russlynn ali – director, the education trust-west october 26, 2005

2005 by The Education Trust-West

Russlynn Ali – Director, The Education Trust-WestOctober 26, 2005

The Role and Responsibilities of District Leaders in Raising Reading Achievement and Closing Achievement Gaps for All Students


Where Are We Now? US NAEP Long Term Trends


Looking at National Long Term Trends, Achievement Gaps for Younger Hispanic and African

American Students Are Narrowing


African American-White Gap Narrows to Smallest Size in History

NAEP Reading, 9 Year-Olds

150

170

190

210

230

250

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re

African American White

29 3526

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP 2004 Trends in Academic Progress


Latino-White Gap Narrows to Smallest Size in History


150

170

190

210

230

250

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re

Latino White

24 2821



Middle School?


8th GradeNAEP Reading, 13 Year-Olds

200

220

240

260

280

300

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re

African American Latino White



Gaps Getting Bigger in Middle SchoolAfrican American-White Gap NAEP Reading, 13 Year-Olds

200

220

240

260

280

300

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re


18 29 22



Latino-White Gap NAEP Reading, 13 Year-Olds

200

220

240

260

280

300

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re

Latino White

21 23 24



High School?



220

240

260

280

300

320

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re

African American Latino White



Gaps Biggest in High School . . . and GrowingAfrican American-White GapNAEP Reading, 17 Year-Olds

220

240

260

280

300

320

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re


21 31 29


Latino-White GapNAEP Reading, 17 Year-Olds

220

240

260

280

300

320

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999 2004

Ave

rag

e S

cale

Sco

re

Latino White

22 24 29


How is California Doing Relative to Other States?


California’s NAEP Scores for 4th Grade Reading Lag Behind Other States

All 4th Grade Students - 2005 NAEP ReadingAverage Scale Scores From Highest to Lowest

231

207

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/


Latino 4th Grade Students – NAEP READING

Latino 4th Grade Students - 2005 NAEP ReadingAverage Scale Score (Latino) From Highest to Lowest

226

193

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260



African American 4th Grade Students – NAEP READING

African American 4th Grade Students - 2005 NAEP ReadingAverage Scale Score (African American) From Highest to Lowest

212

195

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260



And Let’s Be Clear. It’s Not Our Demographics.


California’s White 4th Grade Students Are Closer to the US Average in Reading, But Still Behind

Many StatesWhite 4th Grade Students - 2005 NAEP Reading

Average Scale Score (White) From Highest to Lowest

225

252

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260



California’s Asian 4th Grade Students Also Lag Behind Many States

Asian 4th Grade Students - 2005 NAEP ReadingAverage Scale Scores (Asian) From Highest to Lowest

243

222

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

260



White 8th Graders in California Read Below Their Peers in Other States


When students’ family backgrounds were controlled for, California’s 2003 NAEP scores were the lowest in the nation.

Source: California’s k-12 Public Schools: How Are They Doing, RAND, 2005


How are California students doing on our own assessments?


ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CST All Students 2005

22

30

47

28

33

39

37

27

36

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

4th Grade 8th Grade 11 Grade

Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic


Underneath Those Averages, There are Wide Gaps.


ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS4th Grade, By Ethnicity

CST 2005

30 3111 10

34 37

22 20

35 32

68 71

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Black Latino White Asian

Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic


ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS4th Grade, By Economic Status

CST 2005

31

36

32

9

22

69

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

EconomicallyDisadvantaged

Non-Economically

Disadvantaged

Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic



CST 2005

41 39

15 15

35 37

27 26

24 23

58 58

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic



CST 2005

40

37

22

16

29

55

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Non-Economically

Disadvantaged

Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic



CST 2005

52 51

25 22

27 29

24 24

21 21

50 53

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic



CST 2005

51

29

21

29

26

46

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Non-Economically

Disadvantaged

Prof/ Adv

Basic

Below Basic


In the end, these gaps mean poor students and students of color are

years behind their peers.


African American and Latino 7th graders read at about the level of White 3rd graders

679

643 642639

575

600

625

650

675

White 3rd Grade White 7th Grade Black 7th Grade Latino 7th Grade

CA

T/6

re

ad

ing

sc

ore

(2

00

5)

CAT/6 2005


Gaps grow wider the longer students remain in our schools.

