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School Practices that are Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Latino Students

School Practices that are Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Latino Students Christina Theokas & Marni Bromberg. ALAS Summit, October 17, 2013. The Education Trust. WHO WE ARE. WHAT WE DO.

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School Practices that are Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Latino Students

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  1. School Practices that are Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Latino Students Christina Theokas & Marni Bromberg ALAS Summit, October 17, 2013

  2. The Education Trust WHO WE ARE WHAT WE DO Research and Data Analysis: We analyze local, state, and national data to build a broader understanding of achievement and opportunity gaps and the actions needed to close them. We draw lessons from schools and districts that are dispelling the myth that that there is little schools can do to help students overcome the barriers of poverty and discrimination. Policy and Advocacy: We participate actively in national and state policy debates, bringing lessons learned from our research and data analyses to build the case for policies that advance equity and excellence. The Education Trust works for the high academic achievement of all students, pre-kindergarten through college. Our goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign far too many young people--especially those from low-income families or who are black, Latino, or American Indian--to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.

  3. Overview of Presentation • Examine national achievement trends to better understand where we’ve come from and where we need to go to move the needle on equity • Findings from Breaking the Glass Ceiling • Consider AP course-taking patterns nationally and school by school • Lessons from Finding America’s Missing AP/IB Students • Examine the practices of schools that are defying these national trends.

  4. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) help us understand the progress we’ve made as a country at the low- and high-ends of the achievement spectrum. 4th grade math will be used as an example; but trends are similar for 4th grade reading and 8th grade reading and math

  5. Progress at the low end: Over time, Latino-white gaps at the below basic level have been narrowing. NAEP, 4th Grade Math, Percent Below Basic, Public School Students, by Race

  6. We see the same trend for both low and higher-income Latino students. NAEP, 4th Grade Math, Percent Below Basic, public school students

  7. Progress for some at the high end: The Latino-white gap has grown at the advanced performance level. NAEP, 4th grade math, Percent Advanced, public school students, by race

  8. Widening race gaps at the advanced level have been pronounced among higher-income students. NAEP, 4th Grade Math, Percent Advanced, public school students

  9. Is advanced just too high of a benchmark? NAEP Framework, NCES

  10. These trends at “advanced” don’t mean progress is not occurring at the high-end of the spectrum. NAEP, 4th Grade Math, 10th/90thth Percentile, public school students

  11. Nor do they mean we have solved the problem at the low-end. In 4th and 8th grades, gaps at the 10th percentile are larger than gaps at the 90th percentile. NAEP, 4th Grade Math, 10th/90thth Percentile Range, public school students, by race

  12. Major Takeaways #1: Achievement gaps exist all along the achievement spectrum, i.e. they are not the product of uniformly high achievement among some groups vs. uniformly low achievement among others. #2: Advanced rates among white and higher-income students have been rising over time, whereas advanced rates among students of color and low-income students have been stagnating or rising at a much slower pace. #3: We’ve made some progress boosting the achievement of high-performing students of color and low-income students, but not enough for them to be equally represented at the most advanced level of performance.

  13. Yet, high rates of advanced performance are the norm at some schools with large Latino populations. What can we learn from them?

  14. Source: Virginia Department of Education Graham Road Elementary SchoolFalls Church, Virginia • 370 students in grades PK-6 • 64% Latino • 14% African American • 16% Asian • 80% Low Income • 54% English Language Learners Note: Data are for the 2008-09 school year

  15. Latino Students Exceeding Standards at Graham Road Elementary • Source: Virginia Department of Education

  16. English Language Learners Exceeding at Graham Road Elementary • Source: Virginia Department of Education

  17. Halle Hewetson Elementary SchoolLas Vegas, NV • 938students in grades PK – 5 • 87% Latino • 5% African American • 100% Low Income • 62% English Language • Learners • Note: Data are for 2011-2012 school year • Source: Nevada Department of Education

  18. Latino Students Exceeding Standards at Halle Hewetson Elementary • Source: Nevada Department of Education

  19. Exceeding Standards at Halle Hewetson Elementary • Nevada Department of Education

  20. DeQueen Elementary School DeQueen, AR • 572 students in grades 3-5 • 66% Latino • 29% White • 2% African American • 2% American Indian • 80% Low Income • 61% English Language • Learners Note: Enrollment data are for 2011-2012 school year. Source: Arkansas Department of Education

