Success In The Middle: Advocating On Behalf of the Nations 15 Million Middle Grades Students

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Success In The Middle Advocating On Behalf of
the Nations 15 Million Middle Grades Students

• November 8, 2007

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Susan FrostSenior Policy Advisor,
NMSAPresident, Education PrioritiesWashington,
DCEmail Frost_at_EdPriorities.net
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Success in the Middle The Challenge
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On the behalf of 15 million middle grade
students..
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Education in a Flat World.How the US Ranks with
Other Industrialized Countries

• American 15-year-olds rank
• 15th of 29 OECD countries in reading literacy
• 24th in math literacy
• 19th in science literacy
• 24th on problem solving
• US ranks 18th of 23 OECD countries in high school
  graduation rates.

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2003 PISA RESULTS
Reading Finland South Korea Canada Australia Liech
tenstein New Zealand Ireland Sweden Netherlands U.
S. ranks 19/40
Scientific Literacy Finland Japan Hong Kong South
Korea Liechtenstein Australia Macao Netherlands Cz
ech Republic U.S. ranks 20/40
Math Hong Kong Finland South Korea Netherlands Lie
chtenstein Japan Canada Belgium Macao
(China) U.S. ranks 28/40
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The National Challenge

• Less than half of our nations graduates reach
  the college level benchmarks for reading
  proficiency.
• Across the country at least 6,000 students drop
  out of high school every school day  
• The national graduation rate is only 70...our
  high schools are failing a third of our students
• While only 78 of white 9th graders graduate four
  years later with a regular diploma, only 56 of
  African American students and 52 of Hispanic
  students make it to graduation
• Of those who graduate, only half are ready for
  college or competitive jobs that require
  college-level skills
• More than 70 of graduates enter two- or four
  year colleges, but fewer than half leave with a
  degree.  53 of students take at least one
  remedial English or math class
• Source Jay Greene, Manhattan Policy Institute
  Daniel Losen, Harvard Civil Rights Project Chris
  Swanson, Urban Institute Robert Balfanz, Johns
  Hopkins University ACT, Inc. The American
  Diploma Project Achieve, Education Trust,
  Fordham Foundation 

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Looking Deeper The Literacy Achievement Gap

• An 8th graders reading level is the strongest
  predictor of whether he or she will graduate. New
  studies show that we can predict future dropouts
  as early as 6th grade
• Students reading in the bottom quartile are 20
  times more likely to drop out of high school than
  students in the top quartile
• Today, 70 of 4th, 8th and 12th graders are not
  proficient readers
• A third of all students read at the below basic
  level and do not have the literacy skills needed
  to take rigorous courses
• There are 8 million students in grades 4-12 who
  are struggling readers

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ACT College Readiness Benchmarks
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Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping
Students on the Graduation Track in High-Poverty
Middle-Grades Schools Early Identification and
Effective Interventions Robert Balfanz, Center
for the Social Organization of Schools, Johns
HopkinsUniversity Liza Herzog, Philadelphia
Education Fund

• Asked the Questions
• Do many students in high-poverty schools become
  disengaged at the start of the middle grades?
• Does this disengagement reduce the likelihood
  that they will eventually graduate?
• Longitudinal analyses which follow more than
  12,000 of Philadelphias sixth-grade students
  from 1996 until 2004 show that the answer to
  both questions is yes.
• Four simple predictive indicators identify sixth
  graders that have high odds of falling off the
  graduation track.
• Sixth-graders with one or more of these
  indicators had only a 29 chance of graduating.

