A non benign harbinger

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A Non Benign Harbinger: Wisconsin’s Achievement Gap Etiology and Prescription

“I am not interested in the future. I am interested in the future of the future.”

Background

One hundred and twenty odd years ago, as the nineteenth century drew to close, scientists around the world were satisfied that they had arrived at an accurate picture of the physical world. Alastair Rae put it “By the end of the nineteenth century it seemed that the basic fundamentals of the physical universe were known.” At that time many scientists believed the study of physics was nearly completed, with no big discoveries to be made and only finishing touches and a few details to round out our understanding of the universe.

In the late 1890’s, a few curiosities came to light, however. Roentgen discovered rays that pass through flesh and called them X-‐rays because they were unexplained. Two months later Henri Becquerel accidentally found that a piece of uranium ore emitted something that fogged photographic plates. And the discovery of the electron, carrier of electricity was discovered in 1997.

One hundred years later, if you were to say to a physicist from 1899, that moving images would be transmitted into homes all over the world through satellites in the sky; that bombs of unimaginable power would threaten the species; that antibiotics would abolish most infectious diseases but that the disease would learn to fight back; that you can cross the ocean at 2000 miles per hour; that you can see individual atoms; that you could speak to anyone nearly anywhere on a device weighing a few ounces, and that a new theory called quantum mechanics would explain in new ways our existing universe, you would be pronounced clearly mad by the nineteenth century physicist.

Educators were in the same mode as the physicists. It is fair to say that educators in the 1890’s could not have foreseen the use of technology, the application of the factory model, the increasing body of knowledge and its complexity, the needs of society for education and

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the social implications of the educated and uneducated. Even the most informed educators standing on the threshold of the twentieth century had no idea of what was to come.

In the same way as we stand entrenched in our current model of education at the beginning of the 21st century, we struggle to identify what is needed for the next generation of learners. There are clues to what the future might hold. One of the most vexing problems has been rooted in what has been ubiquitously described as an achievement gap.

Achievement gap refers to the observed, persistent disparity of educational measures between the performance of groups of students, especially groups defined by socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity and gender. The achievement gap can be observed on a variety of measures, including standardized test scores, grade point average, dropout rates, and college enrollment and completion rates. While this background paper focuses on the achievement gap in the United States, the gap in achievement between lower income students and higher income students exists in all nations [1] and it has been studied extensively in the U.S. and other countries, including the U.K.[2] Various other gaps between groups exist across the globe as well.

The achievement gap, as noted in the trend data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, has become a focal point of education reform efforts. Groups like The Education Trust, Democrats for Education Reform and the Education Equality Project have made it their mission to close the achievement gap. Efforts to combat the gap have been numerous but fragmented, and have ranged from affirmative action and multicultural education to finance equalization, improving teacher quality, and school testing and accountability programs to create equal educational opportunities. To date, no widespread success has been noted and no sustainable set of results have been achieved. In fact if anything, data seems to indicate slippage in this endeavor over the past thirty years.

The purpose of this white paper is threefold: the first is to review relevant research and observations that may hold insight and promise for the closing of this gap and the second is to share insights of a case study that occurred in one small urban community in regard to closing this gap. Finally a look at the implications of the work needed in the immediate future to move relentlessly forward toward the goal of closing the performance gap.

Bruce Connolly and Richard Schenkus

Selected Research Vignettes and Resources

1) Recent research reveals that most Americans consider school districts mainly as administrative units, with superintendents and principals as the managers who

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open the buildings and staff them with teachers. Many believe that if particular schools or districts are better than others are, it is mainly because the better ones attract “higher-‐quality families.” When it comes to producing learning, they believe that teachers differ mainly in how much they care about their students. According to this common perspective, students in some classrooms learn more mainly because their teachers care more, their parents demand more, and the students work harder. Under this scenario, school system administrators are relatively powerless to affect achievement levels or disparities. SEVEN STRATEGIC PROPOSITIONS FROM RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: The on-‐the-‐ground strategies the educators at the conference described had much in common with the research-‐based frameworks researchers at the conference promoted. All asserted the following as key aspects of effective change strategies. 1. Leadership that Combines Passion with Competence. Superintendents,

principals, other administrators, and even lead teachers effectively cultivate not only a sense of urgency but also a sense of possibility, built on demonstrated expertise among people in key positions and their commitment to continuous improvement.

2. Clear, Shared Conceptions of Effective Instruction. The district identifies key ideas concerning effective instructional and supervisory practice, and works to establish them as a “common language” for approaching instructional improvement.

3. Streamlined and Coherent Curriculum. The district purposefully selects curriculum materials and places some restrictions on school and teacher autonomy in curriculum decisions. The district also provides tools (including technology) and professional development to support classroom-‐level delivery of specific curricula.

4. Organizational Structures and Personnel that Embody Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults. The district maintains routines and structures within which adult educators (sometimes consultants) engage teachers and administrators in continuous improvement of instructional and supervisory practices. Coaching, observing, and sharing make it difficult for individuals to avoid the change process, and the push for adaptive change spurs resisters to leave their comfort zones or eventually depart from the district.