When do they start?


Low income 3-year-olds have significantly smaller vocabularies than their more affluent peers.

Source: Hart, B. & Risley, T.R. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children excerpted in American Educator, Spring 2003.


7055 49

3045 51

0

20

40

60

80

100

White Black Hispanic

Do not knowlettersKnow letters

Black and Hispanic children are significantly less likely than White children to know their

letters when they enter kindergarten.

Source: America’s Kindergartners. NCES 2000-070.

Percent of children


Are Gaps Closing Over Time in California?


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Per

cen

t P

rofi

cien

t o

r A

bo

ve

Af Am American IndianAsian FilipinoLatino Pacific IslanderWhite

Achievement Gaps Hold SteadyALL CA STUDENTS, GRADES 2-11- English CST

Source: California Dept of Education, 2005

Latino-White Gap: 34 points

Latino-White Gap: 33 points


Now, the Most Important Questions. . .

WHY?

And What To Do About It?


Learning and Spreading the Message:HOPE!

There are high-poverty and high-minority schools all over the country that are

closing opportunity gaps, raising achievement and narrowing achievement

gaps. Learn what they’re doing. Celebrate their success.


Closing the Black-White Gap


A Tale of Two Schools in Merced County

443

489481

437

400425450475500525550575600625650675700

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

AP

I sc

ore

Yamato Colony Elementary Sparks Elementary

Source: California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov



443

489

588

532

437

400425450475500525550575600625650675700

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

AP

I sc

ore





443

614

559

437

400425450475500525550575600625650675700

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

AP

I sc

ore





443

668

437

612

400425450475500525550575600625650675700

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

AP

I sc

ore





489

588614

737

481

533559

615

443

668

437

612

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

AP

I sc

ore




594

618609

629619 624

550

575

600

625

650

675

Sparkes Yamato

2003

CA

T/6

Rea

din

g s

core

3rd grade 4th grade 5th grade

Source: California Department of Education, 2004

A Tale of Two Schools in Merced County: 3rd Graders at Yamato Reading at the Level of 5th

Graders at Sparkes

Source: California Department of Education 2005 by The Education Trust-West

Dispelling the Myth in ReadingHolland Elementary

Fresno Unified• 52% Latino• 100% Low-

income

• Surpassing state average in 4th Grade Reading

32

62

32

48

0102030405060708090

100

State Average Holland

% 4

th G

rad

ers

a

t o

r a

bo

ve

pro

fic

ien

t (2

00

5)

Latino Low-income

Source: California Department of Education 2005 by The Education Trust-West

Dispelling the Myth in MathTowne Avenue Elementary

Los Angeles Unified• 70% Latino• 87% Low-

income

• Surpassing state average in 4th Grade Math

38

77

38

79

0102030405060708090

100

State Average TowneAvenue

% 4

th G

rad

ers

at

or

ab

ov

e p

rofi

cie

nt

(20

05

) Latino Low-income


Some districts...


Where There’s an Achievement Gap, There are Big Opportunity Gaps.

• Teacher Gap: Inequitable Distribution of Qualified Teachers

• Standards: Gaps in Opportunity to Learn the Highest

• Curriculum Gaps: Gaps in Opportunity to Access the Most Rigorous Curriculum

• Funding Gaps: Fewer Dollars Spent on the Students who Need the Most.

Close these Opportunity Gaps and Achievement Gaps

will close too.


Would More Money Help?


Yes, More Money Will Help.

But how much it will help depends on how wisely we spend it.

Until more comes, schools can and ARE making great gains.


Some Districts Get More for Less.


Some districts that out-perform spend less$= Cost-adjusted per-pupil spending

220

240

260

280

300

Ave

rage

Sca

le S

core

, NA

EP

Gra

de 8

M

ath,

200

3

District ofColumbia

Atlanta LosAngeles

Cleveland Chicago Boston Houston SanDiego

New YorkCity

NationalPublic

Charlotte

$7,899

$7,419$7,417

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2003 Trial Urban District Reading Assessment. And U.S. Census 02-03

$8,019

$7,512

$12,619

$10,995

$9,639$12,339

$7,981

$10,634

Red= District spends less than L.ABlue= District spends more than L.A.


