GOOD TEACHING MATTERS: Strategies for Improving Achievement And Closing Gaps Between Groups

GOOD TEACHING MATTERS:Strategies for Improving Achievement And Closing Gaps Between

Groups

Prepared for the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors

by The Education Trust, 2003

Achievement in America: Key Facts on Where We Are Now

Where Are We Now?4th Grade Reading, All Students, 1998

All

39

32

29

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

Where Are We Now? 8th Grade Mathematics All Students

2000

35

38

26

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Prof/AdvBasicBelow Basic


Underneath those nation-wide figures, there are gaps of all

sorts…including gaps among states

Differences Among States: Grade 4 Reading

46

10

05

101520253035404550

Highest State Lowest State

Proficient or Above

Today’s Focus:Examining Performance of Key Racial and Economic Groups

By Race, Ethnicity 4th Grade Reading 1998

65 62 55

28 34

26 26 33

3432

9 12 12

38 34

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Black Latino Native White Asian



By Family Income4th Grade 1998

58

22

29

33

13

39

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Poor Not Poor



NAEP 8th Grade Mathematics 2000

68 6050

23 25

2731

38

43 35

5 9 1234 40

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Black Latino Native White Asian



NAEP 8th Grade Math Performance 2000

56

24

34

41

10

35

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Poor Not Poor



Progress over time?

During seventies and eighties we made a lot of progress, but that progressed

stopped by 1990.

Gaps Narrow, Then Mostly Widen NAEP Reading,

17 Year-Olds

200

300

1971 1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999

Ave

rage

Rea

ding

NA

EP

Scor

e

African American Latino WhiteSource: 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

Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady or Widen: NAEP Math Scores, 13 Year-Olds

200

220

240

260

280

300

1973 1978 1982 1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999

Ave

rage

Sca

le S

core

African American Latino WhiteSource: 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

By End of High School?

Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate

Strong Reading SkillsAfrican

AmericanLatino White

Learn from SpecializedMaterials

1% 2% 8%

Understand ComplicatedInformation

17 24 46

Partial Skills 66 68 87

Make Generalizations 95 97 98

Source: USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables

Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate

Strong Math SkillsAfrican

AmericanLatino White

Multi-Step ProblemSolving

1% 3% 10%

Moderately ComplexProcedures

27 38 70

Numerical Operations 89 94 99

Source: USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables

African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Do Math at Same Levels As

White 13 Year Olds

0%

100%

200 250 300 350

White 8th Graders African American 12th GradersLatino 12th Graders

Source: NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables (online)

African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Read at Same Levels as White 13

Year Olds

Source: NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables (online)

0%

100%

150 200 250 300 350

White 8th Graders African American 12th GradersLatino 12th Graders

Not Surprisingly, These Same Patterns Evident in High School

Graduation

Students Graduate From High School At Different Rates, 1998

Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States: March 1998 (p. 20-513), Detailed Tables No. 2

81%94%

63%

90%

0%

100%

(18-24 Year-Olds)

African American Asian Latino White

Despite Poor Preparation, Most Graduates Will Go Immediately

On To College

IMMEDIATE COLLEGE-GOING GROWING

49 5055

6065 63

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 1999

TOTAL

Within 2 Years of HS Graduation?

Most High School Grads Go On To Postsecondary Within 2 YearsEntered Public 2-Year Colleges

26%

Entered 4-Year Colleges 45%

Other Postsecondary 4%

Total 75%

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.

Unfortunately, About Half of these Students Must Take Remedial

Coursework…

and Many Do Not Even Make it to the Sophomore Year

College Freshmen Not Returning for Sophomore Year

4 year Colleges 26%2 year Colleges 45%

Source: Tom Mortensen, Postsecondary Opportunity, No. 89, November 1999

Result: Gains In College Completion Are Not

Proportionate With Gains In College Attendance

College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Whites

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

White College-Going White Completion

Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, October Current Population Surveys, 1972-2000, in US DOE, NCES, The Condition of Education 2002, p.166 and 174.

19

10

College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Blacks

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Black BlackCompletion


21

7

College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Hispanics

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Hispanic Hispanic Completion


ADD IT ALL UP...