5. Patient but Tough Accountability. The district develops tools and routines for monitoring teaching practices and learning outcomes, targeting assistance where needed, and sometimes replacing teachers or administrators who fail to improve.

6. Data-‐Driven Decision Making and Transparency. Teachers and administrators analyze student performance for individuals and summarize data by grade level, special education status, English as a second language status, race/ethnicity, and gender. The district publicizes strategic goals for raising achievement levels and reducing gaps, and tracks progress in visible ways. Administrators identify, examine, and often emulate practices from successful schools.

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7. Community Involvement and Resources. The district engages a range of stakeholders, including school board members, local businesses, and parents, to do their part toward achieving well-‐formulated strategic goals.

2. First Things First includes four core strategies:

• Assigning students to small learning communities that stay together from year to year within each school;

• providing every student with an on-‐site adult advocate who works with that

student the entire time he or she attends a school;

• using a common set of instructional goals to guide all the work in every

classroom every day; and

• ensuring the rigor of both pedagogy and academic content in classrooms.

3. The gap in achievement that separates economically disadvantaged students and students of color from less disadvantaged students has been the focus of discussion, research and controversy for nearly 40 years. While the gap narrowed considerably through the late 1980s, particularly between blacks and whites, progress since then has been marginal — and below-‐par achievement of minority students remains one of the most pressing problems in education.

Today, the average black or Hispanic high school student currently achieves at about the same level as the average white student in the lowest quartile of white achievement. Black and Hispanic students are much more likely than white students to fall behind in school and drop out, and much less likely to graduate from high school, acquire a college or advanced degree, or earn a middle-‐class living.

Research has identified a variety of factors that appear related to the achievement gap — students' racial and/or economic background, their parents' education level, their access to high-‐quality preschool instruction, school funding, peer influences, teachers' expectations, and curricular and instructional quality.

4. Achievement Gaps: How do State Standards, Assessments, and Curriculum Influence Achievement?-‐ Access related research titles from the ECS Research Studies Database. Links embedded in titles will take you to each study's major findings and recommendations.... 5. Predictors of Postsecondary Success -‐ Intended to help policymakers and educators identify qualities that predict postsecondary success, this brief summarizes research on the subject from early childhood to high school. At the lower levels, predictors mostly related to leapfrogging to achievement at higher

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levels, for example kindergarten readiness predicting third-‐grade reading proficiency. At high school, there were numerous indicators and predictors reflecting a breadth of research. (Vanessa Hein, Becky Smerdon and Megan Sambolt, American Institutes for Research, November 2013)... 6. Poverty and Education: Finding the Way Forward -‐ Of the 35 richest countries, the United States has the second highest child poverty rate; first highest is Romania. Twenty-‐two percent of American children are living in poverty and while education has long been touted as the great equalizer, that is more myth than reality, write researchers who took a hard look at the relationship between poverty and educational outcomes. Fortunately the report ends with strategies for mitigating poverty’s influence on educational outcomes. (Richard J. Coley and Bruce Baker, ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education, July 2013)... 7. Uneven at the Start: Differences in State Track Records Foreshadow Challenges and Opportunities for Common Core -‐ Some states might be more successful in implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) than others. Using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the paper compares states' rates of improvement from 2003 to 2011 and their relative performance in 2011. Then they are rated overall and by how subgroups did on the NAEP. While states' past track records don't necessarily predict the future, the author writes that they might foreshadow challenges and strengths. (Natasha Ushomirski, Education Trust, July 2013)... 8. Road to Equity: Expanding AP Access and Success for African-‐American Students -‐ Of 75 school districts whose demographics make them eligible for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, only six have student populations in which African-‐American students were improving their passing rates for Advanced Placement (AP) exams while keeping participation levels steady: Cobb and Fulton counties, Ga., Garland Independent, Tex., Jefferson County, Ky., Orange county, Fla., and San Diego Unified, Ca. Garland was the only district increasing participation and pass rates for African-‐Americans and Hispanics at levels outpacing their white peers. This brief explores strategies used by all six, among them: cast a wider net for academic potential, impose a rigorous curriculum in elementary school, apply gifted strategies to all children, open AP to everyone, offer a broad array of support, and place a premium on teacher training. (Broad Prize for Urban Education, Summer 2013)... 9. Advancing Equity: Removing Roadblocks to Achieving High Academic Standards -‐ This issue of Educational Testing Service's Policy Notes provides highlights from the second "Saturdays at ETS" series on the challenges facing standards-‐based education reform. The conference was co-‐convened by the Council for Opportunity in Education, the Education Law Center and the National Urban League. (Educational Testing Service, July 2012) ... 10. Closing the Achievement Gap for Economically Disadvantaged Students? -‐

