As educators, do we need to change our own expectations of student achievement?

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As educators, do we need to change our own
expectations of student achievement?
Based on Generating Expectations for Student
Achievement (GESA)
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Standardized test scores in reading and math
(CTBS) show these gains attributed classes with
GESA-trained teachers

• 18.7 (Math) ESL, predominantly Hispanic and
  Asian
• 7.4 (Reading) Asian and Pacific Islanders
• 7.0 (Math) overall
• 2.1 (Reading) overall

• While the CTBS increases are only a snapshot in
  time, the greater, but unmeasurable gains may be
  in a students perceptions that they are a
  capable individual.

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There are 5 groupings of classroom practices that
can convey positive expectations to students.
(The full GESA model includes peer and
self-observation exercises.)

• Response Opportunities, Acknowledgement
  Feedback
• Wait Time Physical Closeness
•  Touching Reproof
• Listening Probing
• Higher Level Questioning Analytical Feedback

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1. Response Opportunities, Acknowledgement
Feedback

• Troubling observation Students who are ignored
  or asked only easy questions by teachers dont
  have a chance to develop their intellectual
  skills

During a formal validation study for GESA,
pre-observations indicated that African-American
and Hispanic-American males were interacted with
at a rate of 27 less than their class
representation.
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How can teachers provide acknowledgementand
feedback for students?(Students need feedback,
and the feedback needs to relate to academic
goals)

• Let students answer questions
• Teacher calls on students
• Teacher accepts volunteer responses
• Cooperative group assignment includes forced
  individual responses

• Let students present assignments in a variety
  of ways
•  Readings
• Role-playing
• Peer tutoring
• Group presentations
• Multi-medi Example (Math, history, social
  science Example (Math, history, social science)

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How can teachers give appropriate feedback?(To
convey high expectations, feedback must relate to
academic work, not behavior, appearance, etc.)

• Teacher tells student something about the quality
  of their responses,
• Individually at the students work station
• In the full classroom session
• At the teachers desk
• Within the Cooperative Group

• The teacher may say
• Good, you found all the Asian Nobel Peace Prize
  recipients, Lee.
• Your discussion about finding percentages was
  both creative and correct, Lee and Maria.
• I saw you computing the final percentage and you
  left out left one of the groups out. To get the
  right answer, you will need to go back and fix
  that, Abe.

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2. Wait Time Physical Closeness

• How can teachers provide wait time for student
  responses? (Responses are related to academic
  goals, not personal questions. Wait time allows
  students to relax, process information and
  respond.)
• 5-7 Second Rule (Its the ideal time to convey
  your high expectations of students) count it out
  silently when waiting as though you expect a
  correct reply.
• Look at the student initially, but do not fix
  your eyes upon him/her.
• 5-7 second rule can be used in any
  circumstanceexcept on Who Wants to Be a
  Millionaire?

• Alarming observation The average time that a
  teacher waits for a student to responds to a
  question is 2.6 seconds, but for low achieving
  students the average was .9 seconds.

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How can teachers provide appropriate physical
closeness?(There many ways the teacher can
re-orient their proximity to students as well as
initiate appropriate touchingwhere permitted.)

• 1. Within an arms length Rule To qualify for
  appropriate closeness, the teacher should be
  within the teachers arms length to the student
  and making a connection with the student. (Just
  walking on by doesnt count).
• 2. Move around the room to make contact.

3. For lectures, use a laser pointer in order to
stay mobile.

• 4. Sit in on cooperative groups. (Once you have
  gone around to each cooperative group, you have
  usually established physical closeness with all
  students).

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3. Touching Reproof

• How can teachers provide appropriate touching?

However, if a class is focusing on job search
techniques, the teacher might try to convince the
student that hand-shaking will be expected during
the interview process and provide appropriate
instruction.
In todays Global Economy/Society and with
heightened sexual harassment awareness, touching
is a complicated matter. Hand-shaking is
generally considered acceptable, but if someone
backs off, let it go.
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Touching

• Touching can be achieved by lightly tapping a
  student on the back of their shoulder just before
  asking a question or when giving feedback.
• Touching may also be appropriate when it is
  associated with specific academic or career
  technical education (vocational) assignments.

• Examples
• Solderinggentle tap to the back of hand or
  forearm, when finished.

• Math problem on a calculatorgentle tap to the
  back of hand.

• Computer workgentle tap on back of shoulder.

• Avoid just about all other areas of body contact!
  If in doubt, dont touch.

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Reproof
Alarming observations The cost of bias is
expensive for males and minorities they are
twice as likely as girls to be suspended,
expelled or referred to special education classes
How can teachers provide appropriate reproof or
disapproval for inappropriate behavior?

• Appropriate reproof is assertive, objective and
  lacks emotion on the part of the teacher.
• It addresses the behavior offense, not the
  student him/herself. It relates the wrongdoing
  to an established legal issue, policy or rule.
• The teachers body language is relaxed. (Opening
  the jaw slightly helps keep the face from looking
  stressed.).

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Reproof
How can teachers provide appropriate reproof or
disapproval for inappropriate behavior?

• Examples
• J.J, please make comments only related to the
  assignment in math class today.
• Or
• Beth, stay on the web sites listed on the
  assignment handout.

Positive action statements, such as those used in
behavior coaching may change the behavior and
give the student a good example to remember.
The action may be non-verbal, for example,
standing next to the student may immediately stop
the behavior, which may be all that is needed.
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4. Listening Probing

• How can teachers listen so that high expectations
  are conveyed?

• Listening to another is the highest order of
  conveying our esteem to that person.
• Listening and giving appropriate feedback are
  covered within items 1 and 2.

