LEADERSHIP FOR EQUITY: CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS

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LEADERSHIP FOR EQUITY CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT
GAPS NJSBA/NJASA 2008 Annual Workshop Atlantic
City, NJ October 29, 2008 Dr. Bob Jarvis,
Penn Center for Educational Leadership at the
University of Pennsylvania Jim Bathurst,
Educational Information and Resource
Center Sandy Loewe, Educational Information and
Resource Center
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THE NEW JERSEY NETWORK TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT
GAPS

• Building upon the success of the Delaware Valley
  Minority Student Achievement Consortium, the New
  Jersey Network To Close the Achievement Gaps was
  founded in 2007 as a collaborative professional
  learning organization that is dedicated to
  supporting its current 16 member districts in
  significantly closing their achievement gaps ,
  and significantly increasing the number of
  traditionally underachieving students among their
  best and brightest.

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2008-09 Member Districts

• Berlin Township
• Black Horse Pike Regional
• Delran Township
• Delsea Regional
• Deptford Township
• Galloway Township
• Gloucester Township
• Greater Egg Harbor Regional
• Lumberton Township
• Monroe Township
• Haddon Heights
• Ocean City
• Pine Hill
• Rancocas Valley Regional
• Woodbury
• Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional

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Defining the Gaps

• Standardized Assessments (AP, IB, PSAT/SAT
  Scores, NJ State Assessments- HEPA, GEPA, NJASK)
• Grades/GPA
• Enrollment Patterns in Advanced Placement,
  International Baccalaureate, Honors, Gifted
• Enrollment Patterns in Title 1-Remedial Programs,
  Special Education
• Discipline Referral Rates and Consequences
• Extracurricular Involvement
• Attendance Rates and Patterns
• High School Graduation Rates
• College-Going Rates/Attending First College Of
  Choice
• College Persistence and Success

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What District and School Leaders Must Be Thinking
About

• How Do We Develop The Capacity Of Our Schools To
  Get ALL Of Our Students Connected To The Best,
  Highest Level And Engaging Educational
  Experiences Our District Has To Offer?
• What Are Our Assumptions About Why We See
  Consistent Gaps In Engagement And Performance
  Between Identified Subgroups And Their
  Mainstream Peers Relative To Race/Ethnicity,
  SES, Gender, Disability?
• How Do We Respond When Students Are Not
  Successful In Our System? Are Our Responses
  Effective?

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What District and School Leaders Must Be Thinking
About

• What Is It We Can Influence And Control Relative
  To Student Learning? How Do We Go About
  Examining And Changing Our District, School And
  Classroom Policies And Practices So As To Better
  Address The Learning And Developmental Needs Of
  All Students And At The Same Time Close The Gaps?
• Do We Have A Sense Of Urgency In Our Schools And
  District To Do Whatever It Takes To Truly Leave
  None Of Our Children Behind?
• Do We As Administrators Truly Believe That All Of
  Our Underperforming Students Are Capable Of
  Achieving At Significantly Higher Levels?

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What District and School Leaders Must Be Thinking
About

• How Do We Individually And As A System
  Communicate Our Expectations To Students About
  Their Capacity or Potential For High Level
  Learning And School Success?
• How Do We Construct A WellDefined Web Of Support
  Around Our Underperforming Students And The
  People That Support Them?
• How Well Do We Understand Our Diverse Students
  And Their Parents Perceptions Of Their
  Experience In Our School System?

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What District and School Leaders Must Be Thinking
About

• Are We Having The Courageous Conversations?-
  How Are We Engaging All Stakeholders In Dialog
  And Learning (Administrators, School Boards,
  Teachers, Support Staff, Students, Parents, And
  Communities)
• How Are We Nurturing Professional Learning and
  Support Among One Another (Professional
  Development, Networking And Sharing Of
  Information And Resources)?
• How Might We Better Engage Parents/Caregivers and
  Our Communities As Partners in Improving Student
  Achievement?

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Contact

• Dr. Bob Jarvis
• Penn Center for Educational Leadership
• Graduate School of Education University of
  Pennsylvania
• 3440 Market St Room 504
• Philadelphia, PA 19104
• 215-746-7375
• rljarvis_at_gse.upenn.edu
• Jim Bathurst
• Educational Information and Resource Center
• Sewell, NJ 08080
• 856-582-7000
• jim5001_at_verizon.net
• Sandy Loewe
• Educational Information and Resource Center
• Sewell, NJ 08080
• 856-582-7000
• sloewe_at_eirc.org