Pittsburg Community Schools USD

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Pittsburg Community Schools USD 250

• Academic Achievement
• School Improvement Through
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
• Characteristics Of High Performing Schools

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Continuous Improvement Through

• NCLB
• QPA NCA
• Special Attention To
• Curriculum Review/Adoption
• Teaching Using State Standards
• Effective Professional Development
• Leadership With A Vision
• Time On Task

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Some leaders are talking about the challenges in
the new law one way
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The federal government has put us in a bind . .
. Were never going to be able to meet the 100
mark. Californias Secretary of Education Los
Angeles Times September 25, 2002
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• Requiring every group of students in every
  school to be proficient within 12 years is like
  asking every kid to jump the Grand Canyon.
• Educator, Connecticut
• June 10, 2002
• Associated Press

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"It is so inflexible. If any group of kids fails
to meet the standard, the whole school is labeled
as failing. Superintendent, New York
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• "I have difficulty with the standards because
  they're so unattainable for so many of our
  students . . . we just don't have the same
  kids...
• Superintendent, MissouriOctober 21, 2002

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They may as well have decreed that pigs can fly
. . . some of these politicians just have their
heads in the sand. CA Teachers Association
President Los Angeles Times August 6, 2002
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Think about the messages in what they say

• To parentsabout whose kids matter
• To studentsabout how much educators think they
  can learn and,
• To teachersabout whether they even have to try.

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Other educators are talking about the challenge
in very different ways.
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• "We know the bar will always be raised. I call it
  a forklift, not a cart, because it's going
  forward and going up. But we are here to educate
  children, and we should have our standards
  raised."
• Assistant Superintendent,
• Irving School District, TX

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"Neither poverty nor race is an excuse. All
children can rise to the standards and there are
many schools in the data that you have to prove
it. NY Commissioner of Education, March 28,
2002, New York Times
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With proper instruction, students here can blow
other kids away in the humanities. The more you
challenge them, the better they'll do. English
teacher in the predominantly African American
Roosevelt school district, whose 11th graders are
starting to earn higher marks on state Regents
exams.
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Yes, parents may have the greatest impact on how
their children come to us. But we have the
greatest impact on how they leave
us. Superintendent, North Carolina
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• "If you love children, you can't say this law is
  a waste. . . It has to come down to someone
  making sure these kids are getting an education.
• Educator, Kentucky
• November 13, 2002, Lexington Herald Leader

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"At the end of the day, we are responsible for
every child. Will we do it? Certainly. Will we
look good early on? I doubt it." Superintendent,
Wake CountyJune 2, 2002
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Yes, this is going to be a challenge. But how
we communicate will play a large role in whether
people will even try.
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Of Every 100 White Kindergartners
(24 Year-Olds)
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2
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Of Every 100 African American Kindergartners
(24 Year-Olds)
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2
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Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners
(24 Year-Olds)
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2
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Of Every 100 American Indian/Alaskan Native
Kindergartners
(24 Year Olds)
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College Graduates by Age 24
Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public
Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.
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What Some Adults Say

• Theyre poor
• Their parents dont care
• They come to schools without breakfast
  unprepared to learn
• We dont have enough time to teach
• Not enough parents want to . . .
• Some kids are just not going

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• Have any of us said something similar?
• Do we believe it?

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• But if theyre correct. then why are poor and
  minority children performing so high in...

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• Some schools
• Such As...

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Wrigley Elementary

• 78 Low-Income
• 3rd Highest Performing in State in Reading
• 6th Highest Performing in State in Writing

KENTUCKY
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Grandview ElementaryGeary County School District

• 81 Low-Income
• ONE of ONLY 82 Kansas Elementary Schools serving
  a student population of 70 or higher
  free/reduced
• Standard of Excellence in Mathematics 2001,
  2002 2003

Kansas
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Custer Hill ElementaryGeary County School
District

• 25 African-American
• 71 Low-Income
• ONE of ONLY 82 Kansas Elementary Schools serving
  a student population of 70 or higher
  free/reduced
• Standard of Excellence in Mathematics 2002
  2003

