Grantmakers for Education: Keeping Democracys Promise Eighth Annual Conference

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Grantmakers for EducationKeeping Democracys
PromiseEighth Annual Conference

• Concurrent Session Creating a Positive Future
  for Black Boys
• Warren Simmons
• Executive Director, Annenberg Institute

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Annenberg Institute for School Reform
at Brown University
www.annenberginstitute.org
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I. AISR BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Brown
University

• Established in 1993 as part of the 500 million
  gift from Ambassador Annenberg.
• Circles of Work
• -Redesigning School Districts,
• -Opportunity Accountability,
• -Leadership,
• -Community-Centered Education Reform,
• Support for Multi-Site Education
• Reform Initiatives.

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Multi-Site Education Reform Initiatives

• Schools for A New Society -- Carnegie/Gates
  (Boston, Providence, Worcester, Chattanooga, San
  Diego, Houston, Sacramento, San Diego also New
  York Baltimore).
• MacArthur Teaching Learning Partnership.
• Public Education Network (Teacher Quality,
  Standards Accountability, Public Engagement).
• National League of Cities (Youth Education
  Families Council).

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II. Black Male Achievement and Education Reform
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Urban Education Reform Major Strategies and
Investments

• STANDARDS-BASED SCHOOL DISTRICT ACCOUNTABILITY
• STANADARDS BASED CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION
• SMALL SCHOOLS/LEARNING COMMUNITIES
• SCHOOL CHOICE
• EXTENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
• LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
• EVIDENCE-BASED COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL REFORM
  DESIGNS
• MIXED-PROVIDER MODEL OF DISTRICT ORGANIZATION

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Working Examples

• Schools for A New Society
• The Learning Partnership

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Schools for a New Society
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Theory of Action
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Major Equity Lenses Levers

• Curriculum Instruction
• Human Resources
• Fiscal Resources
• School Choice
• Accountability
• School Reform/Redesign
• District Reform/Redesign

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Assumptions Guiding Major Approaches

• Achievement Gaps Among Black Males and others
  Based on Lack of
• Technical Capacity (Knowledge, Skills)
• Fiscal Resources
• Political Will
• Organizational Capacity.

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Necessary but Not Sufficient

• Elmore and others define teaching and learning as
  the interaction of students and teachers around
  content.
• This Interaction Occurs in a Context that is
  Inherently Social and Cultural, as well as
  Cognitive.
• Social and Cultural Dimensions of Teaching,
  Learning, and Schooling have been Marginalized.
• Lack of Evidence-Based Guidance to Support
  Differentiated Responses for Black Males and
  Other Groups Placed At Risk.

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Student Voices

• LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED
  GRADES, COMPLETE WORK, BEHAVE WELL.
• MANY FEEL NOT MUCH IS EXPECTED OF THEM.
• LITTLE SUPPORT FOR GRAPPLING WITH RACE,
  ETHNICITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OTHER SOCIAL AND
  CULTURAL ISSUES.

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Educators Voices

• Not Clear What Good Instruction Looks Like.
• Not Clear how to Define Support Needs of Black
  and Latino Males, English Language Learners.

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What is Culture?

• A system of knowledge, beliefs, and values
  that a group uses to define, maintain, and
  advance its interests (economic, social,
  spiritual, aesthetic).

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Cultural Features of Intelligence and
Academic Achievement

• Valued Knowledge and Information
• Valued Settings and Contexts
• Valued Performances and Ways of Expressing
  Competence.

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What is Context?
Prior, current, and anticipated experiences,
knowledge, and beliefs that guide an
individuals immediate response to a task or
situation.
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Cultural features of Academic Contexts for Black
Males

• Stereotype Threat, Acting White, Academic
  Ambivalence -- Claude Steele, Ogbu Fordham,
  Triesman, Cross.
• Cultural Salient Funds of Knowledge (Moll,
  Boykin, Delpit, Hilliard, Perry)
• Culturally Salient Performances (Boykin, Au,
  Gallimore, Perry
• Culturally Salient Structures and Policies
  (Christman, Gold, Solomon Simmons Grady)

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Promising Practices

• Community as a Resource for Curriculum,
  Instruction, and Assessment (Freedom Schools,
  Harlem Childrens Zone, El Puente, St. Hope)
• Facilitated Student Study and Research Groups
  (e.g., Noguera, McLaughlin, Triesman)
• Community-Based Academic Support Centers
• Visual and Performing Arts, Technology and
  Communication as Levers for Learning and
  Engagement
• Community-Centered Education Reform (St. Hope,
  Harlem Childrens Zone, Mid South, Birmingham, El
  Paso)