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Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping
Students on the Graduation Track in High-Poverty
Middle-Grades Schools Early Identification and
Effective Interventions

• Middle Grade Drop-out Indicators
• Attending class less than 80 of the time,
  missing more than 36 days (only 17 graduated)
• Receiving a poor final behavior grade or
  in-school or out-of-school suspensions (only 20
  graduated)
• Failing a math course (only 19 graduated)
• Failing an English or Language Arts course (only
  18 graduated)

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Preventing Student Disengagement and Keeping
Students on the Graduation Track in High-Poverty
Middle-Grades Schools Early Identification and
Effective Interventions

• The most significant finding, we believe, is
  that our results show that early manifestation of
  academic and behavioral problems at the start of
  the middle grades do not self-correct, at least
  within the context of middle grade schools that
  serve high-poverty populations.our evidence
  clearly indicates, that at least in high-poverty
  schools, students who are missing 20 or more
  school, receiving poor behavior marks or failing
  math or English do not recover. On the contrary,
  they drop out.
• Our findings strongly support the use of
  comprehensive school reforms that attempt to
  improve student engagement through many mutually
  supporting mechanisms.

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NCLB Attempts to Meet this Challenge
In the fall of 2001, Bush had a deal. In
exchange for an infusion of money, the more than
1,000-page bill would require schools to test
students in math and reading from grades 3 to 8
and once in high school, with the goal of every
child meeting basic proficiency by 2014. States
would set their own standards and tests. Schools
that did not measure up would face sanctions and
their students would be allowed to transfer.
Named for Bush's campaign slogan, it would be the
most important education law in 35
years. Washington Post, November 5, 2007
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BUT What NCLB Didnt Do

• The 2001 NCLB Act did not fully fund the
  initiatives it authorized under the law.
• With the exception of Reading First, no new
  federal policy was put into place to help
  students reach proficiency.
• No new provisions were included to provide
  intense interventions, turn around low-performing
  schools and bring new reform models to scale in
  our middle and high schools.

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The Missing Middle in Federal PolicyGrades 7
through 12
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Success in the Middle A Policymakers Guide to
Achieving Quality Middle Level Education May
2006
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(No Transcript)
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National Policy Symposium on Middle Level
Education Where Do We Go From Here?

• This conference was held in Washington, DC in
  September of 2006 and was sponsored by
• NMSA
• Council of Chief State School Officers
• Alliance for Excellent Education
• The following topics were addressed
• Changing Middle Grades Culture Higher
  Expectations
• Keeping Students on Track Critical
  Instructional Supports to Accelerate Teaching and
  Learning
• Middle Grades Education Policy and Middle Schools
  that Work

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Middle Grades Coalition on NCLB
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Middle Grades Coalition NCLB Recommendations

• Legislative Proposals to Create a National Middle
  Grades Policy
• Striving Readers
• Math Now
• Raising Middle Grades Teacher Quality
• Turning Around Low-Performing Middle Grades
  Schools
• Research and Dissemination of Best Practices of
  Middle Grades Education

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Middle Grades Coalition NCLB Recommendations

• K-12 Recommendations Necessary to Support a
  National Middle Level Education Policy
• Growth Model for Student Assessment
• Job-Embedded Professional Teacher Development
• Extended Learning Time

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Striving Readers HR 2289 and S 958

• Introduced in the House by Representatives
  Yarmuth (D-KY) and Platts (R-PA)
• Currently 40 cosponsors and included in the House
  Committees draft of NCLB
• Introduced in the Senate by Senator Sessions
  (R-AL) and Murray (D-WA)
• Currently 22 cosponsors and expected to be
  included in the Senate draft of NCLB
• Bipartisan

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Math Now

• Enacted by Congress and signed by the President
  August 9, 2007 as part of the America COMPETES
  Act P.L.110-69
• Grades K-9
• Provides targeted help to low-income students who
  are struggling in math and whose achievement is
  significantly below grade level
• Helps implementation comprehensive math
  initiatives that are research-based
• Helps all students reach grade level and prepares
  students to enroll and pass Algebra courses

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Building Support for Middle Grades Students
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Grijalva Bill to Strengthen Nations Middle
Schools Introduced in the HouseH.R. 3406
August 3, 2007
In order to have any real chance of turning
around our nations lowest-performing high
schools and raising the graduation rate, we must
work to turn around our lowest-performing middle
schools, said Representative Grijalva. The
middle years are a critical time in a students
education and the schools and educational
programs they experience will have a significant
impact upon their future.  We must not let middle
schools fall behind.
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HR 3409 House Cosponsors (19 as of 11/6/2007)

