1 America's Schools and Our Education Crisis - Taking Reform to Scale Middle Level Education Conference Jean-Claude Brizard

2 “These educational gaps impose on the United States the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession.” McKinsey and Company, The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools

3 ►If the United States had in recent years closed the gap between its educational achievement levels and those of better-performing nations such as Finland and Korea, GDP in 2008 could have been $1.3 trillion to $2.3 trillion higher. This represents 9 to 16 percent of GDP. ►If the gap between black and Latino student performance and white student performance had been similarly narrowed, GDP in 2008 would have been between$310 billion and $525 billion higher, or 2 to 4 percent of GDP. The magnitude of this impact will rise in the years ahead as demographic shifts result in blacks and Latinos becoming a larger proportion of the population and workforce. ►If the gap between low-income students and the rest had been similarly narrowed, GDP in 2008 would have been $400 billion to $670 billion higher, or 3 to 5 percent of GDP. McKinsey and Company, The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools

4 It’s Up to Us: Going the Distance to Raise Achievement and Close Gaps Ed Trust

5 It Is About Every Child “Ensuring that every child in Rochester has access to world class content taught by world class teachers in schools led by world class leaders.”

6 Stars Aligning? ►USDOE ►NYSED ►RCSD ►Community

7 Record Performance for All Groups NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)

8 Record Performance for All Groups NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)

9 Not Much Progress NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)

10 Increases and Record Performance for All Groups NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)

11 Results of a decade of effort in mathematics…

12 NAEP Grade 4 Math 1996 Compared to 2007 NAEP Data Explorer, NCES

13 Clearly, much more remains to be done in elementary and middle school Too many youngsters still enter high school way behind.

14 Why Look in the Middle Grades? ►Students who enter high school two or more years behind grade level in math and literacy have only a 50/50 chance of on- time promotion to the 10 th grade. ►Ninth grade retention is the biggest risk factor for dropping out of high school

15 15 Status: Middle school (NYS) has improved as more students meet the standards. When the grade 3-8 tests began in 2006, the percentage of students achieving Levels 3 & 4 was much poorer in the middle grades than in the elementary grades. But now performance in middle school has improved significantly. Percentage of Students at Levels 3 and 4

16 Secondary School Transitions 1. 1.How do we reinvent middle grades and high schools to create organizations that are powerful developmental communities whose mission is to educate ALL students? 2. 2.How do we create middle school to high school programs that “bridge-the-gap” for all students? 3. 3.How do we prepare students and teachers for the curriculum changes necessary for successful implementation of secondary school reform?

17 What Does the Research Say? ► The students attending middle schools experienced a greater achievement loss in the transition to high school than did the students making the transition from a K-8 elementary school. ► The loss of self-esteem and self-perception other researchers have found to be associated with school-to- school transitions may have been a factor in the increased dropout rates found in this study. ► Students that have experience large shifts in population (less familiar faces) and culture may suffer in the transition.

18 But at least we have some traction on elementary and middle school problems. The same is NOT true of our high schools.

19 Achievement Flat in Reading NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)

20 Achievement Also Flat in Math NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)

21 And gaps between groups are wider today than in 1990

22 17 Year Olds – NAEP Reading NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004) 21 29

23 17 Year Olds – NAEP Math NAEP Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004) 20 28

24 A few years ago, we got a wake up call when the 2000 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results were published.

25 PISA Performance U.S.A. Ranks Near Bottom, Has Fallen Since 2000 Subject 2000 Rank (out of 26) Mathematics17 th Science13 th PISA 2006 Results, OECD Note: Rankings are for the 26 OECD countries participating in PISA in 2000, 2003, and Rank (out of 26) 22 nd Tied 17 th 2006 Rank (out of 26) 22 nd 19 th

26 A closer look at math

27 Of 29 OECD Countries, U.S.A. Ranked 24 th PISA 2003 Results, OECD U.S.A.

28 Problems are not limited to our high- poverty and high-minority schools...

29 U.S.A. Ranks 23 rd out of 29 OECD Countries in the Math Achievement of the Highest-Performing Students* PISA 2003 Results, OECD U.S.A. * Students at the 95 th Percentile

30 U.S.A. Ranks 23 rd out of 29 OECD Countries in the Math Achievement of High-SES Students PISA 2003 Results, OECD U.S.A.

