1. Closing the Achievement Gap: A Strategic Response
Belinda Williams, Psy.D.
Positive Psychologist
Voice:
URBANED1
Notes:
Who I was and who I am now
The work takes precedence over what personal desires you have over the years
There comes a time when you discover what your it is and you go for it

2. Welcome, Introductions & Set: Two Premises
1. Every child is capable of and responsible for learning.
2. Every person is responsible for teaching and learning.

3. Our Charge To engage in a “ruthless assessment” of current practice
To generate powerful designs for addressing teaching and learning
To coalesce constituencies for impact
To think strategically and act responsibly

4. The “Ruthless Assessment” of What is at Stake
The education, health and well-being of America’s children
The slow death of public schools, mostly serving high concentrations of poor and minority students
Neglecting these issues will
impede the intellectual well being of this country
increase current prison enrollment
undermine improving race relations
increase violent incidences in children as young as five

5. What We Want to Accomplish To generate powerful designs by:
Understanding that every child has a right to an equitable and excellent education.
Believing that it is statistically impossible for 88% of a given population to not meet minimum competency levels.
Discussing the possibility that if children are not achieving perhaps there are other conditions that should be considered.

6. Why This Work, Why This Topic?
To coalesce constituencies for impact
Teachers and parents have lost hope and enthusiasm in their ability to educate children who are considered difficult to reach.
This problem cannot be solved by placing blame; it can be solved by creating partnerships with educators, parents, students and community representatives.
As educators it is our professional responsibility to educate all children equitably with the expectation that they can and will learn.

7. Think Strategically… Act Responsibly
Who, What, Why, When, Where, and How…
Who is responsible for students who are not achieving?
What can I do to create a difference?
Why are some children failing while others are achieving?
When will we stop blaming and start achieving?
Where can we get help?
How can we eliminate the achievement gap?

8. Experience and Education John Dewey, 1938
…A primary responsibility of educators is that they not only be aware of the general principle of the shaping of actual experience by environing conditions, but that they also recognize in the concrete what surroundings are conducive to having experiences that lead to growth. Above all, they should know how to utilize the surroundings, physical and social, that exist so as to extract from them all that they have to contribute to building up experiences that are worthwhile… There was no demand that the teacher should become intimately acquainted with the conditions of the local community, physical, historical, economic, occupational, etc., in order to utilize them as educational resources. A system of education based upon the necessary connection of education with experience…must… take these things constantly into account.

9. Creating Change Creating change is a matter of will and nothing else.
The truth is, it does not matter what the current status is but rather what it should be.

10. Leadership to Move Beyond Restructuring to Reculturing Education to Close the Gap “The Deeper Issues” The Real Challenge for the 21st Century
Define the “All Children Agenda”
Introduce Theoretical Integration
Change the System and Structures
Redefine Comprehensive Reform
Implement Whole School Reform
Redefine Outcomes/Results

11. Trends in NAEP Reading Performance
Average Scale Scores of 9 Year Old Public School Students, by Poverty Level of School
225
217
211
210
190
188

12. NAEP Proficiency Reading Scores for the Five Major Ethnic Groups in the US

13. Factors that Contribute to Low Academic Performance
Presumed
What Students Said
Parents
Lack of resources/funding
Poverty
Students
Low teacher expectations
Teacher preparation
Behavioral issues and classroom management
School
Some students don’t care
Problems at home
Don’t study
Some teachers don’t explain the work
Environment
Students are not prepared
Family issues
Teachers should expect more
Parent Support

14. Actual Factors That Contribute to Low Academic Performance
Parent Involvement
Expectations
Teachers
Parents
Students
Poor relationships
Culture
Attendance
Environment
School

15. Culture and Learning: An Integration of Evidence, Theory and Practice
How the Brain Learns: Multiple sensory input and prior experiences.
Piaget: Schemes as actions that have structure.
Dewey & Vygotsky: Experience/Culture.
National Research Council: How people learn.
Consortium for Policy Research in Education: Teaching Practices.
Ladson-Billings: Using culturally relevant experiences.

16. What Teachers Can Do
The most important characteristic students look for in teachers is “caring”.
The time they take in teaching
How well they prepare
How they make classes interesting
The time they take to listen
The time they take for extra-curricular activities
How they value student’s language and culture
Learning about the cultural history of others
Demonstrating comfort in the knowledge or presence of other cultures
Nieto, S. (1996) Affirming Diversity

17. Average Reading Score Results for the Nation
SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.

18. SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.
Significantly different from 2000.

19. SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.
Significantly different from 2000.

20. Parental Involvement
Epstein, J.L. (1987, 1992) Four forms of Parental Involvement
School communication
School participation
Home discussions
Home supervision
The parent involvement that has the greatest impact on student achievement is home discussion. Home discussion means meaningful conversations about the schoolwork students bring home. Most schools and parents dedicate most of their time to school communication (newsletter, telephone calls, etc.) and school participation (meetings, conferences, etc.).

21. SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.
Significantly different from 2000.

22. SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.
Significantly different from 2000.

23. SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.
Significantly different from 2000.

24. SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 1992–2000 Reading Assessments.
Significantly different from 2000.

25. A Profound Statement
“Since we were born with boundaries set against us some just choose to go along with the stereotype that we are less and that we don’t count for anything. Some don’t have the mindset to achieve and some just need motivation and guidance to help them.” 10th grade student

26. What You Can Do… What You Must Do!
First and foremost take responsibility
Model what you want to see
Get and Lend a second pair of eyes
Showcase your successful models – publish!
Celebrate your victories, learn from your mistakes
Always take a moment to teach

27. A Brief Overview Questions and Answers Adjournment
Next Steps
A Brief Overview
Questions and Answers
Adjournment