EXPECTATIONS MATTER A LOT!


Low Expectations

Low Level Assignments/Instruction

Poor Test Results

Less Challenging

Courses

Cycle of Low Expectations


Only 26% of Teachers Believe All Students Should be Held to Same Standard

Source: Ready for the Real World: Americans Speak on High School Reform, ETS, 2005

34%

60%59%

26%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

K-12 Parents High School Teachers

We shouldn't expect disadvantaged students to reach the same level ofperformance on standardized tests

All students should be held to same standard


Close the Expectations-Gap“Schools that tended to demonstrate a strong culture of high expectations—as evidenced by their attention to meeting and exceeding state and federal accountability targets and setting high standards for student achievement —on average had higher API scores. . . Equally important, better school performance seems to be associated with both teachers’ and principals’ reports that teachers at the school take responsibility for and are committed to improving student achievement.”

Source: Williams, T., Kirst, M., Haertel, E., et al. (2005). Similar Students, Different Results: Why Do Some Schools Do Better? A large-scale survey of California elementary schools serving low-income students. Mountain View, CA: EdSource. - Initial Report of Findings, see www.edsource.org.


Good Teachers Matter More Than Anything Else


But poor and minority students don’t get their fair

share of our strongest teachers.


Students in California’s Highest Minority Schools Five Times More Likely To Have An Underqualified Teacher

3%

15%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Lowest-Minority (0-30%) Highest-Minority (91-100%)

Average Percent of Faculty Teaching Without Full Credentials, 2003-04

Source: Esch, C. E., Chang-Ross, C. M., Guha, R., Tiffany-Morales, J., & Shields, P.M. (2004).California’s teaching force 2004: Key issues and trends. Santa Cruz, CA: The Center forthe Future of Teaching and Learning, p. 35.



And, not surprisingly,

when students have more

underprepared teachers, they do less well.

Source: California’s Approach to Math Instruction Doesn’t Add Up, Center for The Future of Teaching and Learning, April 2005


Reframing the Conversation – Making it About Money


SCHOOLS’ GREAT DIVIDE: No Incentive for more-experienced teachers to go where they’re needed most

Study: Teachers at needy schools earn less

The Sacramento BeeState’s teacher pay gap studied: Salaries

found to be lower at schools with more poverty and minorities

La OpiniónDiscriminan a maestros y estudiantes

The Fresno BeeState’s teacher pay gap examined

Study finds big gap in teachers’ salaries

CONTRA COSTA TIMESLess is spent on education of minorities

Rich, white schools pay teachers more: Report finds large gaps in salaries based on race, income of populations

Teachers paid less at poorest schools

The Press-EnterpriseDisparities in teacher salaries

The Orange County RegisterTeacher pay varies with school poverty

LAUSD pay rates favor needy areas

NORTH COUNTY TIMES Report: Districts put highly paid teachers in low-income schools

Group studies LBUSD teachers' payEducation study points to disparity in quality

Study shows that teachers not evenly distributed in state's school districts

Teacher salary study shows disparities

Report: Disparity in teacher salaries

San Francisco Bay View

School districts shortchange students of color

Schools 'fair' with funding

Vallejo Times-Herald VCUSD, Vacaville are anomaly in state -

spending more money on minority students Report: Teacher salary gaps between white, high-minority schools

Ed Trust finds disparities in teacher pay within districts

Salary Totals Found Lower in Poor Schools Report Shows Uneven Spending on Teachers Within Calif. Districts

Affluent Visalia schools pay more


Dollars Spent on Teachers – 80% of a School’s Budget

$2,576

$3,014

$2,300$2,400$2,500$2,600$2,700$2,800$2,900$3,000$3,100

Estimated Gap Per Teacher inHigh-Poverty Schools

Estimated Gap Per Teacher inHigh-Minority Schools

In the 50 largest California districts, significantly less money is spent on teachers in high-poverty and high-minority schools within the

same district.

