Partnering for Equity: Transforming Education Together Ericka Guynes Principal, Earl Boyles Elementary School Oregon Association of Teacher Educators March 6, 2015
“Equity and excellence can’t be divided.” Ernest L. Boyer
My School Transformation Journey
Partnering with Families
Guiding Principles
Community Needs Assessment
Assessment Results: Diversity
Assessment Results: Demographics English-Language Learners40% Economically Disadvantaged82% Students with Disabilities15% Languages Spoken at School20
Community Needs Family-friendly recreational opportunities Central meeting places for families A sense of “cohesion” Services for children and families Quality child care and preschool
School Readiness Needs Better access to quality preschool Parents need an understanding of the importance of the birth to five period Support for parents to help kids at home Opportunities and activities for families Support for non-English- speaking parents
Partnering with Families for Equity
Family Engagement Activities
Mind in the Making
Books in Home Increasing Percentage of homes with 26+ children’s books
Lending Library
Daily Reading Kindergarten parents are reading more, but gap remains for Latino families
Partnering for Preschool
Earl Boyles Preschool
SUN Partnership “I believe that together we can do more.” Meghan Zook, SUN Coordinator
Health Governance Committee
Neighborhood Center: Visioning
Partnering with Teachers for Equity
Staff Transformations “It is not my job to make my students adapt to my teaching – but to adapt my teaching to fit the needs of each individual child.” Earl Boyles Preschool Teacher
Elements of an Effective Prenatal to Grade 3 System Outcome Children Ready for School & Meeting Benchmarks Family engagement at home and school Committed Leadership Effective Governance Shared, Leveraged Resources Aligned, Seamless Pathways Data-Driven Decision Making
Infant and toddler play groups School-based preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds Early kindergarten transitions program PreK-3rd attendance teams Summer literacy (K transition; 1st, 2nd grades) Systems Improvement Increased curriculum alignment between early years and early grades Data feedback loop to inform instruction Research-Based Indicators Longer-Term Outcomes Increased % of incoming kindergartners participated in quality preschool Fewer than 10% are chronically absent from school Increased % of children with special needs identified, referred, and linked to special education support before kindergarten entry Increased % of children meet school readiness and development benchmarks in preschool, kindergarten Decreased disparities in school readiness for ELL, Latino children Increased % of children meet 3 rd grade reading and math benchmarks Activities & Interventions Transforming Systems to Reach Equity
Questions