Of Every 100 White Kindergartners:

93 Graduate from High School

65 Complete at Least Some College

32 Obtain at Least a Bachelor’s Degree

(24 Year-Olds)Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States; March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

Of Every 100 African American Kindergartners:





Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners:





College Graduates by Age 24

Young People FromHigh Income Families

48%

Young People FromLow Income Families

7%

Source: Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post Secondary, 1997.

WHY?

What We Hear Adults Say:

• They’re poor;• Their parents don’t care;• They come to schools without breakfast; • Not enough books• Not enough parents . . .

But if they’re right, then why are poor and minority children performing so high in...

Some schools...

Wrigley Elementary

• 78% Low-Income• 3rd Highest Performing in State in

Reading• 6th Highest Performing in State in

WritingKENT

UCKY

Sources: Kentucky Department of Education Web site, http://www.kde.state.ky.us/

Mount Royal Elementary/Middle,

Baltimore, MD• 99% African American• 73% Low-Income• Highest Performing in State on state’s

5th grade Math test. • Top 10% of state in 5th grade reading. MAR

YLAN

D

* or tiedSources: Maryland Department of Education Web site, http://www.msde.state.md.us/

Pimlico Elementary, Baltimore, MD

• 100% African American

• 94% Low-Income

• Top 1% in improvement on the state’s 5th grade Math test.

Marylan

d Improvement

28 31

53

77

0

100

Percent Satisfactory

1997 1998 1999 2000Sources: Maryland Department of Education Web site, http://www.msde.state.md.us/

Prince Edward County High, Farmville VA

12%

44%

74%

92%

71% 78%

40%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Pass

ing

stat

e A

lgeb

ra I

test

Prince Edward High State Average

Sources: Virginia Department of Education Web site, http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/2002SOLpassrates.html.

(715 students – 55% African American and Latino)

http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/2002SOLpassrates.html

Dis

pelli

ng th

e M

yth

Dis

pelli

ng th

e M

yth

Dis

pelli

ng th

e M

yth

Some districts...

Aldine, TX: Raising Achievement for All While Narrowing Gaps

42%

55%

72%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1994

Pass

ing

TAA

S m

ath

test

African American Latino White

Source: Texas Education Agency-Academic Excellence Indicator System Report 1994 through 2001.

Aldine, TX: Raising Achievement for All While Narrowing Gaps

42%

89%

55%

94%96%

72%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Pass

ing

TAA

S m

ath

test


Source: Texas Education Agency-Academic Excellence Indicator System Report 1994 through 2001.

And some entire states...

4th Grade Math African American Gains Between

1992 and 2000United States +13

North Carolina +25

Texas +21

Indiana +20Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

4th Grade Math Latino Gains Between 1992 and

2000United States +10

North Carolina +18

Texas +15

Mississippi +15Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

North Carolina: Gains in Grade 4 Reading Outpace the Nation, 1992-

1998UnitedStates

NorthCarolina

Overall +0 +5African American +1 +6Latino -4 +4White +2 +6

Source: NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress

Connecticut: Gains in Grade 4 Reading Outpace the Nation, 1994-

98

6

15

15

2

7

7

0 5 10 15

White Gain

Latino Gain

AfricanAmerican

Gain

Change in Average Score

United StatesConnecticut


Differences among states so large that minority and/or poor students in

some states outperforming white and/or non-poor students in others.

8th Grade Writing: African Americans in Texas Perform as Well or Better Than Whites in 7

States

140

143

145

146

146

146

146

146

136 138 140 142 144 146 148

Hawaii

Arkansas

West Virginia

Utah

Missouri

Mississippi

Louisiana

Texas

NAEP Grade 8 Writing 1998Source: NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress

What We Hear Students Say:We CAN Learn, But…

• some teachers don’t know their subjects• counselors underestimate our potential• principals dismiss concerns• curriculum and expectations are low

Where’s Louisiana in All This?

NAEP MATH:Louisiana 4th Graders (2000)

6555

24

2038

53

2 722

0 0 1

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Black Hispanic White

Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced

NAEP 4th Grade Math: LA (1992-2000)

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

1992 1996 2000

BlackHispanicWhite

LA: NAEP Grade 4 Math

• LA students made third biggest growth in country;

• Growth for every student group--Whites, Blacks and Hispanics--exceeded national growth;

• In 2000, performance of each group of students not much different than national average.

