80 likes | 171 Views
School Level Factors Group Activity. Ettienne Godfrey EDUL 7793 Summer Term 2008 Dr. Gary Shouppe Class work 6/23/08. Achievement Gap. An achievement gap is the disparity between the educational performance of groups of students. Our students most affected are:
E N D
School Level Factors Group Activity Ettienne Godfrey EDUL 7793 Summer Term 2008 Dr. Gary Shouppe Class work 6/23/08
Achievement Gap • An achievement gap is the disparity between the educational performance of groups of students. • Our students most affected are: * students from a low socioeconomic status * students with limited parental involvement * minority students * students with disabilities
Short term consequences include: * failing grades * behavior concerns * lack of motivation * low self-esteem * low test scores * high retention rate Long term consequences include: * high drop-out rate * low college enrollment * limited skills for livable wage * juvenile delinquency Consequences
Barriers: 1. Segregation amongst classes; especially gifted classes 2. Staff attitude; the disparity that we exhibit towards our students; unintentional and intentional Solutions: 1. Change the method used for assigning students to classes. We must make a conscious effort to divide the teams and classes fairly. More students of color need to be tested for the gifted program. 2. Staff development focusing on diversity. Strategies that we can use in our classroom to help with diverse student populations. Barriers and Solutions
Collegiality and Professionalism • We have a shared responsibility as staff members to approach our work as professionals with a shared vision and goals within the context of “school climate” • All of our classes should represent the diversity of the school (i.e., ethnically, academically, socioeconomically) • Desegregate our classes to desegregate the achievement gap
Action Plan • Establish norms of conduct and behavior that encompass collegiality and professionalism. • Utilize teacher involvement to establish major policies and directives for the school. • Incorporate relevant professional staff development
Implementation • Establish teams involving: * Administration * Teachers * Parents * Professional support staff * Paraprofessionals * Targeted students
Measurement Tool • Collection of Data: * Conduct teacher, student, and parent surveys * Make notes throughout the year of what worked and did not work * Compare data from previous years * Peer observations