Step

1
Part 2
2
Step 4Setting goals around college and work
readiness hugely important. Next, must making
this the center point of accountability.
3
The Right Goal All Students College and Work
Ready.But What Does That Mean?
4
All Kids College and Work ReadyPart 1 How Do
We Measure?A Good Model at Our Door Step
CSUs EAP.
5
Readiness for College Mathematics 11th graders in
Algebra II, by Ethnicity
Source Unpublished Data from Early Assessment
Program, California State University, June 2007
6
Readiness for College English11th graders, by
Ethnicity
Source Unpublished Data from Early Assessment
Program, California State University, June 2007
7
Readiness for College Mathematics11th graders in
Algebra II, by Economic Status
Source Unpublished Data from Early Assessment
Program, California State University, June 2007
8
Readiness for College English11th graders, by
Economic Status
Source Unpublished Data from Early Assessment
Program, California State University, June 2007
9
EAP revealing hugely important information.

• Expectations are clear to everyone. Parents,
  students, teachers and administrators.
• Sends strong (and only) signals about what the
  senior year should look like.
• Next step Alignment. CSU course modules can be
  adopted in full or used as a guide/rubric.

10
The UC and CCC systems should move in the EAP
direction.Evidence High Failures on Subject A
Exams and on Basic Skills Tests.High drop out
rates.
11
Step 5 Create shared assessment system across
PK-12 and higher ed. San Lorenzo Unified could be
an important voice to move this debate.

• 1. Agree on need for common assessment. 2.
  Could be EAP. Could be SAT. Could be ACT. Any
  number of ways to measure. Different cut scores
  for different institutions.

12
Readiness and access arent the only issues

• Theres a question of access to what

13
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14
All Kids College and Work Ready Part 2
Focusing on Course Quality, Redesign.But Dont
Forget Here Too, Access (To The Right Courses) Is
Still A Huge Problem.
15
Few Graduate College Ready. San Lorenzo Unified
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.
Not a significant number in the African American
and Asian subgroup cohorts.
16
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.
17
A-G as the Default Curriculum Is A Necessary
Step.End of Course Exams Helpful. At least 11
states are using EOCs for consistency and rigor.
But still not enough.
18

• "One key component to our success will be
  coherence - in other words, ensuring the program
  is consistent at each school," he said. "I want
  to eliminate any perceptions that any of our
  schools offer a better or different program than
  any school in a lower socio-economic or a more
  racially diverse community. I want to assure
  community members that we offer a high quality
  education at all of our schools.
• Superintendent Byas,
• as quoted by staff writer Kristofer Noceda,
  insidebayarea.com

19
Lets Take a Break.

• When we return, well talk about time, teachers,
  teaching, and course quality.

20
Step 6 To Spur a Focus on Course Quality and
Redesign, Commission A Districtwide Course
Quality Review.What would it look like?Equity
in Rigor?
21
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.
22
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.
23
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.

24
Middle School Example

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

25
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?
26
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.
27
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.
28
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.
29
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

30
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?