31 The U.S.A. does have a larger percentage of immigrants and children of immigrants than most OECD countries PISA 2006 Results, OECD, table 4.2c U.S.A.

32 But ranks 21 st out of 30 OECD countries when only taking into account native student* scores PISA 2006 Results, OECD, table 4.2c U.S.A. *Students born in the country of assessment with at least one parent born in the same country

33 Even in problem-solving, something we consider an American strength…

34 U.S.A. Ranks 24 th Out of 29 OECD Countries in Math Problem-Solving PISA 2003 Results, OECD U.S.A.

35 Only place we rank high? Inequality.

36 Among OECD Countries, U.S.A. has the 4 th Largest Gap Between High-SES and Low-SES Students PISA 2006 Results, OECD, table 4.8b U.S.A.

37 Very big differences at district level, too.

© 2009 THE EDUCATION TRUST Source: 3838 SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2003 Trial Urban District Reading Assessment. * There is a 19 point gap between Poor African American 4 th graders in the District of Columbia and Boston (roughly equivalent to 2 years’ worth of learning)

© 2009 THE EDUCATION TRUST Source: 3939 SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2003 Trial Urban District Reading Assessment. * There is a 28 point gap between poor African American 8 th graders in Los Angeles and Houston (roughly equivalent to 3 years’ worth of learning)

© 2009 THE EDUCATION TRUST Source: 4040 SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2002 Trial Urban District Reading Assessment. * There is an 18 point gap between Los Angeles and Houston (equivalent to almost 2 years worth of learning) Scale Score

41 Big differences in whole states.

42 Average Overall Scale Scores by State NAEP Data Explorer, NCES Proficient Scale Score: 238 New York National Average

43 Average African American Scale Scores by State NAEP Data Explorer, NCES Proficient Scale Score: 238 New York National Average

44 Average Latino Scale Scores by State NAEP Data Explorer, NCES Proficient Scale Score: 238 National Average New York

45 Average Low-Income Scale Scores by State NAEP Data Explorer, NCES Proficient Scale Score: 238 National Average New York

46 8 th Grade Math

NAEP Grade 8 Math Average Overall Scale Scores by State Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, Proficient Scale Score: 299 National Average New York

NAEP Grade 8 Math Average African American Scale Scores by State Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, Proficient Scale Score: 299 National Average New York

NAEP Grade 8 Math Average Latino Scale Scores by State Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, Proficient Scale Score: 299 National Average New York

NAEP Grade 8 Math Average Low-Income Scale Scores by State Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, Proficient Scale Score: 299 National Average New York

51 What Can We Do?

52 There are schools of excellence that are high poverty, high minority

53 Capitol View Elementary Atlanta, Georgia ►228 students in grades K-5 96% African American ►88% Low-Income Georgia Department of Education

54 High Achievement for All at Capitol View Elementary Georgia Department of Education

55 Frankford Elementary School

56 Frankford Elementary Frankford, Delaware ►449 Students in Grades PreK-5 ►29% African American ►34% Latino ►34% White ►76% Low-Income Source: Delaware Department of Education Online School Profiles,

57 Frankford Elementary Closing Gaps, Grade 5 Reading Source: Delaware Department of Education, DSTP Online Reports,

58 Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High Elmont, New York ►1,945 students in grades % African American ►27% Low-Income New York Department of Education

59 Elmont: Out-Performing the State Secondary-Level English (2006) Source: New York Department of Education,

60 Improvement and High Performance at Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High New York Department of Education

61 More Students Graduate at Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High New York Department of Education

62 What Do We Know About How To Accelerate Success? What do the high performers do?

63 #1. They focus on what they can do, rather than what they can’t.

64 Some schools and districts get all caught up in “correlations”. Spend endless time tracking: ►Percent of babies born at low birth-weight ►Percent of children born to single moms ►Percent of children in families receiving government assistance ►Education levels of mothers N/A

65 “ Some of our children live in pretty dire circumstances. But we can’t dwell on that, because we can’t change it. So when we come here, we have to dwell on that which is going to move our kids.” Barbara Adderly, Principal, M. Hall Stanton Elementary, Philadelphia The leaders in high-performing high poverty schools and districts don’t do that.

