Charting the Course: Minority Student Achievement in Utah

1
Charting the CourseMinority Student Achievement
in Utah

• Adult Education Director/ CBO Meeting
• St. George Abbey Inn
• March 17, 2008

2
DISCLAIMER

• Professional
• High school principal
• Low performing school dropouts
• Dropout recovery and Delta Lab
• Personal
• Father

3
James Cook Walker

• 5th grade dropout
• On his own since age 12
• Enlisted at age 15
• Air Force 32yrs
• GED

4
My Daddy and Me

• Listed in
• Whos Who Among American Junior Colleges 1979- 80

5
The Reality of the Situation

• It aint pretty
• but with lots of make-up
• we look alright

6
Utah State Population

• 2,550,063 People in Utah
• 93.5 White
• 1.0 Black
• 1.3 American Indian
• 2.0 Asian
• 0.8 Native Hawaiian Other Pacific Islander
• 11.2 Hispanic
• US Census Bureau 2006 Estimate

7
Top 10 School Districts Educating Minority
Students

• Granite
• Salt Lake
• Jordan
• Davis
• Ogden
• Alpine
• Provo
• Washington
• Weber
• Nebo

• The top 10 districts comprise 82 of all minority
  students.
• The top 5 districts comprise 61 of all minority
  students.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Did they drop out

• Or where they pushed out or did we define them
  out?

10
211,000

• adults in Utah do not have a high school diploma
  or GED.

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
211,000
14
Whose Fault is it? Certainly Not Mine The
Adult Ed teacher said, Such wrong in the student
is a shame, lack of preparation in high school is
the blame. Said the high school teacher, Good
heavens, that boy is a fool. The fault, of
course, is with the middle school. The middle
school teacher said, From stupidity may I be
spared, they send him to me so unprepared.
15
The elementary school teacher said, The
kindergartners are block-heads all. They call it
preparation, why its worse than none at
all. The kindergarten teacher said, Such lack
of training never did I see, what kind of mother
must that woman be. The mother said, Poor
helpless child, hes not to blame. For, you see,
his fathers folks are all the same.
16
Said the father at the end of the line, I doubt
that rascals even mine! Anonymous
17
No matter whos to blamesomething must be done!

• Examine our belief systems student learning
  impacts student achievement

18

• BASED ON THEIR ABILITY
• We believe that all students can learn, but the
  extent of their learning is determined by their
  innate ability or aptitude. This aptitude is
  relatively fixed, and as teachers we have little
  influence over the extent of student learning.
  It is our job to create multiple programs or
  tracks that address the different abilities of
  students, and then guide students to the
  appropriate program. This ensures that students
  have access to the proper curriculum and an
  optimum opportunity to master materials
  appropriate to their ability.

19
2. IF THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO
LEARN We believe that all students can learn if
they elect to put forth the necessary effort. It
is our job to provide all students with this
opportunity to learn, and we fulfill our
responsibility when we attempt to present lessons
that are both clear and engaging. In the final
analysis, however, while it is our job to teach,
it is the students job to learn. We should
invite students to learn, but honor their
decision if they elect not to do so.
20
3. AND WE WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR
ENSURING THEIR GROWTH We believe that all
students can learn and that it is our
responsibility to help each student demonstrate
some growth as a result of their experience with
us. The extent of the growth will be determined
by a combination of a students innate ability
and effort. It is our job to encourage all
students to learn as much as possible, but the
extent of their learning is dependent on factors
over which we have little control.
21
4. AND WE WILL ESTABLISH HIGH STANDARDS OF
LEARNING THAT WE EXPECT ALL STUDENTS TO
ACHIEVE We believe that all students can and
must learn at high levels of achievement. Our
job is to create an environment in our classrooms
and programs that result in this higher level of
performance. We are confident that with our
support and help students can master challenging
academic materials, and we expect them to do so.
We are prepared to work collaboratively with
colleagues, students and, in some cases parents,
to achieve this shared educational purpose.
22
Culturally Responsive Teaching

• Culturally responsive teaching is using the
  cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and
  performance styles of diverse students to make
  learning more appropriate and effective for them
  it teaches through the strengths of these
  students.
• Geneva Gay

23
Culturally Responsive Teaching

• It acknowledges the legitimacy of the cultural
  heritages of different ethnic groups, both as
  legacies that affect students dispositions,
  attitudes, and approaches to learning and as
  worthy content to be taught in the formal
  curriculum.

• It builds bridges of meaningfulness between the
  home and school experiences

24
And now a lesson

• Geometry
• History
• Writing
• Physical Education
• Sociology

25
Cupid Shuffle
Verse One They say I'm a rapper, and I say
no They say what you doing tryna do some zydeco
(hey) I just let the music come from my soul So
all of my people can stay on the floor (ooh
ooh) They got a brand new dance (come on), you
gotta move your muscle Brand new dance, it's
called the Cupid Shuffle It don't matter if
you're young or you're old (here we go) We gone
show you how it go (hey hey) Chorus To the
right, to the right, to the right, to the
right To the left, to the left, to the left, to
the left Now kick, now kick, now kick, now
kick Now walk it by yourself, now walk it by
yourself (let me see you do)
26
Philosophy

• Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while
  were here we might as well dance.

27
What can you do?

• Think for a minute.
• Then share with your neighbor.
• Be ready to share with whole group.

• Strategies for improving minority student
  achievement
• Strategies for decreasing the drop out rate

28
The Three Rs

• Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships

29
Educational Equity

• A Call for Systemic Change

30
Educational Equity

• is raising the achievement of all students while
  narrowing the gaps between the highest and lowest
  performing students and eliminating the racial
  predictability and disproportionality of which
  students groups occupy the highest and the lowest
  achievement categories. (Singleton and Linton,
  2006)

31
Minority Student Achievement Plan

• Using data to inform decisions
• Creating an inclusive school culture
• Developing a culturally competent staff
• Ensuring educator quality
• Enhancing teaching and learning
• Demanding a rigorous and relevant curriculum
• Planning for strategic prevention and
  intervention
• Collaborating with parents and families
• Establishing community and business partnerships
• Holding all stakeholders accountable

32
How do you eat an elephant?

• One bite at a time!

33
How do you improve minority student achievement?

• One district at a time
• One program at a time
• One student at a time

34
Perhaps a kid like this is in your program - He
dropped out of grade school. Ran a country
store. Went broke. Took 15 years to pay off his
bills. Took a wife. Unhappy marriage. Ran for
House. Lost twice. Ran for Senate. Lost
twice. Delivered speech that become a classic.
Audience indifferent. Attacked daily by the press
and despised by half the country. Despite all
this, Imagine how many people all over the world
have been inspired by this awkward, rumpled,
brooding man who signed his name simply, A.
Lincoln
35
Thank You.

• Brenda J. Burrell, Ed.D.
• Utah State Office of Education
• [phone]