31
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

32
Must do the same for CTE courses.Are
assignments rigorous? Or code language for
old-style vocational education tracking? Who
gets access to the rigorous academies, and who
gets courses that lead to dead end jobs?
33
Remember, the Achievement Gap Lives in the
Quality of Assignments we ask of Different Groups
of Kids.
34
Step 7 Help Schools Build Local Capacity and
Make the District a Repository for Help.
35
District Role as Capacity BuilderRepository
for Anchor Assignments. At every grade
level.For each core discipline.And good,
rigorous CTE courses.
36
Model Course SyllabusEnglishGrade 10Course
Description/OverviewIn this full-year English
class you will be reading literature including
shortstories, poetry, plays, autobiographies,
and novels written in different timeperiods and
from different countries. It is my hope that as
you read andanalyze the literature you will be
clarifying your own beliefs and values.Class
discussion is an integral part of our class, and
I will do everythingI can to make sure that all
voices are heard in a supportive andencouraging
environment.In addition to our literature study,
you will be writing a great deal, in manygenres.
I will encourage you to find your voice in
expository, persuasive,and creative writing. You
will find a larger audience by participating
inmany writing contests. You will have an
opportunity to do some journalwriting, where you
can express yourself in a less formal way and
keep arecord of your growth and development
during sophomore year.We will also apply
ourselves to grammar study and vocabularydevelopm
ent.Course Content Improving reading
comprehension skills, including using
structuralelements of texts to enhance
understanding and context to understandnew
vocabulary Identifying main ideas, following an
argument, understanding differentperspectives
Understanding conventions of literary texts
Moving from simple comprehension toward critical
evaluation of literature Learning the language
of literary criticism (e.g., feminist literary
criticism) Building critical reading and
researching skills applying critical theoriesto
texts Writing, researching, and revising at
least four formal essays perquarterexpository,
persuasive, and creative Entering your writing
in contestsincluding journalistic,
creative,expository, and analytical writing in
local and national contests Learning how to
evaluate your own writing process Writing to
learn in informal journalsyour Writers Log
Learning to identify and correct your own
grammatical errors Presenting and evaluating
three speeches of 34 minutes each Presenting
40-minute lessons in a group Analyzing and
evaluating media (i.e., advertising, news
programs) Learning fundamental research
skills(Excerpt Only. For full syllabus, go
to, http//www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/success_rep
ort.pdf)
District Should Also be a Repository for Model
Course Syllabi
Source ON COURSE FOR SUCCESS A CLOSE LOOK AT
SELECTED HIGH SCHOOL COURSES THAT PREPARE ALL
STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE, ACT and the Education
Trust, 2005
37
District A Repository for Good Course Redesign
Strategies

• Redesign the whole coursenot just a single class
• Emphasize active learninggreater student
  engagement with the material and with one another
• Rely heavily on readily available interactive
  softwareused independently and in teams
• Increase on-demand, individualized assistance
• Automate only those course components that can
  benefit from automatione.g., homework, quizzes,
  exams
• Replace single mode instruction with
  differentiated personnel strategies

Technology enables good pedagogy with large s of
students.
38
Showcase good images of schools that break out of
the 6 hour a day, 180 days a school year, mode of
thinking.
39
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
40
Less Summer Vacation
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
41
Less Weekends, Holidays, Summer Vacation
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
42
Less Professional Development Days Early
Dismissal/Parent Conferences
Source Ed Trust West analysis of the master
schedule of an unnamed school in CA
43
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
44
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
45

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

46
Step 8 District should Commission a Study on
Catch Up Strategies.We need to know more
whats working to accelerate learning for
underperforming students.
47
Step 9Hold the line on high standards, and at
the same time, ensure proper supports.An
example CAHSEE
48
CAHSEE Passage Rates California Class of
2006as of July 2006
Source Wise, L., et al., Independent Evaluation
of the CAHSEE, 2006 HumRRO
49
Has the CAHSEE requirement changed anything?

• What principals say

Source Wise, L., et al., Independent Evaluation
of the CAHSEE, HumRRO October, 31, 2006.
50
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.
51
What about alternative assessments?
52
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
53
In New Jerseys large urban high schools
Source EdTrust-West analysis of NJ Department of
Education and schoolmatters.com data, 2005
54
We cant be serious about closing the Achievement
Gap while allowing the Teacher Quality Gap to
persist, and grow.
55
Step 10Monitor the Distribution of Teacher
Talent in More Revealing Ways.
56
LOW ACHIEVING STUDENTS IN TN GAIN MORE WITH
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS One Year Growth
Sanders and Rivers, Cumulative and Residual
Effects of Teachers on Future Academic
Achievement, 1998.
57
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.
58
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.
59
Step 11 Focus on Getting Strong Teachers to the
Students who Need Them the Most.

• Good teachers matter a lot.
• But some groups of kids dont get their fair
  share of quality teachers regardless of the
  proxy used to measure quality.