NAEP MATH:Louisiana 8th Graders (2000)

78 74

29

20 22

50

2 419

0 0 1

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%



NAEP 8th Grade Math: LA (1992-2000)

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

290

300

1992 1996 2000

BlackHispanicWhite

LA: NAEP Grade 8 Math

• Ninth in growth overall;• Growth for all groups exceeded national

growth for that group;• Gap widened somewhat;• Performance for each group significantly

below national average.

NAEP READING:Louisiana 4th Graders (1998)

75 72

31

19 19

38

5 825

1 1 6

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%



NAEP READING:Louisiana 8th Graders (1998)

55 58

20

39 31

54

6 1125

0 0 1

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%



NAEP READING OVER TIME: LA

• Trends headed down for minorities;• Fourth grade more serious problems;• PERFECT TIME FOR YOUR NEW

READING INITIATIVE!

LA: A Look at the Education “Pipeline”

8th Graders

HS Grads

College Frosh

College Grads

Black 42.6% 39% 31.7% 23.7%

White 54.7 57.8 62.4 68.5

Changing These Patterns: What Do We Know About The Places that are Improving Results?

Four Key Elements:

• clear, high goals and consistent instructional approaches;

• all students in curriculum lined up with those goals;

• students who arrive behind get extra instruction...

But most of all, they understand that:

Good Teaching Matters More Than Anything Else

SEE FOR YOURSELF

Boston Students with Effective Teachers Showed Greater Gains

in Reading and Math

0.3

14.6

5.6

-0.6

-1

4

9

14

19

Math Reading

Ave

rage

Stu

dent

Gro

wth

O

ver O

ne Y

ear

Least Effective Teachers Most Effective Teachers

Source: Boston Public Schools, “High School Restructuring,” March 9, 1998.

1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.

1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.

Teachers Matter Big Time!

Problem: Teachers Not Evenly Distributed Across Different

Schools, Kids

Virtually every high poverty school has some spectacularly

wonderful teachers, but...

Classes in High Poverty High Schools More Often Taught by Misassigned*

Teachers

28%

14%19%

16%

40%

20%

31%

18%

0%

50%

Math Science English Social Studies

less than 20% Free Lunch greater than 49% Free Lunch

*Teachers who lack a major or minor in the fieldSource: National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future (p.16) 1996.

Math and Science Classes of Mostly Minority Students Are More Often Taught by

Misassigned Teachers

54%

86%

42%

69%

0%

100%

90-100% Non-White 90-100% White

Certified in Field BA or BS in FieldSource: Jeannie Oakes. Multiplying Inequalities: The Effects of Race, Social Class, and Tracking on Opportunities to Learn Mathematics and Science (Rand: 1990)

Poor and Minority Students Get More Inexperienced* Teachers

20%

11%

21%

10%

0%

25%

High-poverty schools Low-poverty schoolsHigh-minority schools Low-minority schools

*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.

High-Poverty Schools Get More Low-Scoring* Teachers

42%

28%

0%

50%

High-poverty* schools All other schools

*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.

In Louisiana?

Out-of-Field TeachersLA: Secondary Schools

Low-poverty schools: 38%High Poverty schools: 51%

Multiple Reasons;Devastating Impact

If we had the courage and creativity to change these

patterns?

“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

What Contributes to Teacher Effectiveness?

• Academic (especially Verbal) Skills;• Subject Matter Knowledge;• Experience; • ??????

Measures not great, but…let’s look at what

we have.

Combined SAT ScoreArts & Humanities 920

Biological Sciences and Related Areas 909

Business, Commerce, and Communications 875

Computer and Information Sciences 894

Education 854

Engineering 999

Mathematics 1082

Social sciences & related areas 902

Praxis II Passers vs. All College Grads

SAT Mean

Praxis II Passers 1029

All College Grads 1085

A Look at Prose and Math Literacy

Average Prose, Document and Quantitative Literacy: Teachers vs.

Other 4-Year Degrees

305

310

315

320

325

330

Prose Document Quantitative

TeachersOther BA

Prose Literacy of Teachers vs. Other BAs

05

1015202530354045

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

TeachersOther BA

Description: Prose Literacy Levels 1 and 2

• CAN Underline meaning of term given in government brochure

• CAN Locate two features of information in a sports article

• CAN Interpret instructions from an appliance warranty

• CAN’T Integrate information from lengthy or dense text

• CAN’T Generate response based on information easily identified in text

• CAN’T Match information when low-level inferences are required

Source: USDOE, NCES, National Adult Literacy Survey, 1992, in Literacy in the Labor Force: Results from the NALS, September 1999, p. 61.

