Succeeding with At Risk Succeeding with At Risk and Disadvantaged and Disadvantaged

YouthYouth

Succeeding with At Risk Succeeding with At Risk and Disadvantaged and Disadvantaged

YouthYouthHoward Johnston, ProfessorHoward Johnston, Professor

University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida

andand

Heath Burns, SuperintendentHeath Burns, Superintendent

Angleton ISDAngleton ISD

30 Kids Born In the USA Today

• About 10 minutes worth.• An American born every 19

seconds.• Based on projections from the US

Census Bureau• Not counting immigrants…one of

whom arrives every 31 seconds.

What Does it Mean to Be AT RISK?

At Risk of What?

Out of those 30 children…19 are minority11 are poor11 were born out of wedlock15 were born to parents who will

divorce or separate

What Does it Mean to Be AT RISK?

4 were born into families earning $60,000 a year.

13 will live on public assistance14 will have no health care9 will drop out of school

So…who’s special? Whom to “include?”

What Does it Mean to Be AT RISK?

8 were born after prenatal exposure to drugs

19 after prenatal exposure to alcohol28 will try alcohol; 5-6 will be addicted19 will try drugs; 2-3 will be addicted12 were born into families earning

less than $14,000 a year

The Grim Status of Children in the USA

They are the poorest Americans.They have the worst health care.They are the most likely victims of

violence.They believe they face a bleak

economic future.

The Grim Status of Children in the USA

The are the most pessimistic about their own futures

than any generation since the Great Depression of the

1930s.

So What Can We Do?

I. Challenge the Regularities of

Schooling!

School Adjustment Fears:High Achievers

• Public Performance (academic)• Mastering physical space.• Difficulty of academic program.• P.E. Dressing & Showers• Failure• Grade retention

School Adjustment Fears:Low Achievers

• Grade retention• Public performance (academic)• Punishment• Unkind adults• Being ridiculed• Harassment• Difficulty of academic program

School Adjustment Fears:Alternative School

• Keeping up with work• Public performance• Difficulty of academic program• P.E. Dressing and Showers• Failure• Punishment

DIFFICULTY…or they just can’t do the work. Really?Given Achievement

Scores, Attendance, Prior Failure, Suspensions, Ethnicity, Sex, SES, Self Reported Attitudes…

Analysis placed 97% accurately in “passing” group…

BUT…Predicted that 83%

of failing kids should have passed, too.

Homework…or school work carried home.

• 49% of marking period failures were for “no homework.”

• 21% of grade level failure for “no homework”

But who does homework in the first place?

Predictors of who will do homework at all…

• Family income• Education level of the mother• Adult supervision outside of school• Teacher follow up

Preponderance of Lecture-Recitation-

Seatwork ModelField Independent

LearnersSetting:

Cooperative, Loose, Informal.

Focus: Concepts & General Principles

Field Dependent Learners

Setting: Formal, Structured, Individualized.

Focus: Information & Details.

Preponderance of Lecture-Recitation-

Seatwork ModelField DependentSocial Context:

Work together to benefit the group.

Reward: For effort, group contribution, common good.

Field IndependentSocial Context:

Work alone; everyone for him or herself.

Reward: For outcome, quality of product on predetermined standard.

What is Success?Field Dependent

Helping the group; getting group approval.

Field Independent

Meeting the standard; getting approval of authority.

Lack of Direct Instruction in Intellectual Strategies

39 “best” reading and social studies teachers observed teaching 17,997 minutes of reading instruction in 5 days.

• 45 minutes (.25%) devoted to direct instruction on comprehension skills.

• 17.7% of time spent assessing comprehension.

ISOLATION…out of the mainstream of school

life• Low levels of adult-student

interaction outside of class -- about 1/10 as much as other students.

• Status and friendship groups older and out of school– No pass no play effects– Status earned at job, in gang, in

family

Isolation, con’t.Low reward status in School

– 27% academic– 45% athletic– 18% artistic– 10% other

Isolation, con’t.Anonymity

– 71% of 9th Grade Sample– 48% of 6th Grade SampleNever called by name…

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

II. Build Strong Social Relationships and

Networks.

But We Only Have Them for 6 Hours a

Day!• 6.5-7.5 hours in school.• 4.0-6.0 involved with media.• 1.0-2.0 with peers and playmates.• 7.0-9.0 sleeping• 20.5-23.5 accounted for• 0.5-3.5 with “others,” including

parents

And They Still Don’t Know Us

• Are your Teachers happy?– Yes = 16– No = 12– DNK = 72

• Do Your Teachers like to spend time with you?– Yes = 17– No = 17– DNK = 66

And They Still Don’t Know Us

• Most Teachers Like Kids.– Yes = 20– No = 15– DNK = 65

• My teachers like to talk with kids informally.– Yes = 11– No = 25– DNK = 64

And They Still Don’t Know Us

My Teachers like to play and have fun.