  21. Latino Students Exceeding Standards at DeQueen Elementary Source: Arkansas Department of Education

  22. English Language Learners Excel at DeQueen Elementary Source: Arkansas Department of Education

  23. Laurel Street Elementary Compton, CA • 497 students in grades K-5 • 16% African American • 78% Latino • 87% Low Income • 62% English Language • Learners Note: Enrollment data are for 2011-12 school year. Source: California Department of Education

  24. High Performance for all Students • at Laurel Street Elementary Source: California Department of Education

  25. Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary SchoolMiami-Dade, Florida • 511students in grades PK – 5 • 98% Latino • 87% Low Income • 57% English Language • Learners • Note: Data are for 2012-2013 school year. • Source: Florida Department of Education

  26. Getting Students to Advanced Levels in Math at Finlay Elementary • Source: Florida Department of Education

  27. So what are they doing?

  28. These are highly-functional schools, and they’re doing a lot of the same things we see in other effective schools: Clear/shared focus High standards/expectations Collaboration Aligned curriculum/assessments Careful monitoring

  29. But ramped up and amped up

  30. All students can learn becomes:All students will excel. • Principal at Graham Road: “There was all this talk about if you set goals too high, people won’t be able to reach them…maybe I did scare people away with high goals. But we had a very high expectation for students in the building. We had advanced in our minds to begin with.” • Teacher: “Good enough was never good enough. We really did consciously create this culture of striving. It’s about this self-concept: you are capable, you will have to work hard, and let’s get going. That’s all day, every day.” • Principal at Laurel Street: “Every kid has all the potential in the world regardless of where he’s coming from.”

  31. Strategy: Goals are set at the individual student level, with a focus on every single child. • No “bubble kids” approach • Principal at Halle Hewetson: “We would look at data- every child in every classroom- we’d have a personal discussion…We want to show one year’s growth or more at reading, gaining strength in language level at the same time.” • Principal at Laurel Street: “We start with each student…Based on the starting point, we set the goal at the proficient or advanced level.” • Principal at Graham Road: “The ‘blue’ kids were above grade level, but I would still say, what does he have to work on? Where do you see him being able to improve?”

  32. Students are empowered in their learning. • Principal at Graham Road: “If there’s another column on the data grid, it’s ‘When am I going to talk to the kids, and what am I going to tell them?’ I had to coach teachers on how to talk to the kids.” • Teacher (about a high-achieving student who started struggling): “There was not a particular intervention. I would get down right next to him and tell him to get it together, buddy. I definitely pushed him sometimes. I would do it again.” • Finlay: “We are educating children, giving them an opportunity to take control of their life and future. Sometimes I feel bad saying this to a 7, 8 year old, but this is their chance.”

  33. But, these schools also have some other commonalities.

  34. Strategy: Flexible grouping and regrouping. • Graham Road: “For reading, we’ve got a lot of talk about heterogeneous grouping, but homogeneous grouping worked for us. However, everyone was expected to make proficient or advanced.” • DeQueen: “We’ve got 20 Direct Instruction classes going at a time…Once students are given a group, they are not stuck there. So the groups are very fluid. The students can move up or down.” • Finlay: “The master schedule is created in a way that all students learn in small groups and at their targeted level with the most progress needed for behind students, but also to ensure gifted students were asked to do more and be more responsible for their learning without as much instruction.”

  35. But, with the same standards. • Graham Road: “We had visitors from another school, and I took them into a low 5th grade math class. The teacher said to me, ‘Is this the advanced group?’ I had to ask the teacher of the class, and it was the second lowest group. So, you know, I think (the expectations) didn’t differ.” • DeQueen: “Right now, we’re reading Sarah Plain and Tall in 3rd grade. When the ESL kids come to us…we want them to be able to go back in their classroom and talk about Sarah Plain and Tall. They are receiving grade-level information. We want to make sure they are reading at grade level.” • Halle Hewetson: “We made sure we were delivering instruction and giving opportunities to get standards that were above their grade level.”

