The Educational Imperative: What Do We Know about Student Achievement

1
The Educational ImperativeWhat Do We Know about
Student Achievement?

• OVAE American's Career Resource Network (ACRN)
  National Training Conference
• Alexandria, Virginia, March 17, 2004
• Craig Jerald, Education Trust

2
12th Grade Achievement In Math and Science is Up
Somewhat
3
High School Achievement Math and Science NAEP
Long-Term Trends
Source NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress.
4
In Reading, 12th Grade Achievement is Headed
Downward
5
HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT READING AND
WRITINGNAEP Long-Term Trends
6
What about different groups of students?During
seventies and eighties, much progress.
7
Gaps Narrow 1970-88NAEP Reading 17 Year-Olds
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 107) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
8
Gaps Narrow 1973-86NAEP Math Scores, 13 Year-Olds
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 108) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
9
Between 1988-90, that progress came to a haltand
gaps began to widen once again.
10
Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady or Widen NAEP
Math Scores, 17 Year-Olds
32
20
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 108) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
11
After 1988, Gaps Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17
Year-Olds
21
31
Source US Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends
in Academic Progress (p. 107) Washington, DC US
Department of Education, August 2000
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How much learning takes place at each level?
13
Students Make More Growth Grades 5 to 8 than
Grades 9 to 12
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Academic GrowthGrades 4-8, 8-12
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Value Added in High School Declined During the
Nineties
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Value Added Declining in High School Math...
Age 13-17 Growth
Source NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress
17
Still
Age 13-17 Growth
Source Main NAEP 1996, 2000
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Reading Students Entering Better Prepared, But
Leaving Worse
Source NAEP 1996 Trends in Academic Progress
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Reading Growth From Grade 9 and 12 Still
DecliningMain NAEP
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Hormones?
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Students in Other Countries Gain far More in
Middle and High School
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TIMSS
23
Source NCES 1999-081R, Highlights From TIMSS
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Source NCES 1999-081R, Highlights From TIMSS
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PISA
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US 15 Year-Olds Rank Near Middle Of The Pack
Among 32 Participating Countries
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One measure on which we rank high?Inequality!
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Performance Of U.S.15 Year-Olds Highly Variable
Of 27 OECD countries
Source OECD, Knowledge and Skills for Life
First Results From PISA 2000, 2001.
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Where are we now?
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NAEP Mathematics Performance 2000
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By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 12th Grade Math 2000
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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By Income 12th Grade Math (2000)
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
33
By Race, Ethnicity NAEP 12th Grade Reading 2002
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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By Income 12th Grade Reading (2002)
Source USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables
35
African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Do Math
at Same Levels As White 13 Year Olds
Source NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables
(online)
36
African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Read at
Same Levels as White 13 Year Olds
Source Source NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends
Summary Tables (online)
37
Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Reading
Skills
Source USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables
38
Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Math
Skills
Source USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables
39
These patterns are reflected, too, in high school
completion, college entry and college graduation
rates.
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Students Complete High School At Different Rates,
2000
Age 18-24
Source US Bureau of Census, Current Population
Reports, Educational Attainment in the United
States March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2
41
On Time Completion of Regular H.S. Diploma, 2001
Source Manhattan Institute, Public High School
Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the
United States.
42
More and more students going on to college
Source The Condition of Education 2003.
43
Most high school grads go on to postsecondary
within 2 years
Source NELS 88, Second (1992) and Third (1994)
Follow up in, USDOE, NCES, Access to
Postsecondary Education for the 1992 High School
Graduates, 1998, Table 2.
44
Half of Low Achieving Grads Go On To
Postsecondary
Source NELS 88, Second (1992) and Third Follow
up (1994) in, USDOE, NCES, Condition of
Education 1997, p. 64
45
What happens when they get there?
46
Unfortunately, when these new freshmen arrive in
college, many must take remedial (high-school)
level courses
Source National Center for Public Policy and
Higher Education,
47
Do they get caught up?
48
Students Requiring Extensive Remediation Graduate
at Lower Rates
Source Adelman, Cliff in Crosstalk, Vol 6, No 3,
Summer 1998.
49
College Freshmen Not Returning for Sophomore Year
Source Tom Mortensen, Postsecondary Opportunity,
No. 89, November 1999
50
African American and Latino Freshmen Complete
College at Lower Rates
Source Adapted from Adelman, Clifford, U.S.
Department of Education, Answers in the
Toolbox, 1999.
51
ADD IT ALL UP...
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Of Every 100 White Kindergartners
(25-to 29-Year-Olds)
Source US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the
Census. March Current Population Surveys,
1971-2001, in The Condition of Education 2002.
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Of Every 100 African American Kindergartners
(25-to 29-Year-Olds)
Source US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the
Census. March Current Population Survey,
1971-2001, In The Condition of Education 2002.
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Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners
(25-to 29-Year-Olds)
Source US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the
Census. March Current Population Surveys,
1971-2001, In The condition of Education 2002.
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Of Every 100 American Indian/Alaskan Native
Kindergartners
(24 Year Olds)
56
College Graduates by Age 26
Source Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public
Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post
Secondary, 1997.
57
WHY?
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What We Hear Adults Say

• Theyre poor
• Their parents dont care
• They come to schools without breakfast
• Not enough books
• Not enough parents . . .

