Demographics and Destiny

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Demographics and Destiny

• Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D.
• National Center for Culturally Responsive
  Education Systems (NCCRESt) Conference
  
• February 17, 2006
• Denver, CO

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National Center for Urban School Transformation
Dedicated to identifying, studying, and promoting
the best practices of Americas highest achieving
urban schools in a manner that supports urban
districts in transforming teaching and learning
http//edweb.sdsu.edu/ncust
1st Annual Symposium May 5th 6th in San Diego
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Too Often, Demographics Define Destiny

• A White 8th grader in the US is four times more
  likely to be proficient in mathematics than a
  Black 8th grader.
  
• A 4th grader who does not qualify for free or
  reduced price lunch is 2 ½ times more likely to
  be proficient in reading than a child who meets
  income eligibility criteria.

Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress, The Nations Report Card, 2005.

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Too Often, Demographics Define Destiny

• A White 4th grader in the US is three times more
  likely to be proficient in math than a Latino 4th
  grader.
  
• A Black student in the US is two times more
  likely to be labeled mentally retarded than a
  White student.

Source National Assessment of Educational
Progress, The Nations Report Card, 2005.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Special Education Programs, 2004 Child Count
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Too Often, Demographics Define Destiny

• A Black student in the US is 2 ½ times more
  likely to drop out of school than an Asian
  student in the US.1
  
• A young person from a high-income family is more
  than 8 times more likely to graduate from college
  by age 26 than a young person from a low-income
  family.2

1. Source Jay P. Greene and Greg Forster,
Public High School Graduation and College
Readiness Rates in the United States, Manhattan
Institute for Policy Research, September 2003.
2. Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on
Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.

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But Sometimes, Patterns are Defied

• 8thth grade Black students in Texas score higher
  on the NAEP writing exam than White students in
  six states.
  
• 4th grade Latino students in Virginia score
  higher on the NAEP reading exam than White
  students in 17 states.
  
• Rates of disproportionate placement in special
  education vary widely from state to state and
  district to district.
  

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Some Schools Defy Demographics

• Some schools demonstrate high achievement for all
  students. They evidence
  
• High proficiency rates for all groups
• High graduation rates for all groups
• High rates of access to challenging programs for
  all groups
  
• Low rates of special education placement for all
  student groups
  
• Low rates of suspension/expulsion for all groups

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Many would attribute these successes to recent
standards-based reforms, but, why are these examp
les of success still the exception and not the
rule?
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The Logic of Standards-Based Reform

• Students from different groups are not being
  taught the same high standards.
  
• So, create high standards that apply to all
  groups of students.
  
• Align assessments and accountability systems to
  those standards.
  
• Provide appropriate professional development.
• And, achievement will rise and gaps will
  diminish.
  

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The Problem
The logic of standards-based reform (as it is
implemented currently in the United States)
depends heavily on several huge assumptions.
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1. Educators will want to work hard to teach new
content in new ways.

• We assume educators will work hard to improve
  their teaching, in spite of concerns about issues
  such as safety, staff conflict, and poor
  facilities.
• We assume federal and state accountability
  provisions will influence educator effort
  positively.
  
• In high-performing schools and districts, leaders
  work diligently to address educator needs and
  inspire commitment to changing students lives.

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2. Students will want to work hard to learn new
content.

• We assume students will work hard in spite of
  their concerns about personal safety, lack of
  belonging, and general sense that they are not
  valued.
• We assume students will work hard because of new
  consequences attached to low achievement.
  
• In high-performing schools and districts, leaders
  help students dream new futures. They help
  students perceive that educators care deeply
  about each students personal success and
  well-being.

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3. Educators believe it is possible for their
students to learn the standards.

• We assume educators believe THEIR students can
  learn challenging standards, given good
  instruction.
  
• In high-performing schools and districts, leaders
  use local data and data from similar schools to
  dispel myths about who cannot achieve challenging
  standards. Leaders take on disbelievers in a
  respectful, but forceful way. They celebrate
  little successes in ways that change
  expectations.

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4. Educators know the content well enough to
teach the standards.

• We assume educators have a deep understanding of
  the content in and around each standard.
  
• In high-performing schools and districts, leaders
  stimulate frequent conversations about the
  content related to each standard. They find
  non-threatening ways to get teachers additional
  help when needed. Professional development is
  part of the culture of these schools.

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5. Educators know how to teach standards to
diverse groups of students.

• We assume educators know how to teach standards
  in ways that respond to the interests, strengths,
  and backgrounds of the diverse groups of students
  in their classrooms.
• In high-performing schools and districts, there
  is regular collaboration focused upon
  instructional strategies that will respond to the
  diverse strengths and needs of students.
  Teachers are constantly learning from each
  others most effective practices.

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6. Educators know how to teach required standards
in the allotted time.

• We assume educators know how to teach everything
  the state deems important, to the level of skill
  expected, in 36 weeks.
  
• In high-performing schools and districts, there
  is a deliberate effort to teach with greater
  depth and less breadth. As well, there are
  deliberate efforts to provide quality early
  learning opportunities and extra learning time,
  as needed.

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7. Educators know how to assess student progress
and adjust instruction.

• We assume educators know how to determine if
  students are learning standards. As well, we
  assume educators know how to adjust instruction
  when students are not learning well.
• In high-performing schools and districts, systems
  provide educators interim information that is
  used to improve instruction. As well, teachers
  learn to seek evidence of understanding as they
  provide instruction.

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8. Educators know how to relate to and connect
with parents/community.

• We assume educators know how to relate to and
  connect with diverse parent/community groups in
  ways that create great synergy between home and
  school.
• In high-performing schools and districts, leaders
  work to build trust and positive relationships
  with parents and community groups.
  

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9. Leaders know how to help teachers learn to
teach standards to all students.

• We assume school leaders know how to be
  instructional leaders, how to influence
  instruction, and how to help teachers improve
  instruction for diverse groups of students.
• In high-performing schools and districts, leaders
  spend large percentages of time in classrooms,
  working on instructional issues. As well, they
  invest time in developing their own instructional
  strengths.

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10. Leaders know how to monitor progress and
adapt programs and practices.

• We assume school leaders know how to monitor the
  extent to which programs and practices are
  working to improve achievement for all groups of
  students.
• In high-performing districts, leaders have
  support as they collect and use data to identify
  the merits and deficits of programs and
  practices.

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It is not surprising that gaps have increased in
some districts and states, because the schools
with the greatest capacity to benefit from
standards-based reforms are often the schools
that serve the most advantaged students.
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Our Erroneous Assumptions Must Become the Focus
of Action

• Federal and state policy makers must address
  erroneous assumptions in thoughtful, deliberate
  ways that respect the complexities of school
  improvement.
• District leaders must address erroneous
  assumptions through systems and structures that
  make success less dependent on individual heroism
  and genius.

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Our Erroneous Assumptions Must Become the Focus
of Action

• We must learn how to shape systems that build the
  capacity of schools to benefit from
  standards-based reform. In fact, if we want gaps
  to close, we must ensure that high-need schools
  have greater capacity to benefit than more
  affluent schools.
• We must continue to identify and study the
  outliers those schools and districts that prove
  that standards-based reform can work.