Source: California’s Hidden Teacher Spending Gap: How State and District Budgeting Practices Shortchange Poor and Minority Students and Their Schools, Education Trust West, 2005.


Average School Gaps in 10 Largest CA Districts by School Type

DISTRICT

Poverty Minority

Elementary MiddleHigh

School Elementary MiddleHigh

School

Elk Grove Unified 36,561 -157,937 325,113 102,762 -319,075 252,503

Fresno Unified 125,881 104,980 85,534 108,113 126,829 125,639

Long Beach Unified 362,683 251,012 574,387 381,587 218,585 289,968

Los Angeles Unified 83,363 175,960 -23,763 112,743 200,178 161,686

Sacramento City Unified 140,144 -39,078 227,073 142,012 89,692 522,459

San Bernardino City Unified 228,668 239,357 463,426 231,464 345,367 382,690

San Diego Unified 139,972 216,460 267,900 223,072 268,907 254,832

San Francisco Unified 43,817 44,905 195,426 86,399 146,006 263,816

San Juan Unified 81,899 202,423 103,330 53,964 150,314 139,570

Santa Ana Unified 120,456 309,381 -215,960 84,678 175,133 64,291


A Tale of Two Schools

Didion Elementary SchoolSacramento City Unified

• 21% Latino & African American• 12% of students - free or

reduced price lunch• Academic Performance Index =

894

Kemble Elementary SchoolSacramento City Unified

• 68% Latino & African American• 86% of students - free or reduced

price lunch• Academic Performance Index =

552

Source: California Dept of Ed, 2003-04 data


Looking at these two schools, some might automatically think…

Student demographics = lower student performance

But this assumption ignores the underlying factors….


The average teacher at Kemble Elementary gets paid an estimated

$13,392 less every year than his counterpart at Didion Elementary.

If Kemble spent as much on Didion on teacher salaries for its 30 teachers, the

school budget would increase by $400,000 every year.


What does this mean in terms of dollars? Shortchanging Poor Schools and Their Students.

www.hiddengap.org


If we had the courage and creativity to change these

patterns?


“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 AcademicAchievement,” Working Paper Number 6691, National Bureau of Economic Research, revised July 2002.


Practices that Work

• To the extent possible, provide your best teachers to the students who need them the most.

• Create Professional Learning Communities or other opportunities for teachers to share expertise and learn from one another.


Goals. Stretch Goals.

At the State, Local, School and Classroom

Levels. Goals For Yearly Progress Must Also be Clear – and Focused on

Gap Closing.


STRETCH and GAP-CLOSING GOALS!

Long before NCLB, state officials waxed

eloquent that proficiency is our goal for ALL kids. Improvement alone is not enough, accountability system must also set an

ambitious time line to reach the end goal.


Distribution for California Schools with over 50 Percent White Students across the 10

API Ranks in 2004

70 51 75126

183

278361

482551

587

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Number of Schools

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

API Ranks

Source: Unpublished analysis by WestEd, 2005.


Distribution for California Schools with over 50 Percent African American

Students across the 10 API Ranks in 2004

54

26

1511

9 95 5

2 10

10

20

30

40

50

60

Number of Schools

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

API Ranks

Source: Unpublished analysis by WestEd, 2005.


Distribution for California Schools with over 50 Percent Latino Students across the 10

API Ranks in 2004

631590

540

449

318231

113

36 10 30

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Number of Schools

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

API Ranks


Local, School and Classroom Stretch Goals.

High Standards and Specific Goals For What Students Should Learn in Every

Grade LevelALIGNED TO ASSESSMENTS


“Teachers who report schoolwide instructional consistency within grades — and curricular alignment from grade-to-grade — work in schools that performed better on average. . .Those teachers who reported that their school has identified essential standards

and that their classroom instruction is guided by state academic standards were also more likely to be in high performing schools. They report that the school’s curriculum materials in math and language arts are aligned

with the state’s standards and that they frequently map state curriculum standards onto their classroom lesson plans.”


What Works?


Historically, most of the really important decisions about what students should learn and what kind of work was

“good enough” left to individual teachers.


Students can do no better than

the assignments they are given...