60
In California Minority Students Have Four Times
More Underprepared Math Teachers
Guha, R., Campbell, A., Humphrey, D., Shields,
P., Tiffany-Morales, J., Wechsler, M. (2006).
Californias teaching force 2006 Key issues and
trends. Santa Cruz, CA The Center for the Future
of Teaching and Learning.
61
A Greater Percentage of Intern Teachers Work in
High-Minority Schools

• 85 of all interns are teaching in schools with
  over 50 minority students, compared to only 7
  of interns in schools with less than 25 minority
  student population.

Minority Quartiles
Guha, R., Campbell, A., Humphrey, D., Shields,
P., Tiffany-Morales, J., Wechsler, M. (2006).
Californias teaching force 2006 Key issues and
trends. Santa Cruz, CA The Center for the Future
of Teaching and Learning.
62
The Teacher Quality Gap is about money too.
Were spending far less on teaching the kids who
need good teachers the most.
63
A Tale of Two Schools

• Locke High School
• Los Angeles Unified
• 99 Latino African American
• 66 of students receive free or reduced price
  lunch
• Academic Performance Index 440

• Granada Hills High School
• Los Angeles Unified
• 32 Latino African American
• 27 of students receive free or reduced price
  lunch
• Academic Performance Index 773

Source CA Department of Education, 2003-04 data
64

• The average teacher at Locke High School gets
  paid an estimated 8,034 less every year than his
  counterpart at Granada Hills High School.
• If Locke spent as much as Granada Hills on
  teacher salaries for its 119 teachers, the school
  budget would increase by nearly a million dollars
  (956,056) every year.

65
A Tale of Two Schools

• Mission High School
• San Francisco Unified
• 67 Latino African American
• 75 of students receive free or reduced price
  lunch
• Academic Performance Index 518

• Washington High School
• San Francisco Unified
• 13 Latino African American
• 37 of students receive free or reduced price
  lunch
• Academic Performance Index 760

Source CA Department of Education, 2003-04 data
66

• The average teacher at Mission High School gets
  paid an estimated 9,901 less every year than his
  counterpart at Washington High School.
• If Mission spent as much as Washington on teacher
  salaries for its 57 teachers, the school budget
  would increase by 564,357 every year.

67
If we had the courage and creativity to change
these patterns?
68
The Rivkin, Hanushek, and Kain estimates of
teacher performance suggest that having five
years of good teachers in a row could overcome
the average seventh-grade mathematics
achievement gap .
1.0 standard deviation above average, or at
the 85th quality percentile
SOURCE Eric A. Hanushek and Steven G. Rivkin,
How to Improve the Supply of High-Quality
Teachers, In Brookings Papers on Education
Policy 2004, Diane Ravitch, ed., Brrookings
Institution Press, 2004. Estimates based on
research using data from Texas described in
Teachers, Schools, and Academic Achievement,
Working Paper Number 6691, National Bureau of
Economic Research, revised July 2002.
69
Step 12Help Make Sense of the Adequacy vs.
Efficiency Debate. Would More Money Help?Of
course, but more money must be spent more wisely.
Advocates for more money must also be advocates
for reform.
70
Business as usual gets us little relationship
between dollars spent and outcomes. District API
and Spending per Pupil 2004-2005
Source Imazeki, Jennifer (2007), Assessing the
Costs of K-12 Education in Californias Public
Schools, Paper in Getting Down to Facts Research
Project, www.irepp.net
71
Some districts that out-perform spend lessNAEP
2005 Grade 8 Math -Overall Scale Scores
7,132
8,311
11,920
8,283
7,284
11,312
12,562
6,923
7,799
10,199
11,847
Source National Center for Education
Statistics, http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/n
de and Standard and Poors www.schoolmatters.com
72
Closing Californias Achievement Gaps is the Most
Important Issue Facing Our Public Schools. The
real question moving forward is how to develop
the civic and political heft to do what it takes.
We have the know how. But do we have the will?
73
Call for Proposals Now Open.Registration Begins
in the Fall.
SAVE THE DATE!
The Education Trust West 510-465-6444 www.edtru
stwest.org