Coalition of CA Black School Board Members

Schools that Serve African American Children Well: 

Schools that Serve African American Children Well Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D. Executive Director, National Center for Urban School Transformation California School Boards Association Conference Coalition of CA Black School Board Members November 27, 2007

Slide2: 

National Center for Urban School Transformation Dedicated to identifying, studying, and promoting the best practices of America’s highest achieving urban schools in a manner that supports urban districts in transforming teaching and learning http://edweb.sdsu.edu/ncust 3rd Annual Symposium: May 7th - 9th, 2008 in San Diego

Bottom Lines: 

Bottom Lines Substantial achievement gaps, rooted in issues of race and ethnicity, exist throughout California and our nation. Yet, substantial variation exists in the levels of academic success experienced by African American students in various schools and districts. There would be no racial achievement gap if all schools educated children of color to the level of quality provided in our best gap-closing schools.

Evidence of Gaps: 

Evidence of Gaps State and National Data

CA Academic Performance Index Scores(elementary schools): 

CA Academic Performance Index Scores (elementary schools)

Black and Latino 17-Year-Olds Read at Same Levels As White 13-Year-Olds: 

Black and Latino 17-Year-Olds Read at Same Levels As White 13-Year-Olds Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP 2004

Black and Latino 17-Year Olds Do Math at Same Levels As White 13-Year Olds: 

Black and Latino 17-Year Olds Do Math at Same Levels As White 13-Year Olds Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP 2004

Evidence of Variation in Results: 

Evidence of Variation in Results State, District, and School Data

Achievement Levels for Diverse Populations Vary Across States: 

Achievement Levels for Diverse Populations Vary Across States 8th grade Black students in MA read 1.5 grade levels higher than their counterparts in CA. 8th grade students meeting low-income criteria in 49 states have higher NAEP reading scores than their counterparts in CA. In math, 4th grade Black students in NJ, MA, TX, and VA perform more than a full grade level higher their counterparts in CA. Black 8th grade students in TX, OR, and CO scored higher than the overall average for 8th grade CA students on the NAEP mathematics test.

Slide10: 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2007 Trial Urban District Reading Assessment. There is a 21 point gap between Black 8th graders in Los Angeles and Boston (roughly equivalent to 2 years of learning)

NCUST 2008 Excellence in Urban Ed Award Minimum Criteria: 

NCUST 2008 Excellence in Urban Ed Award Minimum Criteria Urban school Majority low-income No selective admissions Exceeded state AYP criteria for past 2 years Proficiency rates higher than state average, top 10% of similar schools Small achievement gaps Low suspension/ expulsion rates High graduation rates High attendance rates No disproportionate enrollment in special programs Other evidence of student success

Gideons Elementary SchoolAtlanta, Georgia: 

Gideons Elementary School Atlanta, Georgia Enrollment: 550 96% African American 88% Low-Income 96% proficient in English/language arts 94% proficient in mathematics 48% EXCEED state standards in English

Cecil H. Parker Elementary Mount Vernon, New York: 

Cecil H. Parker Elementary Mount Vernon, New York Enrollment: 450 99% African American 73% Low-Income 91% proficient in reading 96% proficient in mathematics

Columbus Alternative High SchoolColumbus, OH: 

Columbus Alternative High School Columbus, OH Enrollment: 611 Grades 9-12 60% African American 59% low-income 97% proficient in reading 95% proficient in mathematics 82% proficient in science

What Would It Take?: 

What Would It Take? Lessons from Gap-Closing Schools

Truth 1:: 

Truth 1: It’s About Attitude

Leaders Believe: 

Leaders Believe In schools with better learning results for Black students, school leaders believe they can make a difference in the lives of all children. They envision a better future for students and they are clear about 1) how they need to change and 2) how the school needs to change in order to make the vision real.

Leaders Inspire Vision: 

Leaders Inspire Vision Leaders help people reconnect with their highest motivations for working with children of color. Leaders use the appeal of serving children well much more than fear of sanctions. They help stakeholders adopt a compelling vision of outstanding teaching and learning. Leaders do more than post a mission statement on a wall, they build a sense of mission in the lives of people who work in the school.

Leaders Are Goal-Driven: 

Leaders Are Goal-Driven In high-performing urban schools, leaders keep attention to key goals at the forefront of the daily life of their schools. Goals are not simply slogans; they are reasons for coming to work. Ambitious, multi-year goals are broken into small tasks that people perceive as actionable and attainable.

Leaders Challenge Disbelievers: 

Leaders Challenge Disbelievers Leaders use local data and data from similar schools to dispel myths about the academic limitations of Black children. Leaders take on disbelievers in a respectful, but forceful way. They refuse to allow others to shape the school culture in a negative manner.

Leaders Inspire Caring: 

Leaders Inspire Caring Schools that achieve better learning results for children of color have climates that help students know they are valued, respected, and loved. Leaders inspire their colleagues to create a culture in which students and families are sincerely valued. Leaders model efforts to value and respect colleagues, students, and families.