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But if theyre right, then why are poor and
minority children performing so high in...
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Some schools...
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Hambrick Middle School,Aldine, TX

• 94 African American and Latino (state 56)
• 85 low-income (state 50)
• Has performed in the top fifth of all Texas
  middle schools in both reading and math in both
  7th and 8th grades over a 3-year period.

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Inman Middle School, Atlanta, GA

• 60 Low Income
• 60 African American and Latino
• (58 African American and 2 Latino)
• Outperformed about 95 of other GA schools on
  average in both 2001 and 2002.
• Over 90 of 6th graders, 7th graders, and 8th
  graders met state standard in reading in 2002.

Source The Education Trust, Dispelling the Myth
Online. Composite measure averaging across
grades and subject areas tested.
63
Johnson County Middle School, Kentucky

• 95 Low Income
• Outperformed 2/3 of other Kentucky middle schools
  in both math and reading for three years in a row
  (2000-2002).
• In 2002, performed better than about 90 of all
  KY middle schools in both math and reading.

Source The Education Trust, Dispelling the Myth
Online. Based on scale score in KY CATS
assessment system.
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Prince Edward County High, Farmville VA
(715 students 55 African American and Latino)
Sources Virginia Department of Education Web
site, http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/200
2SOLpassrates.html.
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Ramsay High SchoolBirmingham, Alabama

• Total Enrollment - 687
• 90 African American
• 2 Asian
• 4 Latino
• 4 White
• 34 Low Income
• Student achievement in top 10 percent of state
  for three consecutive years

Reflects Enrollment on First Day of Testing
Source Alabama State Department of Education
www.alsde.edu
66
High Performance at Ramsay High2003 Math Alabama
High School Graduation Exam
Source Alabama State Department of Education
Accountability Reporting System
www.alsde.edu/Accountability
67
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
68
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
69
Source Education Trust analysis of data from
National School-Level State Assessment Score
Database (www.schooldata.org).
70
MA Passing HS Competency Exam
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
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MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
72
MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
73
MA Narrowing the High School Competency Gap
Source Massachusetts Department of Education
Web site.
74
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
75
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, Institute
of Education Sciences, National Center for
Education Statistics, National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP)
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What Students Say Yes, some blame themselves.
But they also say...

• some teachers dont know
• their subjects
• counselors underestimate our
• potential
• principals dismiss concerns
• expectations wretchedly, boringly low.

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SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?

• A Few Things Worth Thinking About

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1. Can we agree on a single, overarching goal
for high school that will give clearer purpose,
focus to our reform efforts?
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Both professors and employers have similar worries
Percentage of employers and professors rating
graduates skills as fair or poor

• Most employers and professors question whether
  high school graduates have the knowledge and
  skills required on the job or in the college
  classroom.

80
Consequences serious both for students and for
taxpayers
Estimated annual spending on remedial education
in Michigan

• In a single state, employers and postsecondary
  education institutions spend an estimated 134.3
  million a year on remedial education.

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Education PaysAnnual Earnings of 25-34 yr-olds
by Attainment, 2001
Source US bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau
of the Census, Current Population Survey, March
2002
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Expectations Differ Plans For Students After
High School
Source Metropolitan Life, Survey of the
American Teacher 2000 Are We Preparing Students
for the 21st Century?, September 2000.
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Clearly, weve got a problem

• Students are following all the rules
• Meeting all of the requirements for the diploma
  and
• Falling in the cracks between high school and the
  expectations of postsecondary institutions.

84
To break through these old attitudes, cannot
equivocate.

• ALL students must graduate from high school ready
  for postsecondary education.

85
2. It is increasingly clear that student
success--in college, on assessments, and in
gaining access to good jobs--depends on
completing a rigorous, college prep-level
curriculum.
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Transcript Study single biggest predictor of
college success isQUALITY AND INTENSITY OF HIGH
SCHOOL CURRICULUM

• Cliff Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box, U.S.
  Department of Education.

87
Better alignment has major benefitsA strong
h.s. curriculum improves college completion and
narrows gaps
11
28
Completing at least Algebra II plus other
courses. Source Adapted from Adelman, Clifford,
U.S. Department of Education, Answers in the
Toolbox, 1999.
88
But college prep curriculum has benefits far
beyond college.
89
Students of all sorts will learn more...
90
Low Quartile Students Gain More From College Prep
Courses
Grade 8-grade 12 test score gains based on 8th
grade achievement.
Source USDOE, NCES, Vocational Education in the
United States Toward the Year 2000, in Issue
Brief Students Who Prepare for College and
Vocation
91
They will also fail less often...
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Challenging Curriculum Results in Lower Failure
Rates, Even for Lowest Achievers
Ninth-grade English performance, by high/low
level course, and eighth-grade reading
achievement quartiles
Source SREB, Middle Grades to High School
Mending a Weak Link. Unpublished Draft, 2002.
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And theyll be better prepared for the workplace.
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Take Manufacturing, for example
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Requirements forTool and Die Makers

• Four or five years of apprenticeship and/or
  postsecondary training
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and statistics
• Average earnings 40,000 per year.