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Three key questions are addressed in this analysis: (1) has student achievement on math and language arts state-‐administered assessments improved significantly since NCLB, particularly for students from economically disadvantaged families? (2) Has the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students closed since NCLB implementation? (3) Are state trends in student achievement on state assessments confirmed by achievement trends on NAEP assessments? (CCSSO, April 2011)... 11. Not Prepared for Class: High Poverty Schools Continue to Have Fewer In-‐Field Teachers -‐ Nearly a decade after federal law was enacted to ensure that low-‐income students and students of color had a fair shot at being assigned to strong teachers, students in high-‐poverty schools are still disproportionately taught by out-‐of-‐field and rookie teachers. Abundant research has concluded that among schoolhouse variables, teacher quality has the single most significant impact on student academic gains. (Sarah Almy and Christina Theokas, The Education Trust, November 2010)... 12. The Black-‐White Achievement Gap: When Progress Stopped -‐ This report traces the Black-‐White educational achievement and attainment gaps back to the early 20th century and presents a variety of data in an effort to understand why the gaps stopped closing over the last several decades. Barton and Coley conclude that we have spun a wide and sticky web of conditions that are holding back progress in closing the achievement gap. Getting over just one strand of that web will not allow an escape from it. It will be necessary to move forward with all deliberate thought, care and speed. (Paul Barton and Richard Coley, Educational Testing Service, August 2010)... 13. A Call to Action to Raise Achievement for African American Students -‐ The first part of this brief summarizes key results for African Americans on the state tests used for accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act. The second part of the brief considers policies that could be undertaken at the local, state and federal level to raise achievement for African American students. The authors arrived at these policy implications after reviewing studies by other researchers about possible factors underlying the black-‐white achievement gap and possible strategies to address the gap. (Center on Education Policy, June 2010)...

13. Progress of Education Reform: Hispanic Achievement PDF -‐ This issue of The Progress of Education Reform summarizes several recent studies and analyses that shed new light on the dimensions, causes, and social and economic consequences of Hispanic underachievement. (Suzanne Weiss, The Progress of Education Reform, vol. 5, no. 3, Education Commission of the States, August 2004)... 14. The Progress of Education Reform: Closing the Achievement Gap PDF -‐ This issue of The Progress of Education Reform provides summaries of the latest research on the causes, dimensions and effects of the achievement gap, along with

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links to other sources of information. (Suzanne Weiss, The Progress of Education Reform, vol. 4, no. 1, Education Commission of the States, March 2003)... 15. State Test Score Trends through 2008-‐09, Part 2: Slow and Uneven Progress in Narrowing Gaps -‐ After eight years of implementing the No Child Left Behind Act and other school reforms, how much progress have states, school districts and schools made in lifting achievement for students from all backgrounds and closing achievement gaps? The authors of this study felt four main conclusions emerged from this study: (1) Achievement gaps are large and persistent; (2) every major student group has made gains in math and reading tests but gaps have not always narrowed; (3) gaps on student tests have often narrowed since 2002. Gap trends vary based on student group and indicator of achievement examined; (4) at the current rates of progress it would take many years to close most gaps. (Center on Education Policy, December 2010) ... 16. Gauging the Gaps: A Deeper Look at Student Achievement -‐ Using state-‐level NAEP data, this brief illustrates the pitfalls in one-‐dimensional appraisals of achievement gaps. Analyzing the gaps from four perspectives is essential to gain a comprehensive, accurate picture of equity. (Anna Rowan, Daria Hall and Kati Haycock, The Education Trust, January 2010)... 17. Lost Opportunity: A 50 State Report on the Opportunity to Learn in America-‐-‐National Summary Report -‐ Analysis of state-‐collected education data reveals that 84% of states fail to provide students access to a moderately proficient public education system. The study analyzed student performance data reported by state departments of education to determine both the quality of and access to instruction provided across the United States. The results clearly show minority and low-‐income students have only half the opportunity to learn in our public schools as their White non-‐Latino peers. (Schott Foundation for Public Education, May 2009)... 18. Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools -‐ Many discussions have been held on the causes of the achievement gap and on what the nation should do to address it. We know there are four distinct achievement gaps: (1) Between the U.S. and other countries; (2) between white, black and Latino students; (3) between students in different income levels; and (4) between similar students schooled in different systems or regions. This report shines the spotlight on the economic impact of the achievement gap. The authors point out that the persistence of these educational achievement gaps imposes on the country the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession. (McKinsey and Company, April 2009)... 19. Getting it Done: Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps in Whole School Systems: Recent Advances in Research and Practice -‐ 2008 conference report. (Harvard University, 2009)... 20. High Schools for Equity -‐ At a time when the achievement gap in California is