Yes = 8No = 11

DNK = 81

Promote Social Bonding

School Success = Social BondingSocial Bonding =

Attachment + Commitment +Involvement + Belief

Attachment

• Familiarity• Attractiveness• Social-emotional bonds

Commitment

• Clear and obvious benefit• Rational assessment of group

assets

Involvement

• Amount and nature of participation

• Attractiveness of participation

Belief

• Faith in legitimacy of group• Confidence in group’s power• Conviction that “this group is for

people like me.”

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

III.Close the Opportunity

Gap.

3-9 P.M. Activity Pattern

1. Play outside, eat, homework, clean/chores, play bed.

2. Homework, clean kitchen, play, eat dinner, help clean up, TV, bed.

3. Eat, homework, play, TV, bed.4. Play on own, TV, begin homework,

dinner, TV, bed.5. Chores, homework, read or play, TV,

bed.

3-9 P.M. Activity PatternFor Low Achievers, age

10

1. Play outside, eat, homework, clean/chores, play bed.

2. Homework, clean kitchen, play, eat dinner, help clean up, TV, bed.

3. Eat, homework, play, TV, bed.4. Play on own, TV, begin homework,

dinner, TV, bed.5. Chores, homework, read or play,

TV, bed.

Achieving 10 year olds

• Snack, homework, play or TV, help parent with dinner & clean up, hobby or TV, reading, bed.

• Music lessons, dinner, homework, visit grandpa, errands, TV, game or read, bed.

• Visit aunt, swim, help fix dinner, homework, TV, bed.

Achieving 10 year olds

• Chores, play, read, homework, sign language class, dinner, TV, bed.

• Homework, snack, baseball practice, dinner, clean up, TV, read, bed.

High Achievers…

Spend more time in conversation with adults.

Receive explicit achievement training.

Have a regular pattern of behavior.Engage in anticipatory behavior.

Achievers…

Engage in activities extending the opportunity to read and write.

Engage in constructive learning besides homework (hobbies, games).

Participate in little unsupervised, passive recreation (e.g., TV, hanging out).

Achievers…

Do something important or special that establishes them as an important “player” in the school, family, or community.

Sphere I: School CultureHigh Impact

• Prep kids for life beyond HS.

• Policy focuses on achievement

• Teach/admin consistent about achievement goals.

• Teachers embrace external standards & assess.

Average Impact

• Prepare kids for graduation.

• Policy focuses on rules

• Teach/admin less consistent about achievement goals

• Teachers tolerate external standards & assess.

Sphere II: Academic Core

High-impact • Students encouraged

to take on academic challenges.

• Assessment data is used for future planning, e.g., curriculum improvements, teacher assignments.

Average Impact• Hurdles to access

the most challenging courses.

• Use data primarily to measure past student performance

Sphere IV: Teachers

High Impact• Teacher

placement driven by student needs and teacher expertise.

• Support for new teach focused on curric & instr.

Average Impact• Teacher placement

driven by teacher preference & seniority.

• Support for new teach more personal and social

Sphere III: Student Support

High Impact• Help in ways that

keep kids on track for college prep.

• Faculty assume responsibility to offer extra help

Average Impact• Help in ways that

delay entry to college prep.

• Extra help available, but optional

Sphere III: Student Support (con’t)

High Impact• Early warning

systems ID kids needing help

• Counselors actively monitor kids

• Use partnerships for post-sec opportunities

Average Impact• Help offered after

kid fails or falters• Counselors work

thru referrals• Use partnerships

for drop out & drug prevention.

Sphere IV: Teachers (con’t)

High Impact• Admin create

small classes for struggling students

• Principals have more control over who joins faculty

Average Impact• Class size

relatively equal• Principals tend to

accept teachers sent by district office.

Sphere V: Organization

High ImpactTime use determined

by academics9th graders get more

reading instructionMost time spent in

academic or grade level courses

Average ImpactTime determined

by multiple factors.

9th graders receive little reading

High proportion of time in remedial or basic classes

Sphere V: Organization (con’t)

High ImpactStrict in protecting

academic timeSenior year

relatively low academic challenges

Average ImpactFlexible time use

policiesSenior year

relatively low academic challenges