Kansas
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Washington ElementaryGeary County School District

• 54 African-American
• 84 Low-Income
• ONE of ONLY 82 Kansas Elementary Schools serving
  a student population of 70 or higher
  free/reduced
• Standard of Excellence in Mathematics 2002
  2003

Kansas
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Ware ElementaryGeary County School District

• 40 Minority (African-American/Hispanic)
• 81 Low-Income
• ONE of ONLY 82 Kansas Elementary Schools serving
  a student population of 70 or higher
  free/reduced
• Standard of Excellence in Mathematics 2002
  2003

Kansas
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Mount Royal Elementary/Middle School Baltimore,
MD.

• 99 African American
• 73 Low-Income
• Highest Performing in State on states 5th grade
  Math test.
• Top 10 of state in 5th grade reading.

MARYLAND
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Pimlico Elementary Baltimore, MD

• 100 African American
• 94 Low-Income
• Top 1 in improvement on the states 5th grade
  Math test.

Maryland
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Hambrick Middle SchoolAldine, TX

• 94 African American and Latino (state 56)
• 85 low-income (state 50)
• Has performed in the top fifth of all Texas
  middle schools in both reading and math (7th and
  8th grades over a 3-year period)

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Prince Edward County High Farmville, VA.
(715 students 55 African American and Latino)
Sources Virginia Department of Education Web
site, http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/200
2SOLpassrates.html.
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Norview High School Norfolk, VA.
(1,560 students 70 African American and Latino)
Sources Virginia Department of Education Web
site, http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/200
2SOLpassrates.html.
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Longfellow School Mount Vernon, NY

• About 83 Low-Income
• About 98 African American
• Has outperformed ¾ of other New York State
  elementary schools in math and language arts for
  two years in a row.
• In 2001, performed as well or better than 97 of
  NY schools in math and 88 of NY schools in
  language arts.

Source Education Trust. Dispelling the Myth
Online. www.edtrust.org .
38
Lincoln SchoolMount Vernon, NY

• About 43 low-income
• About 63 African American and Latino
• Has outperformed ¾ of other New York State
  elementary schools in math for two years in a
  row.
• In 2001, performed as well or better than 94 of
  NY schools in math and 89 of NY schools in
  language arts.

Source The Education Trust, Dispelling the Myth
website
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El Paso Passing MathCombined Districts
(EPISD,YISD,SISD), Accountability Subset Grade
3-8 and 10
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What Do We Know About The Schools Improving
Student Achievement?
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• Element 1
• They Have Clear, High Goals and Expectations With
  Consistent Approaches

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What Teenagers Say About School Rigor

• Fewer Than 3 in 10 Think Their School is Very
  Academically Rigorous

Source 1998 Annual Survey from Whos Who Among
American High School Students 2000 by The
Education Trust, Inc.
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Students can do NO BETTER than the assignments
they are given...
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A Work in Poor Schools Would Earn Cs in
Affluent Schools
Source Prospects (ABT Associates, 1993), in
Prospects Final Report on Student Outcomes,
PES, DOE, 1997.
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Standards and Assessments Can Help

• But not if they sit on the shelf.

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MISSION

• The Schools leadership, teachers and staff
  MUST have high expectations.
• The Schools leadership, teachers and staff
  MUST have a vision.
• The Schools leadership, teachers and staff
  MUST work together.

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Element 2

• Curriculum Reviewed Aligned To State Standards

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Historically, Decisions About What Kind of
Student Work Good Enough Left to Individual
Teachers Administrators

• Today Standards-Based InstructionData-Driven
  DecisionsResearch-Based Approaches

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Transcript Study Single biggest predictor of
college success is theQUALITY AND INTENSITY OF
HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM

• Cliff Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box, U.S.
  Department of Education.