• Arizona Griljava
• California Filner, Davis, S., Napolitano, Solis,
  Sanchez
• Illinois Gutierrez, Hare, Davis, D.
• Texas Hinojosa, Green
• Pennsylvania Holden
• New York McCarthy, Clarke, Velazquez
• New Jersey Holt
• Virginia Scott
• Mississippi Thompson
• Kentucky Yarmuth

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Highlights of H.R. 3406

• Authorizing 1 billion a year for formula grants
  to states to middle grades education and to
  provide grants to local school districts to
  improve low performing schools that contain
  middle grades.
• States receiving the grants would implement a
  plan to improve student achievement that
  describes what students are required to know and
  do to successfully to complete the middle grades
  and make the transition to succeed in an
  academically rigorous high school that prepares
  students for postsecondary education and the
  workplace. This would include the development of
  early warning data systems to identify those
  students most at-risk of dropping out and
  intervening to help them succeed.

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H.R. 3406, cont.

• States and districts would invest in proven
  strategies such as
• providing professional development to school
  leaders, teachers and other school personnel in
  addressing the needs of diverse learners and in
  using challenging and relevant research-based
  best practices and curriculum
• developing and implementing comprehensive,
  school-wide improvement efforts in eligible
  schools and
• implementing student supports such as extended
  learning time, personal graduation plans and
  coaching, that enable all students to stay on the
  path to graduation.
• Authorizing an additional 100 million to
  facilitate the generation, dissemination, and
  application of research needed to identify and
  implement effective practices that lead to
  continual student learning and high academic
  achievement at the middle level.

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Obama Introduces Comprehensive Bill to
Strengthen Nations Middle Schools S.2227
Friday, October 26, 2007

• For far too long, our education system has
  overlooked our nations middle schools, and
  failed to provide them the resources they need
  for our kids to succeed, said Senator Obama.
  The middle school experience is vital to success
  in high school and college, and the lack of
  attention to middle school on a federal level is
  reflected in the rising high school dropout rate.
  Like cities across the country, Chicago has seen
  only 54 of students graduate from high school by
  the age of 19. We need to do more to invest in
  these schools, and this legislation will invest
  in a new generation of leaders by strengthening
  our middle schools, teachers, and students. If
  our country wants to remain competitive in math
  and science on a global level, we must break down
  any barriers that are preventing our kids from
  getting the world-class education they deserve.

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S. 2227 Cosponsors (as of 11/6/2007)

• Illinois Obama
• Rhode Island Reed and Whitehouse

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S. 2227 has additional provisions

• The Obama Bill is almost identical to the
  Grijalva Bill with a few additions
• Additional research recommendations, including
  allowing National Academy of Sciences to conduct
  a study to gather and analyze current best
  practices in middle school education and to
  report and disseminate those findings
• Requires peer review process for the review and
  approval of proposed state applications

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Next Steps in the Legislative Process

• Success in the Middle Bills included in House and
  Senate Committees NCLB Proposals
• NCLB Reported Out of Committee
• NCLB Passed on the Floor of the House and Senate
• Success in the Middle Included in Final
  Conference Report Between House and Senate
• Conference Report Passed by Both Houses and Sent
  to President
• President Signs NCLB Reauthorization

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The Process Continues

• President proposes funding for Success in the
  Middle in his next budget
• House and Senate Labor, HHS, Education
  Appropriations Subcommittee Agree to Fund Success
  in the Middle
• Appropriations Bills Passed by the House and
  Senate
• Conference Report Includes Funding for Success in
  the Middle and is sent to the President
• President Signs Appropriations Bill
• U.S. Department of Education Develops Regulations
  to Implement Success in the Middle Program and
  States Receive Funds and Districts apply for
  Competitive Grants
• Students get the help they need

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Question

• How do we represent our special interest 15
  million middle grades students and their right to
  an excellent education in this lengthy process?