• When listening to learn about a students
  background and what may motivate the student, be
  careful to not leap past listening into
  clarifying, problem-solving, etc. Simply
  experiencing a students expression style has
  value.

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Listening

• How can teachers listen so that high expectations
  are conveyed?

• Additionally, attention to the students message
  can be conveyed by body language and gestures.
  Avoid the appearance of impatience for a student
  to finish speaking. If necessary, acknowledge
  the importance of what he/she was saying and ask
  to pick up on the conversation again later.

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Probing

• How can teachers probe students so that high
  expectations are conveyed?

Research revealed Some Southeast Asian
students find it hard to offer personal opinions
because the teacher is perceived to be their
superior Some Vietnamese students may not admit
to not understanding. Their traditional education
has been teacher-centered.
Probing conveys that the teacher believes that
additional time spent in expanding the students
exposure to the learning process is a worthwhile,
and therefore the student must be worthwhile.
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Probing

• The teacher may
• Ask the student to tell us or me more about
  this in a friendly way
• Remind the student how he/she has already
  addressed a portion of this lesson

• Ask a group to discuss the assignment or answer
  in greater detailperhaps their rephrasing will
  be better than mine the teacher
• Give clues
• Refer back to principles, theorems, flow-chart,
  etc.
• Remind the student of their learning style
  strengths in solving dilemmas
• Refer back through thinking steps

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5. Higher Level Questioning Analytical Feedback

• How can teachers encourage higher level thinking
  from students? (Review several quizzes and
  classroom testsdont be surprised if most
  questions are from the lowest level Level 1,
  Knowledge Define of the cognitive domain.)
•  Give students questions, assignments, group
  projects, etc. that lead them through concrete
  steps to the top of the Cognitive Domain.

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Questioning

• 6. Evaluation Appraise

5. Synthesis Invent
4. Analysis Categorize
3. Application Perform
2. Comprehension Describe
1. Knowledge Define
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QuestioningLevel 1Knowledge Define

• Recognizes and recalls facts and specifics.
• Example Name the categories of Nobel Prizes and
  gender and nationality of recipients.

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QuestioningLevel 2Comprehension Describe

• Interprets, translates, summarizes, or
  paraphrases given information.
• Example Describe the gender and nationality
  distribution of Nobel Prizes globally in a full
  page report?

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QuestioningLevel 3Application Perform

• Uses information in a situation different from
  original learning context.
• Example Prepare a pie chart depicting the
  gender and nationality distribution of Nobel
  Prize recipients.

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QuestioningLevel 4Analysis Categorize

• Separates whole into its parts, until
  relationship among elements is clear.
• Example Based on the Nobel Prize committees
  criteria, give a two minute report on how the
  selected recipient most likely met the
  committees criteria.

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QuestioningLevel 5Synthesis Invent

• Combines elements to form a new entity from the
  original one.
• Create your own Nobel Prize category and fully
  define at least five criteria for a successful
  recipient.

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QuestioningLevel 6Evaluation Appraise

• Involves acts of decision-making, judging, or
  selecting based on criteria and rational.
• Rate the nominees for the classs Nobel prize
  and give a convincing report on your findings for
  your first choice.

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Analytical Feedback

• Startling observation The majority of praise
  given to males is for their academic work. While
  females receive some praise related to academic
  ability, they may be praised for neatness and
  effort instead and then not given corrective
  analytical feedback.

• How can teachers provide meaningful analytical
  feedback? (Analytical feedback reflects upon an
  organized lesson.)
• Analytical feedback
• Restates the thinking process
• Points out where errors occur
• Allows students to meet with peers for more
  in-depth analysis
• Praises students for appropriate use of academic
  technique
• Allows positive peer critique
• Reinforces the students upward growth on the
  Cognitive Domain(There are some similarities to
  3. Feedback above.)

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References 1. Generating expectations for
Student Achievement (GESA) An Equitable
Approach in Educational Excellence, Delores A.
Grayson, Ph.D. and Mary D. Martin, Ed.D. Teacher
Handbook _at_ 38, Participant Booklet _at_ 15 2.
Connections Across Cultures Inviting Multiple
Perspectives into Classrooms of Science,
Technology, Math, and Engineering. Pac-Tec
Project Mission College MS21, Santa Clara (1996).
Supported by the National Science Foundation
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3. David Sadker, American University, Equity Web
SiteDavid and the late Myra Sadker began the
nationally acclaimed American Association of
University Women (AAUW) research on the disparity
of education for girls in the classroom, which is
still true. The Sadkers continued their research
and found equally as troubling discoveries about
different areas of disparity for boys in the
classroom. Published reports, such as Gender
Equity in Schools A Primer, may be downloaded.
To view how boys and girls suffer because of sex
bias in society and in education, see the
Primers section, Report Card The Costs of
Gender Bias. Also see, Classroom Tips for
Non-Sexist, Non-Racist Teaching, Web site
www.american.edu/sadker/genderequity.htm Related
Resources Intercultural Press, Inc.The site
offers books, simulations, and other training
materials about crossing cultures. Many of the
books are appropriate for use in career technical
education classes and for guided independent
study. Some of the materials contain very
specific information such as how to not offend
people of a specified cultural and how the social
stage must be set to create positive business
relationships with various cultures. There are
resources on specific nationalities such as
Japanese, Mexicans, Arabs, and many more. There
are extensive resources on communication patterns
and how they impact personal, business and
education relationships. New books are added
each year.Web site www.interculturalpress.com/sh
op/index.html
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Related Resources www.american.edu/sadker/teachin
gtips.htm (10/26/02) adapted from Myra and David
Sadkers, Teachers, Schools and Society ( McGraw
Hill, 2003) SERVE Library. Free lending library
contains over 1,600 special populations
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