WSSDA Ad Hoc Achievement Gap Task Force

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WSSDA Ad HocAchievement Gap Task Force

• Established in January 2001 by the WSSDA Board of
  Directors, at the recommendation of the WSSDA
  Diversity and Multicultural Advocacy Team (D-MAT)

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Task Force Charge

• Assess the achievement gap
• Identify research and initiatives
• Catalog board actions that reduce the gap
• Issue a report

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Task Force Members

• Connie Fletcher, Chair, Issaquah
• Mary Fertakis, Tukwila
• Lynn Fielding, Kennewick
• Aurora Flores, Manson
• Rob Fukai, Spokane (through 2001)
• Barbara Greenberg, Yakima

• Carole Jacobs, Clover Park
• Karen Johnson, Raymond
• Jan Kumasaka, Seattle
• Kevin Laverty, Mukilteo
• Donald Leu, Bellingham (retired)
• Christie Querna, Spokane
• Willie Stewart, Tacoma

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Guiding Principles

• Closing the gap is critical to American democracy
  and individual student success.
• District policy should improve learning and
  assure mastery of standards.
• Understanding the impact of race and poverty is
  essential.
• Responsibility is shared with schools, parents
  and the community.

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Guiding Principles

• All schools can close the gap.
• The gap can be closed without lowering standards.
• All students can meet high standards with
  sufficient opportunities.
• Struggling students will need their academic
  progress accelerated.

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Achievement Gap Definition

• The difference in academic achievement between
  African American, American Indian and Hispanic
  students and their white and Asian peers and the
  difference in academic achievement between
  students, whose families are of low-income, and
  their peers from middle and upper income families.

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An Example of the Ethnic Achievement Gap,4th
Grade 2001 WASL Scores
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The Poverty Achievement Gap, Elementary School
WASL Scores by Free Reduced Price Lunch Rates
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Other Manifestations of the Gap

• Black, Hispanic and Indian students are more
  likely to drop out and less likely to go directly
  to college than white and Asian students.
• Black and Indian students are over-represented in
  special education, Asians are under-represented.
• Children of color or poverty are less likely to
  be in gifted and talented programs, or in Advance
  Placement courses.
• Discipline is disproportionately imposed on
  children of color.

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Individual Schools HaveClosed the Gap

• Nationally, in 2000 the Education Trust
  identified
• 3,592 high-performing, high-poverty schools.
• 2,305 high-performing, high-minority schools.
• 1,320 high-performing, high-poverty and
  high-minority schools.
• In Washington, in 2000, the Partnership for
  Learning and the University of Washington
  identified 33 elementary schools and 32 middle
  schools surpassing their demographics.

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Allocation Alignment of Fiscal Resources
• Create a community commitment to all students
• Align resources with needs and effective programs
• Consider a weighted student formula
• Base spending decisions on a strategic plan
• Concentrate new resources on students with the
  greatest needs

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Quality Teachers and Assignment of Qualified
  Staff to Low-Achieving Students
• Negotiate authority to assign best teachers to
  neediest students
• Assign staff by endorsement
• Recruit highly qualified minority teachers
• Limit instructional use of aides
• Commit to necessary staff development

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Teaching and Learning
• Commit to standards-based education, curriculum
  alignment and best teaching practices
• Align curriculum with standards and best
  practices, assure equity
• Provide rigorous curriculum for all
• Shift from ESL pull-out instructional model

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Cultural Competence
• Commit to equity, undoing racism
• Join community leaders in dialogues on race and
  poverty
• Provide staff development on cultural competence
• Engage students in creating a learning
  environment free of racism

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Time and Opportunity to Learn
• Use extended time to accelerate learning for
  low-achieving students
• Link extended time programs to the regular
  academic program
• Search for partnerships, outside funding
• Include evaluation elements in extended
  opportunity programs

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Learning Environment
• Track discipline for disproportionality
• Evaluate school improvement plans on school
  climate goals
• Assure each student a personalized learning
  environment--with a mentor or advocate
• Require periodic assessments of school climate

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Readiness Gap and Early Intervention
• Require early assessment of reading and math,
  with interventions and targets for students who
  are behind
• Articulate services between schools and
  preschools, child care providers and families
• Provide community advocacy for early learning
• Support family literacy programs
• Support full day kindergarten, especially for
  disadvantaged children

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Parent Involvement and Community Collaboration
• Reach out to families with cultural respect
• Use multiple forms and means of communication
• Measure effectiveness and change programs as
  indicated
• Support and encourage teacher home visits
• Encourage parent and community involvement

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Key Policy Issues Closing the Gap

• Assessment and Accountability
• Set goals for improvement and meeting standards
• Establish measurable goals for each school and
  the district for closing the gap
• Evaluate effectiveness of programs
• Establish a comprehensive data management system

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Report Distribution

• One copy mailed to each school
• Additional, limited, copies available from WSSDA,
  [phone]
• Posted to the WSSDA web site, wssda.org