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Advocacy ToolsWebsites for Middle Level
Advocates

• www.nmsa.org
• www.congress.org
• www.thomas.org
• www.edin08.org
• www.all4ed.org

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www.nmsa.org

• This We Believe Successful Schools for Young
  Adolescents
• Success in the Middle A Policymakers Guide to
  Achieving Quality Middle Level Education
• Middle Grades Coalition Policy Recommendations
  and Response to Draft NCLB Proposal (House
  Committee)
• Letters of Support and Background Materials for
  the Grijalva and Obama Success in the Middle
  Bills (H.R. 3406 and S. 2227)

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www.congress.org

• Directory of Congressional Delegations by State
• Directory of Issues and Actions Taken by
  Interested Organizations
• Real-Life Sample Letters to Lawmakers
• State Elected Officials Directory

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www.thomas.gov

• Database of All Legislation Pending in Congress,
  including
• Legislative Language on All Bills Introduced
  including H.R. 3406 and S. 2227
• List of Current Co-sponsors
• History and Current Status of Actions Taken

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www.edin08.org

• Educational Statistics Broken Down by State
• High School Graduation Rates
• College Readiness Rates
• College Enrollment Rates
• College Graduation Rates
• NAEP 4th and 8th Grade Reading and Math
  Proficiency
• Percentage of Dropouts by Subgroups

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www.all4ed.org

• Listing of High School Dropout Factories by
  State, District and Zip Code
• One Page Summaries on Grijalva (H.R. 3406) and
  Obama (S.2227) Bills
• Legislative Updates on Key Secondary Legislation

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Keeping Up with the News Examples from Nov 4th
and 5th

• Aiming for the Middle Washington Post A new
  International Baccalaureate program is raising
  the bar for middle school. A visit to Langston
  Hughes Middle School reveals that people favoring
  smarter students have beaten those fearing
  foreign influence to an apparently invisible
  pulp.
• Boston schools prep eighth-graders for college
  Boston GlobeIs it too early for eighth-graders
  to start planning for college? Or too late?
  Educators lean toward the latter. Most
  eight-graders say they want to go to college,
  "but they have no clue how to get there," said
  Ann Coles, a college planning specialist.
• Longer school day weighed Boston GlobeSchool
  administrators in Middleborough, Norwood, and
  Wareham are exploring the possibility of
  extending the school day by roughly 90 minutes at
  some schools in an effort to boost student
  achievement.

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Keeping Up With the NewsAdditional Articles and
Websites

• Additional Articles
• An Unlikely Partnership Left Behind Washington
  Post A look into the history of NCLB and an
  analysis of the challenges facing its
  reauthorization this year.
• Education Websites
• www.educationnews.org

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Get to Know Your Congressional Members and their
Staff
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Get to know your member of Congress by

• Visiting them in DC
• Helping them visit middle grades schools at home
  and pointing out how Success in the Middle,
  Striving Readers and Math Now will strengthen
  what the school is currently doing
• Always write a letter thanking members for
  his/her support
• Becoming a resource for information on middle
  grades policy using email as a tool to keep in
  touch with staff

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Develop State and Local Middle Grades Networks

• Identify at least one excellent middle grades
  school and/or a school that is turning itself
  around in each Congressional District and profile
  it for the Member
• Ask your Member of Congress and Staff to visit
  the school
• Contact other members in your state delegation
  and urge them to support legislation that would
  help our nations middle grades students

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State and Local Networks, cont.

• Using existing coalitions or by creating your own
  middle schools coalition
• Be aware of your states middle grade policy and
  how it could be helped
• Write your governor and state elected leadership
  urging them to support legislation at the federal
  level
• Sponsor a middle grades policy seminar framing
  the challenge, solution and recommendations to
  help every middle grade student graduate from
  high school ready for college and work in the
  global economy

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On the behalf of 15 million middle grade
students..