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Requirements forSheet Metal Workers

• Four or five years of apprenticeship
• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry and technical
  reading

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African American and Latino Students Less Likely
to Complete Advanced Math and Science Courses
Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES,
Condition of Education 2002, p 86. Data from
1998 NAEP High School Transcript Study.
98
African American, Latino Native American youth
are less likely to be enrolled in full college
prep track
percent in college prep
SOURCE Jay P. Greene, Public High School
Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the
United States, Manhattan Institute, September
2003. Table 8. 2001 high school graduates with
college-prep curriculum.
99
But, we hear, isnt it also a matter of
ambition?
100
Advanced Math Classes Minority Interest Far
Exceeds Availability
8
29
Source National Action Council for Minorities in
Engineering, Progress Toward Power A Follow-Up
Survey of Childrens and Parents Attitudes About
Math and Science. Research Letter, October 2001.
Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 1999.
101
Whos Discouraging Students from Taking Advanced
Math?
Source National Action Council for Minorities in
Engineering, Progress Toward Power A Follow-Up
Survey of Childrens and Parents Attitudes About
Math and Science. Research Letter, October 2001.
Survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 1999..
102
Why Kids Drop Out

• Students mainly consider dropping out because
  they are not engaged by the school.
• Students are most likely to cite the following
  reasons for considering dropping out
• School was boring (76) and
• They were not learning enough (42).

Source Metropolitan Life, Survey of the American
Teacher 2002 Student Life School, Home
and Community, p. 9.
103
Leading districts, states making college prep the
default curriculum.
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BUT

• it is clear from the NAEP data that were not
  getting the gains from those courses we should
  expect and,
• it is also clear that course labels dont always
  tell much about standards.

105
Historically, most of the really important
decisions about what students should learn and
what kind of work was good enough left to
individual teachers.
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Result? A System That

• Doesnt expect very much from MOST students and,
• Expects much less from some types of students
  than others.

107
14 SC High Schools CalibratedGaps Between
Standards and Assignments Largest in Upper Grades
108
Texas Algebra I Course Performance vs.
End-of-Course Test Performance
Source Texas Education Agency, Texas Student
Assessment Program Student Performance Results,
1999-2000, Section VI A Study of the Correlation
between Course Performance in Algebra I and
Algebra I End-of-Course Test Performance.
109
Texas Algebra I Course Performance vs.
End-of-Course Test Performance
Source Texas Education Agency, Texas Student
Assessment Program Student Performance Results,
1999-2000, Section VI A Study of the Correlation
between Course performance in Algebra I and
Algebra I End-of-Course Test Performance.
110
Students can do no better than the assignments
they are given...
111
Grade 10 Writing Assignment
A frequent theme in literature is the conflict
between the individual and society. From
literature you have read, select a character who
struggled with society. In a well-developed
essay, identify the character and explain why
this characters conflict with society is
important.
112
Grade 10 Writing Assignment
Write a composition of at least 4 paragraphs on
Martin Luther Kings most important contribution
to this society. Illustrate your work with a
neat cover page. Neatness counts.
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High Performing Schools and Districts

• Have clear and specific goals for what students
  should learn in every grade, including the order
  in which they should learn it
• Provide teachers with common curriculum,
  assignments
• Create vehicles to work toward consistent
  understandings of good enough
• Assess students every 4-8 weeks to measure
  progress
• ACT immediately on the results of those
  assessments.

114
3. Organizing Time and Staff in Pursuit of
Different Outcomes
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Poor and Minority Students Get More
Inexperienced Teachers
Teachers with 3 or fewer years of experience.
High and low refer to top and bottom
quartiles. Source National Center for Education
Statistics, Monitoring Quality An Indicators
Report, December 2000.
116
High-Poverty Schools Get More Low-Scoring
Teachers
Teachers scoring in the bottom quartile on on
SAT/ACT. High-poverty schools have 2/3 or more
students eligible for reduced-price
lunch. Source Education Week, Quality Counts
2001, January 2001.
117
More Classes in High-Poverty, High-Minority
Schools Taught by Out-of-Field Teachers
Teachers lacking a college major or minor in the
field. Data for secondary-level core academic
classes. Source Richard M. Ingersoll, University
of Pennsylvania. Original analysis for the Ed
Trust of 1999-2000 Schools and Staffing Survey.
118
African American Students More Likely To Have
Ineffective Teachers Tennessee
Source Sanders, William L. and Rivers, June C.
Cumulative And Residual Effects of Teachers on
Future Student Academic Achievement, 1996
119
Even Within Schools, Often Big
Differences
120
Turn Around This PatternUPDRAFT for ALL
Students?
121
By our estimates from Texas schools, having an
above average teacher for five years running can
completely close the average gap between
low-income students and others. John Kain and
Eric Hanushek
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The Education Trust

• For More Information . . .
• www.edtrust.org
• Washington, DC 202-293-1217
• Oakland, CA 510-465-6444