Description:Prose Literacy Level 3

• CAN Write brief letter explaining error on credit card bill

• CAN Read news article and identify sentence that provides interpretation of situation

• CAN’T State in writing argument made in a lengthy newspaper article

• CAN’T Contrast views in two editorials on technologies available to make fuel-effective cars

• CAN’T Compare two metaphors used in a poem


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

teachersother BA

Math Literacy of Teachers vs. Other BAs

Description:Quantitative Literacy Level 3

• CAN Determine correct change using information on a menu

• CAN Use information stated in news article to calculate amount of money it takes to raise a child

• CAN’T Determine shipping and total costs on an order form for items in a catalog

• CAN’T Use information in news article to calculate difference in time for completing a race


Preparation in the Field

25

17.4

39.5

34

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

English Social Studies Science Math

Percentage of Public School Teachers without a Major or Minor in Teaching Field

Perc

ent

Clearly, important roles for higher education in assuring both adequate core academic skills and

knowledge of content.But...

Other critical needs as well, including (among others):

• Assuring that ALL new teachers are steeped in new research about reading;

• Assuring that ALL new teachers are familiar with state standards and assessments, know how to analyze data and find related resources; and,

• Assuring that ALL new teachers immersed in lessons from high-performing, high poverty schools.

Improving Teaching:

Key Roles for Higher Education

Lessons from NASH Systems, States

Three Key Roles:

• Preparing new teachers capable of teaching all students to standards;

• Helping to improve the skills and knowledge of current teachers;

• Increasing supply and equitable distribution.

1. Preparing teachers capable of teaching all students to high

standards

TEACHING IN A STANDARDS-BASED

SYSTEM...

• REQUIRES SO MUCH MORE THAN EVER BEFORE

FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

• Educator preparation should be driven by and flow from K-12 standards/learning goals

Most States Have Moved to Raise Licensure Standards

Higher Education Response:

• Raising Standards for Entry;• Increasing Content;• Aligning preparation with standards

Increasing Content

• University System of Georgia;• North Carolina

Aligning University Preparation with State K-12 Standards

• Louisiana;• Texas A & M System

2. Supporting the Growth of the Current Teacher Force

University of Pittsburgh: Support for Schools Helps Wipe Out Black/White Gap in Math

Skills

30%

74%

48%

71%

0%

100%

Weak Implementation Strong Implementation

Met

Sta

ndar

d on

New

Sta

ndar

d R

efer

ence

Exa

m

African American White

Note: Chart compares students in schools with similar demographics.Source: Briar and Resnick, CSE Technical Report 528, CRESST, UCLA, August 2000.

El Paso TAAS Pass Rates Reading Grades 3, 8 and 10

57.7

69.974.2

7982.1

86.2

54.2

65.769.8

74.277.8

83.581.4

86 87.691

93.6 95.4

20

100

92-93 93-94 94-95 95-96 96-97 97-98

Academic Year


Source: El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence

California Subject Matter Projects

• University of California System;• California State University System

3. Increasing Supply, especially in Shortage Fields, and Working

Toward More Equitable Distribution of Teacher Talent

Raising Standards for Teachers:

Automatically Reduce Supply?

State Policy Directives and Incentives Can Help

• New York;• Louisiana

Serious, Aggressive Institutional Recruitment Will Also Help

• California State University;• North Carolina One-Stop

But Need to Expand Quality Alternate Routes, as Well

• New York Teaching Fellows: CUNY and New Teacher Project;

• East Baton Rouge;• ULS and New Teacher Project.

For Higher Education…a lingering worry about K-12 hiring

practices?

Georgia

Putting It All Together:Texas A & M

• aggressive production goals, especially minorities, shortage areas;

• higher institutional pass rate standards than state as a whole--for all groups of teachers;

• Quality Assurance Process.

The Education Trust

For More Information . . .www.edtrust.org

202-293-1217

Documents

GOOD TEACHING MATTERS: Strategies for Improving Achievement And Closing Gaps Between Groups