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But college prep curriculum has benefits far
beyond college.
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A Rigorous Math Curriculum Improves Scores For
All Students
Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress, 1992 Mathematics Trend Assessment,
National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP
1992 Trends in Academic Progress (p 113).
Washington, DC US Department of Education. 1994
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Students Who Take Algebra Show Greater Gains in
Mathematics Achievement
Source Algebra for Everyone? Benefits of
College-Preparatory Mathematics for Students With
Diverse Abilities in Early Secondary School,
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Vol.
22, Fall 2000.
53
Vocational Students Taking High-Level English
Courses Score Higher
Source Bottoms, Gene. Report of the SREB, High
Schools That Work 1998 Secondary Teacher Survey,
SREB, 1998, NAEP Scores.
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Low Quartile Students Gain More From College Prep
Courses
Grade 8-grade 12 test score gains based on 8th
grade achievement.
Source USDOE, NCES, Vocational Education in the
United States Toward the Year 2000, in Issue
Brief Students Who Prepare for College and
Vocation
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All Students Perform Better In High-Level
CoursesMath Achievement in grades 9-11 by grade
8 Performance (based on course assignment)
Prior Performance level
Margaret Hallinan, Ability Grouping and Student
Learning, May 2002
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They will also fail less often...
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Challenging Curriculum Results in Lower Failure
Rates, Even for Lowest Achievers
Ninth-grade English performance, by high/low
level course, and eighth-grade reading
achievement quartiles
Source SREB, Middle Grades to High School
Mending a Weak Link. Unpublished Draft, 2002.
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Students of All Abilities Are Generally More
Likely to Fail Low-Level Mathematics
Courses9th-graders earning Ds or Fs by 8th grade
achievement course assignment
Source Sondra Cooney Gene Bottoms, Middle
Grades to High School Mending a Weak Link,
SREB, 2002
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And theyll be better prepared for the workplace.
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Take Manufacturing, for example
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Requirements forTool and Die Makers

• Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or
  postsecondary training
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics
• Average earnings 40,000 per year.

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Requirements forSheet Metal Workers

• Four or five years of apprenticeship
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical
  reading

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• Element 3
• High-Performing Schools
• Provide Extra
• Instruction For
• Students Who Need It

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• And Challenging Opportunities Outside The
  Traditional Setting For Their Best And Brightest

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Time To Help Students

• More Time For Mathematics
• More Time For Reading
• Extended Day Extended Year
• Services For Students Who Need It

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• Many schools districts are finding ways to
  double, even triple, the amount of time spent on
  literacy and math.

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• Students who have several strong teachers in a
  row will thrive no matter what their family
  background.

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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.
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By our estimates from Texas schools, having an
above average teacher for five years running can
completely close the average gap between
low-income students and others. John Kain and
Eric Hanushek
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• Most teacherslike most other professionalscan
  get more and more effective.

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Element 4 Good Teaching Matters More Than
Anything Else
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HIGH-PERFORMING schools do two other important
things

• STOP drive-by workshops
• INVEST in intensive and focused professional
  development tied directly to their schools
  improvement plan.

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And In Kansas

• High-Performing Schools Elementary Secondary
  Are Implementing The Same Elements

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• Some Adults Are Saying.

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• I regret the federal government has gotten so
  invasive on the state level I support President
  Bush, but Im not so excited about No Child Left
  Behind.
• Kansas State Board of Education Member
• Garden City Telegram

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• Can we calculate how long it will take for this
  whole policy framework to collapse?
• Local School Board Member
• Reported Lawrence Journal-World

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• There is more to life than testing what about
  life skillscharacter education?
• Assistant Superintendent Kansas
• 8/14/03

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• And Other Adults Are Viewing NCLB As

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• It is an admirable goal. It has changed the
  system to where we pay attention to the needs of
  all kids.
• Kansas Commissioner of Education
• 7/24/03

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• We all know now the importance of the
  assessments all of the arguing of whether they
  are right or not is over. They are here to
  stay.
• Superintendent Kansas
• Hutchinson Daily News

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In Reference To A Schools Poor Performance

• Of course its disappointing, but it encourages
  us to get busy with school improvement.
• Assistant Superintendent Kansas
• Hutchinson Daily News

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• There is no leaving out a population any more.
• Assistant Commissioner of Education Kansas
• 8/8/03

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• Every year the bar goes up there is no more
  resting on our laurels here.
• Superintendent Kansas
• Lawrence Journal-World
• 8/12/03

86

• I take full responsibility for the scores, and
  we will use this data to focus on ways to help
  our students
• Superintendent Kansas
• Manhattan Mercury
• 8/13/03

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• And How Is Kansas Doing To Improve The Academic
  Achievement Of ALL KANSAS STUDENTS?