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large and appears unchanging, some high schools are beating the odds. This paper documents the practices and outcomes of five urban high schools in California that do an extraordinary job of preparing their students for success in higher education, productive careers and a fulfilling life. The schools -‐-‐ both district run and charters -‐-‐ serve populations that are predominantly low-‐income students of color in California’s largest cities. This study focuses on policy conditions and supports that help to create and sustain these and other successful urban schools. (The School Redesign Network, November 2007)... 21. How Far Behind in Math and Reading are English Language Learners? -‐ Based on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress, this report compares standardized test scores of English language learner (ELL) students with white, black and Hispanic students. The data suggests ELL students are among the farthest behind in standardized testing, with about 51% of 8th grade ELL students behind whites in reading and math. Other data show significant gaps between ELL 4th graders and their white peers, and smaller, but considerable gaps compared to black and Hispanics students. The report also examines characteristics of limited English speaking students of different grade levels. (Richard Fry, Pew Hispanic Center, June 2007)... 22. Beating the Odds: An Analysis of Student Performance and Achievement Gaps on State Assessments -‐ Results from the 2005-‐2006 School Year -‐ The seventh edition of this report shows that major urban districts continue to make important gains in math and reading scores on state assessments and may be narrowing achievement gaps. The report also looks at the lowest academic performance levels and at demographic data. (Council of Great City Schools, April 2007) ... 23. Charter High Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap -‐ Closing the achievement gap between low-‐income, minority, and special needs students and their peers is a high priority for the nation’s schools. This study examines eight charter secondary schools that are having success toward that end. It looks at similarities between the schools and details their expectations such as a rigorous curriculum, college prep, personal accountability and mastery of subjects. (WestEd, U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, October 2006) ... 24. Closing the Achievement Gap Series: Part II Response to Intervention (RTI) Basic Elements, Practical Applications, and Policy Recommendations -‐ Response to Intervention (RTI) refers to an integrated, school wide method of service delivery across general and special education that promotes successful school outcomes for all students. This brief provides a broad overview of RTI, beginning with a discussion of the impetus behind RTI, which stems from flaws in the current special education system and specifically in the ability-‐achievement model for identifying learning disabilities. Next, the authors describe the principal components of RTI and highlight several model RTI programs around the country

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and provide policy recommendations for the implementation of RTI in Indiana. (Rebecca S. Martínez, Leah M. Nellis, and Kelly A. Prendergast, Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Fall 2006) ... 25. Yes We Can: Telling Truths and Dispelling Myths about Race and Education in America -‐ This report soundly rejects the myth that low academic achievement is inevitable among children of color and students from low-‐income families and provides examples of high-‐minority and high-‐poverty schools where children perform at high levels. (The Education Trust, September 2006) ... 26. Reforms That Could Help Narrow the Achievement Gap -‐ Policymakers almost universally conclude that persistent achievement gaps must result from wrongly designed school policies – either expectations that are too low, teachers who are insufficiently qualified, curricula that are badly designed, classes that are too large, school climates that are too undisciplined, leadership that is too unfocused or a combination of these. This report argues that an exclusive focus on schooling is wrong, and that without complementary investments in early childhood preparation, health care, housing, after-‐school and summer programs and other social and economic supports, the achievement gap will never be closed. (Richard Rothstein, WestEd, 2006) ... 27. Achievement Gaps and Correlates of Early Mathematics Achievement: Evidence from the ECLS K–First Grade Sample -‐ In light of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, this 2005 study estimates mathematics achievement gaps in different subgroups of kindergartners and first graders, and identifies child and school-‐level correlates and moderators of early mathematics achievement. This is the latest volume of Education Policy Analysis Archives published by the University of South Florida’s College of Education. The study found significant mathematics achievement gaps in Hispanics, African Americans and high-‐poverty students at the end of kindergarten. At the end of grade 1, mathematics gaps were significant in African-‐American, high-‐poverty, and female subgroups, but not in Hispanics. (Madhabi Chatterji, College of Education, University of South Florida, 2005)... 28. Examining Gaps in Mathematics Achievement Among Racial-‐Ethnic Groups, 1972-‐1992 -‐ This report examines several nationally representative senior high school student cohorts between the early 1970s and early 1990s to understand trends in mathematics scores among black, Latino and white students. Main research questions addressed include: (1) test score changes of blacks, Latinos and whites between the early 1970s and early 1990s; (2) changes in selected family and school measures; (3) the extent to which changes in these measures associated with convergence of the black-‐white and Latino-‐white test score gaps occurring during this period; and (4) the policy implications arising from the empirical analysis. A summary of the report also is available. (Mark Berends, Samuel R. Lucas, Thomas Sullivan and R.J. Briggs, RAND, June 2005)... 29. Names, Expectations and the Black-‐White Test Score Gap -‐ This paper