66 #2. When it comes to teaching and learning they leave nothing to chance.

67 Result? A System That: ►Doesn’t expect very much from MOST students ►Expects much less from some types of students than others. N/A An awful lot of our teachers—even brand new ones—are left to figure out on their own what to teach and what constitutes “good enough” work.

68 “No,” say the education leaders. “They’re supposed to teach to standards!” ►But when is the last time you looked at a standard?

69 Sample Language Arts Standard: Grade 9 “The student will develop and apply expansive knowledge of words and word meanings to communicate.”

70 Sample Language Arts Standard: Grade 10 “The student will develop and apply expansive knowledge of words and word meanings to communicate.”

71 Sample Language Arts Standard: Grade 11 “The student will develop and apply expansive knowledge of words and word meanings to communicate.”

72 Sample Language Arts Standard: Grade 12 “The student will develop and apply expansive knowledge of words and word meanings to communicate.”

73 Students can do no better than the assignments they are given...

74 Source: Unnamed school district in California, school year Essay on Anne Frank Your essay will consist of an opening paragraph which introduced the title, author and general background of the novel. Your thesis will state specifically what Anne's overall personality is, and what general psychological and intellectual changes she exhibits over the course of the book You might organize your essay by grouping psychological and intellectual changes OR you might choose 3 or 4 characteristics (like friendliness, patience, optimism, self doubt) and show how she changes in this area. Grade 7 Writing Assignment

75 My Best Friend:My Best Friend: A chore I hate:A chore I hate: A car I want:A car I want: My heartthrob:My heartthrob: Source: Unnamed school district in California, school year Grade 7 Writing Assignment

76 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 ►Have regular vehicle to assure common marking standards ►Assess students every 4-8 weeks to measure progress ►Act immediately on the results of those assessments N/A

77 Implementation of Rochester Curriculum Framework Initiative Overview: Develop and Implement the Rochester Curriculum Framework with Benchmark Assessments for Grades 5 to 9, in ELA and Math ► ►Cross Functional Team Field Study to Grand Prairie, Texas ► ►Establishment of District-wide Steering Committee ► ►Identification/Training of Grs. 5 to 9 Curriculum Writers ► ►Curriculum Writing Targets Established ► ►Outreach to Key Stakeholders ► ►Creation of an Informational DVD (featuring writers, classroom teachers, students, subject directors and superintendent) ► ►Generate Supports: Parent Benchmark Assessment Brochure, Taming the Testing Monster, Teacher/Administrative Feedback Medium, Frequently Asked Questions, Test Anxiety Brochure and Sample Letter ► ►Implemented Targeted PD on Analyzing and Using Data to Inform Instruction ► ►Collaborating with the School Zone Chiefs to Monitor and Assess Implementation ► ►Reviewing Assessment Calendar (in collaboration with the Zone Chiefs, Accountability and HCI) ► ►Establishment of School Implementation Teams (SIT)/Mid- Year Updates ► ►Establish Assessment Schedule ► ►Collaboration with the Administrative/Operational Side for Assessment Delivery ► ►Implementing Curriculum Writing Quality Control Process ► ►Conferring with Key Stakeholders (RCEL) ► ►Drafting an instrument to enable students to document and track their progress

78 #3. They set their goals high.

79 Even when they start with high drop out rates, high-impact high schools focus on preparing all kids for college and careers ►Education Trust 2005 study, “Gaining Traction, Gaining Ground.”

80 Even if you have your doubts, NEW STUDY FROM ACT: COLLEGE READY = WORKFORCE TRAINING READY

81 #4. Higher performing secondary schools put all kids—not just some—in a demanding high school core curriculum.

82 The single biggest predictor of post-high school success is the QUALITY AND INTENSITY OF THE HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM Cliff Adelman, The Toolbox Revisited, U.S. Department of Education

83 Leading states are making college prep the default curriculum. Texas, Indiana, Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Dakota, New York

84 #5. High performing schools are obsessive about time, especially instructional time.

