Improving Achievement and Closing Gaps Between Groups K16: What Can We Do

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Improving Achievement and Closing Gaps Between
Groups K-16What Can We Do?

• Mississippi Progress Tour
• Education Trust, 2004

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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
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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
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
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After 1988, Gaps Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17
Year-Olds
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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
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How much of this learning took place during high
school?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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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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At the end of high school?
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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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These patterns are reflected, too, in high school
completion, college entry and college graduation
rates.
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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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Sycamore Elementary SchoolKokomo, IN

• ?37 African American and Latino.
• ?62 low-income
• Increased African American 3rd graders meeting
  state standard in math by 55 percentage points
  between 2000 and 2002.
• Closed Black-White 3rd grade reading gap.

Source Indiana Department of Education
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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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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.
45
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).
47
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
48
Source American Institutes of Research analysis
of data from National School-Level State
Assessment Score Database (www.schooldata.org).
49
Source American Institutes of Research analysis
of data from National School-Level State
Assessment Score Database (www.schooldata.org).
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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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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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Where is Mississippi in all of this?
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NAEP 4th Grade Reading Mississippi, 2003
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NAEP 8th Grade Math Mississippi, 2003
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Relative to other states?
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Reading African American 4th Graders
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Reading African American 8th Graders
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Reading White 4th Graders
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Reading White 8th Graders
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Math African American 4th Graders
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Math African American 8th Graders
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Math White 4th Graders
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Math White 8th Graders
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But state has shown unusually strong progress,
especially in mathematics
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Past Decade States with Biggest Gains for 4th
Graders (NAEP Math)
Gains Between 1992 and 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Past Decade States with Biggest Gains for 8th
Graders (NAEP Math)
Gains Between 1992 and 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Last Three Years States with Biggest Gains for
8th Graders (NAEP Math)
Gains Between 2000 and 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Last Three Years States with Biggest Gains for
African American 8th Graders(NAEP Math)
Gains Between 2000 and 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Last Three Years States with Biggest Gains for
White 8th Graders (NAEP Math)
Gains Between 2000 and 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Last Three Years States with Biggest Gains for
Poor 8th Graders(NAEP Math)
Gains Between 2000 and 2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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State Progress in Moving 4th Graders From Below
Basic to at Least Basic Math 1992-2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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State Progress in Moving All 4th Graders From
Below Basic to at Least Basic Reading 1992-2003
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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Difference across states now so big, 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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(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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What Do We Know About The Places that are
Improving Results?
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Element 1 They Have a Single Overarching
Goaland Make No Excuses.
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Kids and Parents are Clear Their Goal is
College
SourceMetropolitan Life, Survey of the American
Teacher 2000 Are We Preparing Students for the
21st Century?, September 2000.
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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.
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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
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But Many of Those College Freshmen Not
Preparedand Do Not Return for Sophomore Year
Source Tom Mortensen, Postsecondary Opportunity,
No. 89, November 1999
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Why? At Least In Part Because Too Many of 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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Element 2 All Students are in Rigorous,
Challenging Courses
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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.
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And theyll be better prepared for the workplace.
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Leading districts, states making college prep the
default curriculum.
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Element 3 They Do Not Leave Anything About
Teaching and Learning to Chance
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High Performing 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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Element 4 They KNOW That Good Teachers Matter
More Than Anything Else
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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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But, while virtually every high poverty school
has some spectacularly wonderful teachers, strong
teachers are NOT evenly distributed across
different schools, kids.
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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.
107
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)
108
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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Differences within schools, too.
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Devastating Impact
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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
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The Education Trust

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