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• Looking At Reading and Math

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Fifth Grade Reading Assessment Percent at
Proficient or Above

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Eighth Grade Reading Assessment Percent at
Proficient or Above

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Eleventh Grade Reading Assessment Percent at
Proficient or Above
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Standard of ExcellenceReading 2003

• 5th Grade
• 149 Schools
• 8th Grade
• 53 Schools
• 11th Grade
• 62 Schools

93
Fourth Grade Mathematics Assessment Percent
at Proficient or Above

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Seventh Grade Mathematics Assessment Percent
at Proficient or Above

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Tenth Grade Mathematics Assessment Percent
at Proficient or Above

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Standard of ExcellenceMathematics 2003

• 4th Grade
• 253 Schools
• 7th Grade
• 85 Schools
• 10th Grade
• 54 Schools

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And In Pittsburg

• The Same Proven Elements To Improving Student
  Achievement Will Be Fully Implemented

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• ...and No Child Left Behind will provide the
  framework for continuous school improvement.

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• In USD 250, we expect every child to succeed.
  Our district has known for some time school
  improvement processes increase learning results.
  We can use NCLB as a piece of our school
  improvement toolbox. The assessments provide a
  useful yardstick for measuring student success
  and school improvement.

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• Dont get caught up fixing blame or labeling
  kids or schools. Dont let NCLB control or
  stifle educational creativity and ingenuity,
  rather let its data stimulate new ideas and
  initiatives for school improvement. We can
  improve, we should, and we will.
• Gary Price, Superintendent

101

• More important than NCLB, QPA, NCA, or AYP, is
  AASL -- Are All Students Learning? My three
  essential questions for everyone Who is not
  achieving? Why are they not achieving? What are
  we going to do about it?
• Answer those questions and NCLB is answered.
• Matthew Wendt, Assistant Superintendent

102
In Pittsburg

• The MISSION Is Clear
• The VISION Is Before All Of Us
• We each have the tools required to do the job

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2003 Assessment Results

• Will be reported to the USD 250 Board of
  Education
• At the August 25 meeting
• To include the district-wide academic measures
  being taken to continue school improvement

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Pittsburg Schools Will Continue Meeting AYP
Improving

• When The Characteristics of High-Performing
  Elementary, Middle, High Schools Are
  Implemented
• Building-Wide
• Change/Improvement CAN NOT ONLY be through
  individual teachers or departments.

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Element 1High Expectations

• The Expectations Are High WE Will Succeed

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Element 2Curriculum/Standards

• Curriculum Review Adoption of State Standards
  Will Continue
• Finish Mathematics, Health/PE, Vocational
  Education
• Begin and Complete Social Science, Language Arts,
  Foreign Language, Communications

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Element 3Additional Instruction

• Extended Day Services
• Building Level Opportunities
• Tutoring
• Additional Days Available
• 2003-04 Calendar
• Extended Year Services

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Element 4Quality Educators In Every School

• Principal
• Instructional Leader
• Accountable
• Teachers
• Training Based On School Improvement Plan
• Support Staff
• Training (Paras)

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Professional Development Changes

• New PDC Regulations
• New Technology All Professional Development
  Forms Will Be Electronic Available Online
• Allocated By Building Professional
  Development Plan Written and Implemented By Each
  School

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In 2002-03.

• Every School In USD 250 Met Annual Yearly
  Progress (AYP)!!!!
• Congratulations!!!!

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For 2003-04

• Each School Continues To Implement The Elements
  To Be High-Performing
• Each School Uses NCLB As The Framework For
  Improvement
• Each School Continues To Place Teaching
  Learning as JOB 1

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• Our kids
• are
• depending
• on us!

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• Best Wishes For A Rewarding School Year!!