Grade 7 Writing Assignment

Source: Unnamed school district in California, 2002-03 school year.

Essay on Anne FrankEssay on Anne Frank

Your essay will consist of an opening paragraph which Your essay will consist of an opening paragraph which introduced the title, author and general background of the introduced the title, author and general background of the novel. novel. Your thesis will state specifically what Anne's overall Your thesis will state specifically what Anne's overall personality is, and what general psychological and personality is, and what general psychological and intellectual changes she exhibits over the course of the intellectual changes she exhibits over the course of the bookbookYou might organize your essay by grouping psychological You might organize your essay by grouping psychological and intellectual changes OR you might choose 3 or 4 and intellectual changes OR you might choose 3 or 4 characteristics (like friendliness, patience, optimism, self characteristics (like friendliness, patience, optimism, self doubt) and show how she changes in this area. doubt) and show how she changes in this area.


Grade 7 Writing Assignment

Source: Unnamed school district in California, 2002-03 school year.

•My Best Friend:My Best Friend:

•A chore I hate:A chore I hate:

•A car I want:A car I want:

•My heartthrob:My heartthrob:


Source: Prospects (ABT Associates, 1993), in “Prospects: Final Report on Student Outcomes”, PES, DOE, 1997.

‘A’ Work in Poor Schools Would Earn ‘Cs’ in Affluent Schools

87

35

56

34 41

22 21

11

0

100

Pe

rce

ntil

e -

CT

BS

4

A B C DGrades

Seventh Grade Math

Low-poverty schools High-poverty schools


Good standards help…

Source: Model College Prep Curriculum from “On Course for Success”, EdTrust and ACT, 2005


Course Titles Don’t Guarantee Good Instruction.

…But not if they sit on the shelf.


CA: Language Arts Curriculum Calibration Analysis

Source: DataWorks Education Research, 2002.


High Performing Districts:

Elementary School Curriculum:• Usually common across schools;

• Model lessons that teachers may use.

In High School:

• Enroll them as if they are going on to college, and let them be empowered to make the choice!

• All students enrolled in the A-G Curriculum


SJUSD SAT9 & CAT6 Matched Reading Scores at

Grades 4-9 for Students who Have Been Tested with STAR Every Year Since 1998

Gap reduced by 48%

Gap reduced by 48%

Med

ian

Nat

iona

l Per

cent

ileM

edia

n N

atio

nal P

erce

ntile

Source: San Jose Unified School District

*CAT6 scores adjusted to SAT9 scale


SJUSD SAT9 & CAT6 Matched Mathematics Scores at

Grades 3-9 for Students who Have Been Tested with STAR Every Year Since 1998

Gap reduced by 43%

*CAT6 scores adjusted to SAT9 scale

Med

ian

Nat

iona

l Per

cent

ileM

edia

n N

atio

nal P

erce

ntile

Source: San Jose Unified School District


Even though most students want to go to college, the truth is, many low income students and students of color aren’t getting the classes in the first place.


But A-G Isn’t Just About College.Why Ontario, Canada is a better

location for a new Toyota plant…“The level of the workforce in general is so high the training program you need for people, even for people who have never worked in a Toyota plant before, is minimal compared to what you have to go through in the southeastern United States,”

--Gerry Fedchun, president of Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, 7/8/2005

Source: www.cbc.ca/cp/business/050630/b0630102.html


“In Alabama, trainers had to use ‘pictorials’ to teach some illiterate workers how to use high-tech plant equipment.”

--Gerry Fedchun, president of Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, 7/8/2005

Source: www.cbc.ca/cp/business/050630/b0630102.html


Focus on Proven Supports for Teachers and Students:

Especially Professional

Development and More Time to get the Job Done


Professional Development:High Implementation Schools Wipe Out Black/White

Gap in Math Skills: Pittsburgh

30%

74%

48%

71%

0%

100%

WeakI mplementation

StrongI mplementation

Met

Sta

ndar

d on

New

Sta

ndar

d R

efer

ence

Exa

m


Note: Chart compares students in schools with similar demographics.Source: Briar and Resnick, CSE Technical Report 528, CRESST, UCLA, August 2000.


Provide time & support for teachers to learn how to adapt instruction to the needs of their students.

