems in the economy
  that helped cause the Great Depression. Consider
  agriculture, consumer spending and debt,
  distribution of wealth, the stock market
• Describe how people struggled to survive during
  the Depression
• How did Hoovers belief in rugged individualism
  shape his policies during the depression?

85
Same Text BookLow Level college-prep assignment.

• Role play (Meet the Press) interview key people
  of the era
• Draw a political cartoon highlighting a major
  event of the time
• Share excerpts from noted literary authors-Lewis,
  Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Hughes
• Listen to jazz artists of the 20s
• Construct a collage depicting new inventions

86
Use Time Differently. Break out of the 6 hour a
day, 180 days a school year, mode of thinking.
87
The Full Year Calendar
Most Administrators Dont Realize How Little Time
They Have For Teaching And Learning.Analysis of
One California Urban Middle School Calendar
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
88
Less Summer Vacation
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
89
Less Weekends, Holidays, Summer Vacation
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
90
Less Professional Development Days Early
Dismissal/Parent Conferences
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
91
Less Class Picnic, Class Trip, Thanksgiving
Feast, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Awards,
Assembles, Concerts
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
92
Less State and District Testing and Other
Non-Instructional Time
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
93

• BOTTOM LINE?
• Teachers are left with about
• 18 Eight Hour Days Per Subject Per Year

94
Hold the line on high standards, and at the same
time, ensure proper supports.An example CAHSEE
95
CAHSEE Passage Rates California Class of
2006as of July 2006
Source Wise, L., et al., Independent Evaluation
of the CAHSEE, 2006 HumRRO
96
Has the CAHSEE requirement changed anything?

• What principals say

Source Wise, L., et al., Independent Evaluation
of the CAHSEE, HumRRO October, 31, 2006.
97
Has the CAHSEE requirement changed anything?

• What students say
• 89 of 11th graders who took the CAHSEE ELA in
  2006 reported working harder, either by taking
  additional courses (15)
• Working harder in current courses (50)
• Getting outside help (14)
• Repeating courses (10)

Source Wise, L., et al., Independent Evaluation
of the CAHSEE, HumRRO October, 31, 2006.
98
What about alternative assessments?
99
If we dont hold the line on standards, we run
the risk of creating devastating unintended
consequences Alternatives to the High School
Exit Exam? Example New Jersey
Source EdTrust-West analysis of NJ Department of
Education and schoolmatters.com data, 2005
100
In New Jerseys large urban high schools
Source EdTrust-West analysis of NJ Department of
Education and schoolmatters.com data, 2005
101
We cant be serious about closing the Achievement
Gap while allowing the Teacher Quality Gap to
persist, and grow.
102
Students Who Start 2nd Grade at About the Same
Level of Math Achievement
Source Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, and Dash
Weerasinghe, The Effects of Teachers on
Longitudinal Student Achievement, 1997.
103
Finish 5th Grade Math at Dramatically Different
Levels Depending on the Quality of Their Teachers
Source Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, and Dash
Weerasinghe, The Effects of Teachers on
Longitudinal Student Achievement, 1997.
104
Closing Californias Achievement Gaps is the Most
Important Issue Facing Our Public Schools. The
real question But do we have the will to educate
all children?
105
Call for Proposals Now Open.Registration Begins
in the Fall.
SAVE THE DATE!
The Education Trust West 510-465-6444 www.edtru
stwest.org