  36. But, with the same standards (cont.) • Finlay: “We create intervention groups first, but we also focus on identifying gifted students. Not all do well on tests, it is our job to find what is special and advocate for that opportunity. Someone stands up for every child.” • Laurel Street: “We semi-homogenously level our kids.” In each grade, there is an accelerated, an intermediate support, and an intensive support class. “(The accelerated classes) become the pace setters. The other two classes sprint to catch up with accelerated classes over time.” • Accelerated classes are larger than the support classes

  37. Instructional approach can differ by ability. • Graham Road: Use of grade-level text: “Their instructional level is one level above where they test out.” (Students know 90% of words, don’t know the other 10%) • DeQueen: For ESL, “We have a powerpoint about each chapter of that book. We find vocabulary they may not know to help them understand the story- pictures, kid friendly explanations, realia- this is all front-loaded.” • Finlay: “It’s about growth. If you stop thinking that way-watch out! Some people think, “if it ain’t broke…,” but you can always grow and it is our job to challenge students.”

  38. Strategy: Independence as an intervention • Laurel Street: “In the accelerated classes, the kids work more independently and move faster through lessons. There is less I do and we do, and more you do. • DeQueen (on ESL students): “When we take away accommodations and scaffolding, we find they might stay at proficient. They are stagnating a little because they are working independently. But there is something happening at all times of the day to push them.”

  39. Strategy: Democratizing the “gifted” experience: • Halle Hewetson/Finlay: Asked Gifted teacher to help other teachers lesson plan. Gifted teacher would lead staff development. Share strategies to engage kids in deep thinking. • Emphasis on writing: • Halle Hewetson: “Students were always writing as much as reading.” • DeQueen on ELLs: “We do a lot of writing with them after they write.” • Laurel Street: “We have a comprehensive approach to writing that begins in kindergarten…We have come to consensus around certain writing skills in each grade…(We used the have a goal that the students would) be able to write a unique sentence in K by themselves without much help from their teacher…Now they have to write a short paragraph.”

  40. How about high school?

  41. In 12th grade, few students reach advanced. NAEP Reading (2009) • White students: 7% • Hispanic students: 2% • Black students: 1% • Higher income students: 7% • Low-income students: 1.5% NAEP Math (2009) • White students: 3% • Hispanic students: 0% • Black students: 0% • Higher income students: 3% • Low-income students: 0%

  42. Gaps at the 90th Percentile are Larger than Gaps at the 10th Percentile NAEP, 12th grade math, 10th percentile-90th percentile range, by race/ethnicity, 2009

  43. AP/IB course-taking is one strategy to produce high level achievement. • AP/IB programs offer rigorous, college aligned courses to high school students across a variety of subjects. • An externally graded exam helps maintain high standards. • Significant program expansion has occurred in the last decade to reach under served students. • Investment by federal, state governments, as well as the private sector to expand opportunity.

  44. So, what schools and students are reached with these programs?

  45. 71% of American HSs offer AP classes, serving 91% of the high school student population Most students are reached equitably. • 97% of Asian students • 91% of White students • 89% of Black students • 91% of Hispanic students • 76% of American Indian students • 91% of FRL students • 93% of non-FRL students Size, geography and poverty impact school access • 44% of small schools • 87% of medium schools • 99% of large schools • 59% of rural schools • 86% of suburban schools • 74% of urban schools • 84% of Low poverty schools • 70% of Mid-poverty schools • 61% of HP schools *The IB program is much smaller. In 2010, about 3.5% of traditional HS offered IB.

  46. Which students are enrolling in these rigorous classes?

  47. National Participation Rates and Gaps Participation in the AP program tends to be a small part of the student body in a given year; slightly more than 1 in 10 students participates. Clearly, some subgroups are more likely to participate, including Asian and middle and high income students. White students participate at the average and low-income, black and American Indian students are the least likely to participate; slightly more than 1 in 20 students. Gaps represent large numbers of students.

  48. Latino Student Participation: Details Number of tests taken by students: 1 test: 62% 2 tests: 23% 3+ tests: 15% 16% of tests taken were the Spanish language test 41% of tests taken were passed 81% of Spanish Language tests were passed

  49. School by School: What is the cost of inequitable participation patterns? If within school gaps were closed, the national missing student Hispanic and Black gap would close completely and the Low-Income missing student gap would nearly close (90%).

  50. Preparation is part of the problem, but data suggests many students don’t enroll that do have the potential to be successful. 72% of black students, 66% of Hispanic students and 75% of American Indian students had PSAT scores that indicated they had the potential to be successful in an AP math course and didn’t enroll.Similarly, 69 percent of Black students, 65 percent of Hispanic students and 72 percent of American-Indian students whose PSAT scores suggested they had the potential to be successful in an AP Science course were left out of the program.

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