85 High Performing High Schools ►“Behind” students spend 60 additional hours (25% more time) over 1 year in reading related courses ►“Behind” students get 240 additional hours over 4 years! In other words, high performing schools both maximize time and don’t leave its use to chance.

86 #6. Principals are hugely important, ever present, but NOT the only leaders in the school

87 Rochester Leadership Academy Execution Date: July, 2009 ►Program Description: A partnership between the Rochester City School District (RCSD), St. John Fisher College (SJFC) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED). ►Purpose: Provide year-round professional learning opportunities and support for practicing school leaders in the RCSD. ►Objectives: - Increase school and student performance - Implement and sustain a comprehensive and continuous professional learning model - Supplement the RCSD’s and state’s efforts to recruit, prepare and support effective school leaders who are committed to serving in high needs urban school districts.

88 #7. Good schools know how much teachers matter, and they act on that knowledge.

89 “It was naïve to assume that classroom quality would improve just because we changed our structure.” ►Student-teacher ratio ►Structural reforms Decentralization of powers Smaller schools Charter schools Michael Barber (McKinsey and Co) How The World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out On Top

90 Students in Dallas Gain More in Math with Effective Teachers Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, and Dash Weerasinghe, The Effects of Teachers on Longitudinal Student Achievement (1997)

91 Students Assigned to Effective Teachers Dramatically Outperformed Students Assigned to Ineffective Teachers W. Sanders and J. Rivers, Cumulative and Residual Effects of Teachers on Future Students Academic Achievement (1996)

92 Cumulative Teacher Effects On Students’ Math Scores in Dallas Heather Jordan, Robert Mendro, and Dash Weerasinghe, The Effects of Teachers on Longitudinal Student Achievement (1997) Beginning Grade 3 Percentile Rank= 55 Beginning Grade 3 Percentile Rank= 57

93 Students at High-Minority Schools More Likely to Be Taught by Novice Teachers Analysis of Schools and Staffing Survey data by Richard Ingersoll, University of Pennsylvania (2007) Note: Novice teachers are those with three years or fewer experience.. High-minority ≥ 75% students non-white. Low-minority ≤ 10% students non-white.

94 Tennessee: High poverty/high minority schools have fewer of the “most effective” teachers and more “least effective” teachers Tennessee Department of Education (2007). “Tennessee’s Most Effective Teachers.” Note: High Poverty/High minority means at least 75% qualify for FRPL and at least 75% are minority.

95 High performing schools and districts… ►Work hard to attract and hold good teachers ►Make sure that their best are assigned to the students who most need them ►Chase out teachers who are not “good enough” for their kids. N/A

96 Highly Qualified Teachers - RCSD 3

97 Yearly Retention Rate for Interns Assigned to Mentors in the CIT Mentor Program 1986-September, 2008 Average Overall Retention Rate= 88% Retention Rate : 89% It is important to note that the national average retention rate in urban districts has dropped below 65%. Because of the extremely high retention rate in the RCSD, mentor programs across the nation have been modeled after the RCSD CIT Program.

98 #8. Good systems aggressively tackle the myth that “Closing the achievement gap is unfair…and unachievable.”

99 Five Steps Toward Building Globally Competitive Education Systems 1.Upgrade state standards by adopting a common core of of internationally benchmark standards in math and language arts for grades K Leverage states’ collective influence to ensure that textbooks, digital media, curricula, and assessments are aligned to internationally benchmarked standards and draw on lessons from high performing nations and states. 3.Revise state policies for recruiting, preparing, developing, and supporting teachers and school leaders to reflect the human capital practices of top-performing nations and states around the world. NGA and Council of Chief State School Officers, Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring US Students Receive a World-Class Education

100 Five Steps Toward Building Globally Competitive Education Systems 4.Hold schools and systems accountable through monitoring, interventions, and support to ensure consistently high performance, drawing upon international best practices. 5.Measure state-level education performance globally by examining student achievement and attainment in an international context to ensure that over time, students are receiving the education they need to compete in the 21 st century economy. NGA and Council of Chief State School Officers, Benchmarking for Success: Ensuring US Students Receive a World-Class Education