Closing the Achievement Gap in California

1
Closing the Achievement Gap in California

• CSU Middle Schools Counselors Conference
• Rick Miller
• Deputy Superintendent, CDE

2
Who Are Our Students?A Historical
PerspectiveCalifornia Students Enrolled in
Public Schools
California is Educating 2.2 Million More Students
3
Total K-12 Enrollment for 1980-81 4,046,156
4
Total K-12 Enrollment for 1990-91 4,944,484
5
Total K-12 Enrollment for 2006-07 6,286,943
6
Different Challenges, Different Needs Special
Education
10.8
9.6
8.9
Thats an 88.3 increase in 27 years
7
Different Challenges, Different
LanguagesEnglish Language Learners
25.0
15.0
8.1
Thats a 381 increase in 27 years
8
Linguistic IntegrationPercent of Children Whose
ParentsAre Not Fluent English Speakers
9
Different Challenges, Different Needs Students
Eligible for Free and Reduced-Priced Meals
50
36
Thats a 79 increase in 17 years
10
Different Challenges, Different Needs Per Pupil
Spending Adjusted for Inflation
Thats just a 16.8 increase in 19 years
11
Californias National Per Pupil Funding
Comparison
1,892
5,137
1,501
606
12
Yet

• There are significant signs of
• progress in Californias schools, in
• spite of the tremendous challenges
• they face.
• -- Jennifer Imazeki
• Professor of Economics
• San Diego State University
• 2008 PACE Policy Brief

13
English Language ArtsPercentage of Students
Scoring At or Above Proficient
14
Elementary School LevelAcademic Performance
Index (API)Range of API Scores for Each Decile
Rank
15
Closing the Achievement Gap
Yet, an achievement gap exists between our white
students and students of color, as well as gaps
with our English learners, poor students, and
students with disabilities. In California, the
achievement gap represents a majority of
students. Closing the gap will improve the
lives and futures of our students and secure the
future for our state.
16
Low Income 7th Graders Read About the Level of
Non Low-Income 3rd Graders
CAT/6 Reading 2006 Source California Department
of Education, 2006
17
African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Read at
Same Levels as White 13 Year Olds
18
Jack O'ConnellState of Education 2006

• Sadly, too many people view (Californias)
  diversity as a big problem. I don't. Instead, I
  say Imagine! Imagine the potential of that
  diversity in today's - and tomorrow's - global
  economy. If we educate these students, well, our
  state would not only be able to compete more
  effectively, but it would be able lead our nation
  and the world economically. "

19
The Gap and the Global Economy

• The population of students growing the fastest is
  lagging the farthest behind.
• According to a study by Eric Hanushek of the
  Hoover Institute, the cost in lost U.S. economic
  output due to the nations achievement gap was a
  staggering 2.5 trillion between 1990 and 2002
  enough to pay the entire cost of K-12 education
  in the nation over that time.
• Researchers tell us that closing that gap over a
  12-year period would add 980 billion to the
  annual gross domestic product.

20
Achievement Gap A Moral and Economic Crisis

• Fewer well-paid, low skilled jobs
• Global economy demands problem solvers,
  innovators, higher-level thinkers, strong
  communication skills
• Our students today must compete against students
  from all over the world

21
Global CompetitionDid you know?

• The 25 of the population in China with the
  highest IQs

22
Global Competition

• Is greater than the total population of North
  America.

23
Global Competition

• In India, its the top 28.

24
Multiple SkillsDid You Know?

• The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that
  todays learner will have 10-14 jobs

By the age of 38.
25
Information Economy

• Its estimated that a weeks worth of The New
  York Times

Contains more information than a person was
likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th
century.
26
Information EconomyDid You Know?

• Today there are about 540,000 words in the
  English language

• About 5 times as many as during Shakespeares
  time.

27
Information Economy

• More than 3,000 books are published

Daily.
28
Technology Driven Did You Know?

• Last year, the video site YouTube consumed as
  much bandwidth as the entire Internet did in 2000.

29
Technology Driven

• 1 out of every 8 couples married in the U.S. last
  year

met online.
30
Technology Driven

• The amount of new technical information is
  doubling every 2 years.

31
Technology Driven

• Its predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010.

32
Technology Driven

• Predictions are that by 2013, a supercomputer
  will be built that exceeds the computation
  capability of the Human Brain

33
Technology Driven

• By 2023, a 1,000 computer will exceed the
  capabilities of the Human Brain

34
Technology Driven

• Todays 1st graders will be just 23 years old and
  beginning their (first) career
• And while technical predictions farther out than
  about 15 years are hard to do

35
Technology Driven

• Predictions are that by 2049, a 1,000 computer
  will exceed the computational capabilities of the
  Human Race.

36
Educating Californias Children

• We are currently preparing students for jobs that
  dont yet exist
• Using technologies that havent been invented
• In order to solve problems we dont even know are
  problems yet.

37
P-16 Council

• 2007, Superintendent of Public Instructions
  Statewide California P-16 Council was charged
  with focusing on Closing the Achievement Gap

38
Closing the Gap Has Been a Primary Goal for
School Leaders
39
P-16 Council

• The Council considered what the state can do to
  create the conditions necessary for closing the
  gap

40
California P-16 Council Report

• January 2008, Council releases CTAG report
• Not intended to be comprehensive
• But important steps to follow
• Makes 14 recommendations

41
Access

• California needs better alignment of K-16
  educational systems
• Fix the disconnect between what
• K-12 expects of a high school
• graduate and what business and
• higher education need from a
• high school graduate

42
Our Workforce Has Changed
43
Our Workforce Has Changed
44
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.
45
California 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.or
g/news/.
46
Because Education Pays California 2005 Median
IncomeAdults Over Age 25
Source http//www.cpec.ca.gov/OnLineData/MedianI
ncomeGraph.asp
47
Remediation Rates at CSUCSU Systemwide
Remediation Rates for Regularly Admitted
First-time Freshman, Fall 2006
Source Proficiency Reports of Students Entering
the CSU System, downloaded from
http//www.asd.calstate.edu/performance/proficienc
y.shtml, November 8, 2007. From the American
Diploma Project Network
48
Access

• California needs better alignment of
• K-16 educational systems
• Partnering with Education Roundtable
• Joining American Diploma Project
• - K-12
• - Higher ed
• - Business
• - Career Tech

49
Resources now available

• College and Career Planning
• www.californiacolleges.edu
• Taking Center Stage (resources for the middle
  grades)
• http//pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii
• Closing the Achievement Gap
• www.closingtheachievementgap.org

50
Focusing our Attention on Closing the
Achievement Gap

• The goal of closing the achievement gap demands a
  kind of focused desire. It calls for a
  willingness to change, to be bold, and to try new
  ideas.
• The time has come for us to answer this call.
  Together we can close the achievement gap and
  open the door to a better future for every
  student, without exception.