Leaders Create Environments in Which Educators Feel Valued: 

Leaders Create Environments in Which Educators Feel Valued Leaders foster powerful collaborations that make individuals feel supported and valued. Leaders understand the power of mutual respect. They create cultures in which trust is commonplace and people know they belong. Leaders build in people a sense of efficacy: a feeling that together, they can accomplish anything!

Truth 2:: 

Truth 2: It’s About Access

Successful Schools Teach Black Students More: 

Successful Schools Teach Black Students More In high-achieving schools, challenging academic content has become standard in every classroom at every grade. All students receive access to rigorous academic coursework. Often this means some courses have been eliminated or re-written. Content has been upgraded and students are being challenged to learn new skills. Leaders in successful urban schools eliminate pseudo-prerequisites to challenging content and they ensure that the real prerequisites are taught.

Leaders Inspire Pursuit of Goals: 

Leaders Inspire Pursuit of Goals In high-performing urban schools, leaders help students dream new futures. They help students know that educators care deeply about their personal success and well-being. They help students understand how decisions today impact goals tomorrow. Similarly, leaders help parents renew hope for their children’s future. They help parents understand the actions that must be taken to ensure children access to their goals.

Teachers Can’t Provide Access to Content They Don’t Know: 

Teachers Can’t Provide Access to Content They Don’t Know In schools with impressive results for Black students, administrators and teachers regularly engage in opportunities to deepen their knowledge of key academic content. Teachers acknowledge their need to learn and grow and they help construct opportunities to improve their mastery of content. Professional development is part of the culture of these schools. Professional development includes opportunities for learning, trying, receiving feedback, and trying again.

Depth is More Critical Than Breadth: 

Depth is More Critical Than Breadth Teachers in high-achieving urban schools do not teach everything; however, they teach the most important things exceptionally well. Faculties in high-achieving schools use data to identify and prioritize the key standards that must be taught exceptionally well.

Truth 3:: 

Truth 3: It’s About Assessment

If You Don’t Know It’s Been Learned, You Don’t Know It’s Been Taught: 

If You Don’t Know It’s Been Learned, You Don’t Know It’s Been Taught In high-achieving urban schools, educators use frequent interim assessments to gauge student progress toward learning key content. Great teachers see assessments more as starting blocks than finish lines. They use results to improve instruction immediately. Assessment information is mined for clues about how to improve student understanding of key learning objectives. Leaders display data that help educators understand how teaching can improve.

Professional Development is Directly Linked to Assessment Results: 

Professional Development is Directly Linked to Assessment Results In successful schools, assessment results help determine professional development needs. As professional development initiatives are implemented, assessment results are used to gauge the effectiveness of those efforts.

Truth 4:: 

Truth 4: It’s About Adaptation

Students Learn When They Are Taught In Ways That Help Them Learn: 

Students Learn When They Are Taught In Ways That Help Them Learn In high-achieving urban schools, educators are continuously learning how to adapt instruction in ways that help students learn well. Educators learn to instruct in ways that are responsive to the learning strengths, backgrounds, cultures, interests, and prior knowledge of students. Educators learn to instruct in ways that make learning exciting and fun.

Great Schools Have Great Safety Nets: 

Great Schools Have Great Safety Nets Strong schools have systems for promptly identifying students who are having difficulty learning key content. As well, they have systems for responding effectively. Intervention programs are evaluated regularly to ensure they are meeting student needs.

Leaders Create Environments in Which Parents Feel Valued: 

Leaders Create Environments in Which Parents Feel Valued Leaders create schools where parents know they are more than welcome; they are valued as part of a team focused on helping their children succeed in life. Parents know they are valued whether they help at school or not. Parents know what their children are expected to learn and they know how to support their child’s learning. The school finds multiple ways to celebrate the contributions of parents and build their capacity to help their children learn.

Truth 5:: 

Truth 5: It’s About Accountability

Leaders Monitor Progress: 

Leaders Monitor Progress In high-performing urban schools, leaders monitor both student performance and teacher instructional improvement regularly. Leaders spend significant time observing instruction. They know what progress is made and where attention is needed. Leaders analyze data in ways that allow them to assess the impact of programs, policies, and practices.

Leaders Make Every Minute Count: 

Leaders Make Every Minute Count In high-performing urban schools, leaders help ensure that instructional time is used wisely and distractions are minimized. Leaders help maximize coordination across disciplines so that academic skills are reinforced in powerful ways.

Leaders Celebrate Achievement: 

Leaders Celebrate Achievement Leaders use data about progress toward goals to celebrate big and small accomplishments. Leaders continuously remind people about the the ways in which their efforts will change lives. By acknowledging progress, they inspire commitment, which generates more progress, which leads to greater acknowledgement of effort, ad infinitum.

How NCUST Hopes to Help: 

How NCUST Hopes to Help Continue to identify and study high-performing urban schools and districts NCUST annual symposium Executive Instructional Leadership Program for CA Urban Districts Presentations to district leaders, principals, and teachers on high-performing urban schools School assistance visits to help principals and district leaders identify opportunities for improvement NCUST website