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examines the role of teacher expectations in affecting the black-‐white test score gap, investigating whether teachers treat children differently on the basis of factors other than observed ability – specifically student names -‐ and whether this differential treatment translates into differences in student outcomes. The author finds that students with names having attributes of lower socioeconomic status score lower on standardized tests, even when compared to siblings whose names have fewer indicators. This outcome negatively affects black children more frequently, as they tend to have names with more attributes associated with lower socioeconomic status. The author makes a comparison to Asian children, finding that students with identifiable Asian names tend to face higher teacher expectations and also tended to score higher on examinations. (David N. Figlio, University of Florida and the National Bureau of Economic Research, March 2005)... 30. All Students Reaching the Top: Strategies for Closing Academic Achievement Gaps -‐ Documenting the achievement gap in the United States, the authors maintain that the gap is due not to hereditary traits or unchangeable aptitudes but a lack of development of individual students’ ability. This report proposes closing the gap through relationship building, high-‐quality teaching and instruction, and environmental supports. The authors provide information on the research base supporting this approach, as well as specific activities to be conducted at the classroom, school and community level to bring about these changes. Recommendations for the national, state and local level also are offered. (Albert Bennett, Beatrice L. Bridglall, Ana Mari Cauce, Howard T. Everson, Edmund W. Gordon, Carol D. Lee, Rodolfo Mendoza-‐Denton, Joseph S. Renzulli and Judy K. Stewart, Learning Point Associates, 2004)... 31. Beating the Odds IV: A City-‐by-‐City Analysis of Student Performance and Achievement Gap on State Assessments -‐ The fourth in a series, this report provides the results on reading and math assessments in the 2002-‐03 academic year for students in the 61-‐member urban districts of the Council of the Great City Schools. It provides student demographic and staffing data for every district, compares district data and results with those of their respective state overall, and disaggregates scores by race, income, English proficiency and disability. The results indicate that, while the districts reported on are still scoring as a group below state and national averages in math and reading, they are both raising student performance levels in these subject areas and narrowing achievement gaps. An executive summary and summary tables are also available, as well as profiles for all 61-‐member cities. (Michael Casserly, data collection by Sharon Lewis, Janice Ceperich and Jack Jepson, Council of the Great City Schools, March 2004)... 32. Closing the Gap: High Achievement for Students of Color -‐ This four-‐page brief summarizes the research on causes of the achievement gap and provides examples of successful programs—all offering “a demanding curriculum and a strong social support system”—that are closing the gap at the elementary, middle, high school and postsecondary levels. Graphics on the National Assessment of

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Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores for grades 4 and 8 from 1994 to 2002 indicate gains have been made in narrowing the achievement gap, but also that more work remains to be done. (American Educational Research Association, Research Points, Fall 2004)... 33. Closing the Racial Achievement Gap: The Role of Reforming Instructional Practices -‐ This study applies the technique of Hierarchical Linear Modeling to a nationally representative sample of 13,000 fourth graders who took the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress in mathematics to identify instructional practices that reduce the achievement gap. The author concludes that instructional practices can affect within-‐school gaps but not between-‐school gaps and that the practices that make the most difference are in specific topic areas, such as instruction on measurement and working with data. (Harold Wenglinsky, Education Policy Analysis Archives, November 2004)... 34. Parsing the Achievement Gap: Baselines for Tracking Progress -‐ Gaps in school achievement among racial and ethnic groups and between low-‐income and higher-‐income students are well documented. This publication examines the conditions that help create and perpetuate these gaps and identifies 14 factors that correlate to student achievement. "Before and Beyond School" factors include: birth weight, lead poisoning, hunger and nutrition, reading to young children, television watching, parent availability, student mobility and parent participation. "In School" factors include: rigor of curriculum, teacher experience and attendance, teacher preparation, class size, technology-‐assisted instruction and school safety. Statistical data indicated that children's experience with each factor differed based on race/ethnicity and income. A larger purpose of this framework is to encourage a periodic assessment of progress in closing gaps on each factor between student groups. (Paul E. Barton, Educational Testing Service, October 2003)... 35. The 1998 High School Transcript Study Tabulations: Comparative Data on Credits Earned and Demographics for 1998, 1994, 1990, 1987, and 1982 High School Graduates -‐ Examining transcripts from students in both public and nonpublic schools, the researchers note trends in high school course taking from 1982 to 1998, as well as the correlation between NAEP proficiency estimates and student coursework in specific subject areas, grade point average, days absent in each grade 9-‐12 and overall and class size. Transcript data are broken out by gender, race/ethnicity, student program (academic, vocational, both or neither), community type, public vs. nonpublic and census region) Northeast, South, Midwest, West). According to the report, differences in course taking among racial/ethnic groups in 1998, while still present, were not as pronounced as in 1994. (Stephen Roey, Nancy Caldwell, Keith Rust, Eyal Blumstein, Tom Krenzke, Stan Legum, Judy Kuhn, Mark Waksberg, Westat, Jacqueline Haynes, National Center for Education Statistics, May 2001)... 36. Middle School Practices Improve Student Achievement in High Poverty Schools -‐ The purpose of this study is to establish a relationship between team and