•Shift professional development from a “one-shot” or “one-size-fits-all” model to an ongoing, embedded coaching/mentoring model.

•To the extent possible, adjust schedules/ calendars so that students get the most instructional time possible.


MORE TIME IS KEY.

All Must Mean All.

But Not All in the Same Time.

Some Students, Especially Low Performing Students, Need More

Time.


The Full Year Calendar

USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIMEAnalysis of One California Urban Middle School Calendar

Source: Ed Trust – West analysis of the master schedule of an unnamed school in CA


Less Summer Vacation



Less Weekends, Holidays, & Summer Vacation



Less Professional Development Days & Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences



Less Class Picnic, Class Trip, Thanksgiving Feast, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Awards, Assembles,

& Concerts



Less State and District Testing and Other Non-Instructional Time



Use of Instructional Time?

BOTTOM LINE?

Teachers are Left with about

24 School Days

OR

18 Eight Hour Days Per Subject

Per Year


When Kids Are Behind, Schools Must Provide More Instruction and Support:

• Kentucky provides extra time for struggling students in high-poverty schools, in whatever way works best for the community: before school, after school, weekends or summers.

• Maryland offers extra dollars for 7th and 8th graders who need more support

• San Diego City created more time, mostly within the regular school day, by doubling –even tripling – the amount of instructional time in literacy and mathematics for low-performing students.

Students and Teachers Need More Time


Focus on Data Driven Everything:

Monitoring and Measuring

0%

36%

46%

18%

5%

74%

16%

5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Never A few timesa year

A few timesa month

A few timesa week

gap-closersnon-gap-closers

Schools that Close the Achievement Gap Use Data to Understand Skill Gaps of Low-Achieving

Students

Source: After the Test, Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap, Springboard Schools 2005. http://www.springboardschools.org/research/other_research.html


What Works? Extensive use of student assessment data.

[P]rincipals from better performing schools more often reported that they and the district use assessment data from multiple sources — curriculum program and other commercial assessments, district-developed assessments, andthe California Standards Tests and the CAT/6 — to evaluate teachers’ practices and to identify teachers who need instructional improvement. Teachers report receiving CST/CAT-6 test data in a variety of formats: for all students in their grade level; disaggregated by specific skills for all students in their classrooms; and disaggregated by student subgroup for students in their classrooms. Principals report using the CST and CAT/6 data to examine school-wide instructional issues, to develop strategies for moving students from belowbasic and basic to proficient, to compare grades within the school, to identify struggling students and evaluate their progress, and to inform and communicate with parents.



• Administer Common District-wide benchmark or snap-shot assessments, at least every 6-9 weeks.

• Get the results immediately in the hands of principals, teachers, parents and supplemental instruction providers; and,

• Create vehicles for teachers to meet together to discuss assignments and student work.

What Works?

MONITORING AND MEASURING, FREQUENTLY IS KEY.

9%

36%

55%

21%

47%

32%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

A few timesa year

A few timesa month

A few timesa week

gap-closersnon-gap-closers

Source: After the Test, Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap, Springboard Schools 2005. http://www.springboardschools.org/research/other_research.html


Focus on Fixing: Intervene and Adjust


What Works?

• When the data suggests individual kids are behind, those kids get immediate help.

• When the data suggests that ½ or more of the kids in a class are behind, the teacher gets help.

• No one right way, but high performers have consistent methods to intervene and help ... whoever needs it . . . when they need it.

Acting Immediately on Results from Snapshot Assessments


In the End, We Have to Make Different Choices.

At the Main, Achievement and Opportunity Gaps Come from Choices That Educators and Policymakers Make. Choices About:

- What to Expect of Different Schools and Students.- How Much to Spend on Whom. - Choices Even About Who Teachers

Whom. - Choices About How to Organize

Classroom and Schools.


The Education Trust–West510-465-6444

Please Join us for our 2nd Biennial Conference www.edtrustwest.org

February2006

russlynn ali – director, the education trust-west october 26, 2005

Documents

reading achievement

historynaep reading

gradenaep reading

grade reading lag

average scale score

education statistics

national center

overall2005 grade