1 Colin Chellman and Meryle Weinstein Research Associates, Institute for Education and Social Policy and Leanna Stiefel and Amy Ellen Schwartz Faculty, Wagner Graduate School New York University Education Finance Research Consortium November 19, 2004 Uncommon Schools, Uncommon Results: Case Studies of Three New York State Schools Closing Racial Test Score Gaps

2 Research Questions What are the differences in school-level test scores by subgroup in New York State? How do "schools without gaps" differ from those with gaps? What policies and practices might contribute to reducing test score gaps?

3 School Strategies to Eliminate the Gap School culture and teacher characteristics Leadership Use of data Parental expectations and involvement in schooling

4 School Culture and Teacher Characteristics –Small class size and high per-pupil spending –Teacher quality –Integration and student relationships –Expectations of teachers and principals –Diverse faculty and staff

5 Leadership Instructional leaders Ability to recruit and retain good teachers Principal autonomy

6 Use of Data Disaggregating student performance to identify low-performing students Professional development on how to use data Connecting results to instruction Use of ongoing assessments

7 Parents and Expectations Parental involvement in children’s school Parental expectations Communicating these expectations to children

8 Quantitative Data: and New York State School Report Card State of Learning/Chapter 655 Report Institutional Master File School District Fiscal Profiles

9 Quantitative Analysis Identify schools accountable for: –White students only –Non-white students only –Both white and non-white students Compare results to school year Identify schools that showed little disparity in subgroup performance over two years

10 Table 1: Distribution by Racial Accountability Status, th grade (n=2,249) 8 th grade (n=1,068) % Schools % Students % Schools % Students White accountable only Non-white accountable only Accountable for both groups

11 Choosing Case Study Schools 1. Schools accountable for both white and non-white students in and school years –668 elementary schools –424 middle schools 2. Identify schools with small or non-traditional test score gaps between these groups –45 elementary schools –27 middle schools

12 Eliminated: schools “sinking all boats” less-integrated schools schools with the lowest poverty rates Asian-dominated schools

13 Qualitative Data Principal Interviews (n=3) –Educational philosophy –Academic goals –Curricula –Expectations for students –School organization –School environment Teacher Surveys (n=23) –Understanding of school philosophy –Perceptions of other teachers, students –Perceptions of school leadership –Availability of teacher supports

14 Two studies: Bay Area School Reform Collaborative (BASRC, 2003) –Compared schools with and without gaps Markow and Scheer, Education Week, 2004 Nationally-representative teacher sample Qualitative Data, cont’d.

15 Table 2: Teacher Characteristics Sample 1 New York State 2 Median years experience Average years at school 7.4NA % permanently certified % white Sources: 1) Authors’ survey 2) 2003 State of Learning/Chapter 655 Report School Culture and Teacher Characteristics

16 Table 3: Student Interaction % Agree or Strongly Agree Students from different racial backgrounds frequently hang out together 94.7 Teachers encourage students of different backgrounds to work together on projects or classwork 90.4 Teachers and administrators encourage students of different racial backgrounds to interact outside of class 80.0 School Culture and Teacher Characteristics

17 Table 4: Factors That Explain Achievement Gap % responding some or a lot Lack of family support100 Challenging family conditions100 Lack of student motivation/effort100 Lower natural ability87 Unequal access to quality education54 Low expectations from teachers30 Injustice or discrimination36 School Culture and Teacher Characteristics

18 Table 5: What would work best to reduce test score gaps? % agreeing Increased parental involvement78 Increased student effort65 Equal academic opportunities48 More money to schools39 Good teachers35 Racial/economic diverse classrooms13 Solving outside economic issues13 Other9 No solution0 School Culture and Teacher Characteristics

19 Principal Leadership “People know they can reach me here [at school], or at home, if they have a suggestion…You have to be a risk taker. You’ve got to learn to try things, to see what works for the kids. If the teacher has a good idea, and she’s willing to go for it, I’ll support them if it makes sense because, let them try it. If it doesn’t work, go to plan B.” Leadership

20 Table 6: Principal Leadership % Agree or Strongly Agree Has confidence in expertise of teachers Collaborates with teachers and staff Understands how children learn Promotes parent and community involvement 95.5 Is an effective manager 90.9 Takes a personal interest in the professional development of teachers 90.5 Places needs of children ahead of personal/political interests 86.4 Leadership

21 Data “I think we probably use data more than most schools… What the district sends us is good, but it’s not really action-able or available. It’s a stack of reports with a bunch of numbers. That’s scary to your typical teacher.” Data

22 Table 7: Use of Data NeverYearlyMonthlyWeekly Use data to understand skill gaps Administer ongoing assessments Discuss achievement data with colleagues Data

23 Table 9: Expectations % Agree or Strongly Agree Teachers communicate with parents about helping children learn 95.5 Parents understand standards and the expectations teachers hold for children 63.6 I ask parents for their suggestions for working with their child 63.1 Parents and Expectations

24 Parental Involvement “There’s difficulty in getting the parents to come in because of the nature of our population. We have a large immigrant population… The parents don’t come in because they’re not legal and they have financial problems and family problems. There’s a myriad of difficulties.” Parents and Expectations

25 Conclusions Teachers hold high expectations for all students. Principals are strong instructional leaders. Data from ongoing assessments are used to target resources where needed most. Teachers and principals perceive that parents have high expectations around academic performance for their children.

26 Future Research Students observation and surveys –How do students perceive teacher and parent expectations? –Does diverse student interaction improve study habits? Parents –How do parents express expectations for their children? Classroom observation –Validate teacher survey response Comparison group of schools