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classroom practices and student achievement as measured by standardized test scores. The authors find that income level of student families is the predominant influence on student achievement, but that schools can ameliorate this through several combined factors: (1) implementation of interdisciplinary teaming and common planning time; (2) higher levels of team and classroom practices; and (3) sustained engagement in teaming by teachers. (Steven B. Mertens and Nancy Flowers, Middle School Journal, September 2003)... 37. Addressing Racial Disparities in High-‐Achieving Suburban Schools -‐ This report addresses racial and ethnic achievement differences in high-‐performing suburban school districts. Based on the findings, the author suggests four recommendations for schools, communities, and state and federal policymakers: (1) assume no motivational differences, (2) address specific skill deficits, (3) supply ample encouragement routinely, and (4) provide access to resources and learning experiences. (Ronald F. Ferguson, NCREL, December 2002)... 38. Beating the Odds II: A City-‐by-‐City Analysis of the Student Performance and Achievement Gaps on State Assessments -‐ This report, the second in a series, presents achievement data on 55 urban school systems in 35 states. It finds that progress is being made in some school systems, but faults districts for inconsistent tracking of achievement by race, language, gender and income. (Council of the Great City Schools, June 2002)... 39. Bridging the Achievement Gap -‐ This new book brings together the findings of renowned education scholars who show how various states, school districts and individual schools have lifted the achievement levels of poor and minority students. The most promising strategies include focusing on core academic skills, reducing class size, enrolling students in more challenging courses, administering annual achievement assessment tests, creating schools with a culture of competition and success, and offering vouchers in big-‐city school districts. (John E. Chubb and Tom Loveless, eds., Brookings Institution Press, 2002)... 40. Foundations for Success: Case Studies of How Urban School Systems Improve Student Achievement -‐ This study examines four districts — Houston, Charlotte-‐Mecklenburg, Sacramento and the Chancellor’s District in New York City — for answers to the question: How did they manage to raise student achievement, given the challenges all urban districts face? The researchers identify prerequisites for change, as well as common strategies the four districts used to raise student performance. The report also analyzes the preconditions and strategies of comparison districts that did not see improved student achievement over the same period of time. Links to the full report and other resources are also available from this page. (Jason Snipes, Fred Doolittle and Corinne Harley, MDRC, September 2002)... 44. One School District's Plan for Closing the Achievement Gap MS

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Word PDF -‐ The Cherry Creek School District in suburban Denver, Colorado, is implementing a five-‐point strategy to boost the achievement of the district's black and Hispanic students. The strategy focuses on raising academic achievement expectations, creating extended-‐learning opportunities for students, providing opportunity for academic acceleration and meeting the needs of diverse learners, increasing staff development and support, and providing support to students and families. (Cherry Creek School District, 2002)... 45. States Address Achievement Gaps MS Word -‐ This "Stateline" article provides a snapshot of what some states are doing to maximize the abilities of all children and close the achievement gap. (Kathy Christie, Phi Delta Kappan, October 2002. Reprinted with permission.)...

Case Study

A case study is a descriptive, exploratory or explanatory analysis of a person, group or event. An explanatory case study is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. Case studies may be retrospective and in this case study, Brown Deer School District was selected because of the authors’ familiarity with the institution. These ideas represent the views and opinions of the authors only and are not to be considered an official document of the school district.

Thomas offers the following definition of case study: "Case studies are analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more methods. The case that is the subject of the inquiry will be an instance of a class of phenomena that provides an analytical frame — an object— within which the study is conducted and which the case illuminates and explicates." According to J. Creswell, data collection in a case study occurs over a "sustained period of time."

For the purposes of this paper, a retrospective case study of the experiences of the Brown Deer

School District in Brown Deer Wisconsin has been provided to assist the reader in exploring some of

the underlying principles and strategies utilized in closing an existent achievement gap over a

period of four years from 2003-‐2007. To the author’s best knowledge, no other district has had

these types of results over a sustained period of years with the level of results achieved by the

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lower performing group improving more than the higher performing group while the higher

performing group continued to improve.

There are four ways to close an achievement gap: 1) The lower performing group improves more

than the higher performing group improves (the best way); 2) The lower performing group

performance improves while the higher performing group remains unchanged; 3) The lower

performing group improves performance while the higher performing group declines; 4) The lower

performing group remains unchanged while the higher performing group declines and 5) The lower

performing group declines less than the higher performing group declines. In this case study, the

Brown Deer School District’s African American students (lower performing group) improved more

than the higher performing students (all others) who also showed significant improved test scores.

Following the narrative of the case is an example of the type of findings related to closing the

achievement gap in the district. Similar data showed similar results for a four year period.

Brown Deer is a first tier suburban district that consisted of one high school, one middle school and

two elementary schools. It was adjacent to the City of Milwaukee on three borders and the other

border was contingent to Mequon-‐ Thiensville on the north. Its’ student population varied from

1600 to 3500 since its inception in 1959. It was a 2.2 square mile district that lost property and

schools when a State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Milwaukee in annexing nearly 75% of the

district land and incorporating it into an expanding Milwaukee in the mid-‐ sixties. At the time of the

study, approximately 1800 students were enrolled including approximately 100 Chapter 220

students. Brown Deer was the first school district to achieve the desegregation goal ordered by the

courts in the seventies and was an active participant in the leadership of the desegregation effort

under Supt. Ken Moe and the Board of Education. Enrollment trends moved rapidly from a 90%

plus white student body in the sixties to a minority-‐majority school district in 2007. Brown Deer

was the second most racially diverse school district in the state of Wisconsin second only to the

Milwaukee Public Schools. Brown Deer is governed by an elected Board of Education and is guided

by a fairly normal administrative complement which includes a superintendent, curriculum and

instructor director, special education director and building principals. Class size ratios were

consistent within the period of time and the FTE per student averaged about 13.5 to 1. Special

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services were provided through a cooperative venture with the North Shore Cooperative and CESA

#1. Facilities were all in mid to end life status having been built in the late fifties through early

seventies. SES was middle to lower middle class with the average household income in the mid-‐

thirties. Free and reduced lunch participation was __% and in out migration ranged from 20 to 25%

in the period of the case study. Professional staffs by benchmarks were paid in the top 5% in the

state and benefits ranked in the top 1% in the state rankings. Nearly 63% of the staff held higher

education degrees and the staff was marked by gradual attrition due to the retirements occurring

from a large hiring period during a growth period that occurred in the seventies with those teachers

now reaching or nearing retirement age. Turnover was minimal amounting to less than 5% per

annum.

Professional development was characterized as highly important and a minimum of 3 days per year

was provided for full staff training. Additionally, all teachers were given one day per annum that

they could choose to engage in a professional development activity (attendance at workshop etc.)

of their choice. Brown Deer hosted annually national conferences on topics of interest to the

district and supported by initiatives and invited other districts to participate on a fee basis. Grants

were received in this period to support innovative and professional learning experiences. With the

support of Robert Marzano and Skip Kendall from MCREL in Aurora, Colorado, Brown Deer

implemented a new curriculum and outcome based approach that targeted learning outcomes that

aligned with the standards of the State of Wisconsin that were established during this period of

time. Brown Deer entrepreneurially made these available to other school districts that adopted

them and implemented them in a three year period. Over 48 districts in the state were utilizing the

Brown Deer developed standards during the time of this case study. The revenue from these sales

was re-‐invested in teacher development opportunities. Multiple grants were received during this

time to support the ongoing learning activities of adults in the school district.

Several specific initiatives were launched with a focus on learning in the district. A new process

called breakthrough performance was adopted. It was based on the work of Ellen Gaucher, author

of Breakthrough Performance: Accelerating the Transformation of Health Care Organizations and

was taken from a medical model in which they looked at key measurements and focused on

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improving them, not incrementally but with significant change that would allow one to see and say

they had made a “breakthrough” in performance improvement. In addition to this a system wide

Balanced Scorecard approach was adopted. This was supported by workshops and teams from

Michigan State University and the Orion Development. This effort was led by Rick Osterhaus,

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Some of the funds for this were provided

by Badger Meter, a local Brown Deer company keenly interested in community and children.

Another major trend within the district was a model that allowed for multi-‐grade options and

looping practices to be implemented. This practice was in place and ultimately impacted the

outcomes nearly five and six years later as students progressed through the traditional grade levels

but with some different support structures in place. A core group of dedicated teachers researched

and implemented a strategy that allowed parents and children to be immersed in a learning

environment that was not grade, age or ability based. Students and parents could select with the

district elementary program a traditional classroom defined as a new teacher each year and a

progression through a spiral curriculum where students in early grades moved together as a cohort

and the content and pace of instruction were not based on individuals but rather how the cohort

was progressing. The alternative choice for parents and learners was to be immersed in a learning

experience that was personalized or individualized by a team of teachers who worked with students

of multiple age ranges for a period of 2-‐3 years without the usual transition of teachers and

students occurring every nine months. Instruction and grouping were based on individual need;

diagnostics and testing were adjusted to meet learner progression, parental involvement and

student choice were all key elements of this instructional format.

This type of programming was popular with parents and during a six year period approximately 50

to 60% of students chose this option. It expanded into the middle school where the organizational

structure of traditional middle school was modified so students stayed in a “house” or cluster of

students with the same team of teachers for longer periods ( in this case for two years) where

teachers followed the students upward through the designated grade levels. Teachers knew

students and families better and gained significantly in time on task and learning as adjustments to

routine and expectations as well as discipline were converted to engage learning time. The

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foundations for success may be attributed to some of the vision, planning and courage

demonstrated by teacher leaders nearly six years prior.

A third element in this structure was euphemistically referred to as the “Brown Deer Way”. With an

in out migration rate hovering around 22% during this period, significant influx and outflow of

students was occurring. Professional staff and administration recognized this as an issue or

obstacle to student learning. How does one address student needs when they arrive in district

approximately 12 to 18 months behind in learning as compared to their counter parts who have

been in district for three to four years and benefitting from the structure and instruction of the

school district? With collaboration and a set of strategies was developed by teams of reading

specialists and district staff to accelerate the learning of new entrants to the system. Data tracking

allowed the district to determine progress toward grade level goals in reading and math and the

general outcomes found that students who were exposed to the “Brown Deer Way” generally

gained grade level proficiency within 18 months of arrival.

The “Brown Deer Way” was a very simple conceptualization. It was characterized by three simple

catch phrases: “Be Safe. Be Kind. Do Your Job.” These simplistic rules undergirded the work and

focus of the learners. Embedded within those words were a number of other goals. The first was

attendance. Brown Deer had a 97% teacher attendance rating and over the years a 93 to 95%

students attendance record. The district believed if you attended school regularly you could and

would achieve. The second was the positive expectation that all children can learn and be

successful. The district focused on successes and held the mantra that “you can do this” and “you

will be successful” if you are willing to invest and work. The third was the involvement of parents.

While attendance at parent conferences was always in the high 80th percentile and low 90th

percentile, teachers employed multiple ways of communicating success and support needs with

parents. Finally, changing the mindset from fixed ability to a growth mindset was key to the climate

and culture issues in the district. Understanding the business the district wanted to be in was a

“growth industry” as measured by a student’s increased growth, not by where he/she was currently

on any skills continuum, was essential to increased learning.

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A final factor in influencing the improvement of achievement and closing of the gap was the adoption of a growth and evaluation process for professional educators within the district. The district had the opportunity to work with Charlotte Danielson in the spring of 1995. Through our affiliation with WASCD and ASCD, the author had the opportunity to work with Ms. Danielson in the development of the galley proofs prior to the publication of Enhancing Professional Practice: Frameworks for Teaching in 1996. Brown Deer implemented this model and trained trainers and staff over the next three years as a step model. Teachers and principals were trained and practiced as they learned new skills and ideas. The district guaranteed “inter-‐rater reliability” through this training processes and trained coaches to work with staff in a support role. Data was collected and analyzed and used to drive instructional improvement through targeted in-‐service and specific strategies to meet the needs of students and increase learning opportunities. This consistent approach and focused training for all staff created a common language of instruction and strategy for learning that enabled a more empowered approach to learning outcomes and goals.

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Gleanings and Separating the Wheat from the Chaff Gleaning is an old agriculture term most associated with gathering the wheat after the harvest. In modern terms it refers to extracting information and data from various sources. It is most typically associated with separating the wheat from the chaff, in other words choosing what is of high quality from that which is of lower quality.

There have been over 150 studies in the literature base around the idea of closing achievement gaps on many variables and at many different times and with varied groups. In the review of that literature, it appears that there is not one single magic bullet approach that has been able to be sustained. Unfortunately, those with the most promising results have not been replicated or sustained over a period exceeding four years.

It is the authors opinion and fervent hope that the distillation of our first hand experiences will provide a foundation for future strategists and planners to design effective and student center approaches that engage the learner and provides the climate and culture for the learner to take responsibility for knowing how he/she learns best and then create the personalized environment that allows the learner to leverage the system to the best possible outcome for that individual.

The following represents our considered opinion of what represents the best possible elements of solutions to this vexing and perplexing problem faced by America’s public education system. These constructs are not presented as a perfect complete solution but rather as a compendium of critical factors that must be considered in addressing the issue of the national achievement gap.

Key Elements Critical to Closing the Achievement Gap (Synopsis) ! Leadership: As with most everything in educational improvement schema, leadership is a key

and critical element. It starts with a sense of purpose and urgency provided by key leaders which include teachers, parents, community, administration, board of education and students who demand opportunities for engagement and voice. A focus on what is important and what is not, what produces desired results, and delivered through the best research based practices is essential. Leveraging the talent of both adults and learners in the system needs to become the practice in which efforts are made to enculturate a growth not fixed mind set of intelligence and learning. Providing professional development and collaboration opportunities are necessary to build the capacity of everyone to grow.

! Effective Instruction: Our experience with the development of a common language and relatively universal agreement around what effective instruction looked like and how it could be measured to provide feedback for a continuous improvement model. Training as we did in a model such as Crucial Conversations, allowed for the give and take necessary to allow the development of conversations and the ultimate development of strategies designed to help all learners achieve.

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! Accountability: Measurement and assessment strategies become integral and integrated into the daily life and routine of the school. A focus developed on where the learner was and the design of program and instruction to help them move to where they needed to be. This incremental growth model coupled with the breakthrough performance concepts helped accelerate learning achievement.

! Expectations: A clear message of” this is doable and you can do it” and “this is important” was designed to permeate the organization from top to bottom. It was expected that each student and staff member was invested in and owned their own learning. While not a “no excuses” approach, it centered on adult advocacy in a way where everyone knew what their job was and that they were expected to do it.

! Data Driven Decision Making: This transparent process was used to drive all strategy and resource decision making approaches with the use of a Balanced Scorecard approach that staff was trained in.

! Opportunities to select the best Learning Cohorts: Students and parents were allowed choices to select learning options such as multi-‐age, looping and other customized options to expand and maximize learning opportunities.

American public education will continue to grapple with the challenges of closing the achievement gap. By clearly understanding what elements are effective when accurately implemented and focusing on those which have a positive learning impact, progress can be achieved.

It may also be a case of you can’t get here from there. The entrenched nature of the problems associated with American society (chronic poverty, crime, economic disparity etc.) and the acceptance of the myth that public education can solve these issues will be a daunting challenge to those engaged in changing the future of the future. Perhaps a new next generation model of schooling and learning will be required to provide the solution. This may ultimately be the key to lifting today’s students to becoming the better educated citizenry the country needs.

A non benign harbinger

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