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Marcia A. B. Delcourt, PhDWestern Connecticut State University

Coordinator, EdD in Instructional Leadership Program

delcourtm@wcsu.edu

The Early College Academy: Preparing Disadvantaged Middle School Students for Acceptance

to Competitive High Schools

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The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 delineates the need for higher standards and more rigorous academic programs that prepare larger numbers of students for higher education.

The Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act has a goal to identify and develop talents of underserved students with high potential.

Rationale

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The disparity in academic performance between groups of students

WHY?Educational level of parentsLanguage spoken in the homeNot wanting/caring to achieve at a higher

levelNot knowing that you can achieve at a higher

level

Achievement Gap

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Students in Grades 5-8 in 3 Middle Schools

474/600 (79%) of students were below proficiency in ELA & Math

74% to 87% Latino, 13%to 20% African American

97% to 99% free/reduced-lunch eligible

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BHSECGrades 9-12 (513

students)27% free/reduced

price lunchBlack 17%, Hispanic

17%, Asian 11%, White 55%

Student suspensions 0%

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A program in which students complete high school and approximately 2 years of college in 4 years.

Entry is based on state and city achievement tests in mathematics and language arts, a written application, and an interview.

All new students participate in a week-long Institute for Writing and Thinking program.

BHSEC

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Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) is one of NYC’s most rigorous high schools.

More than 4,000 8th graders apply for 135 places in the 9th grade at the BHSEC.

Not one 8th grade student from BHSEC’s nearby Lower East Side neighborhood had been admitted to the BHSEC.

Although there are middle school students with high potential in nearby schools, they have had little or no access to BHSEC or other academically competitive high schools.

Context

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How do we get our students form here to go to school there?

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126/600 (21%) students in Grades 5-8 from 3 schools near the BHSEC were at/above proficiency (level 3 or 4 out of 4 in ELA and/or Math)

Teacher recommendationEarly College Academy (ECA) InterviewMotivation to participate in a

Saturday/Summer program

Students with Gifted Potential

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Need for academic improvement for G/T students from low SES environments (Delcourt, 2007; Ford, Moore, & Milner, 2005)

Self-regulation Skills (Zimmerman, 1989, 1998)

Habits of mind in secondary school students (Velez, 2009)

Literature

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The Early College Academy (ECA) at BHSEC was founded to prepare high potential low income students from a variety of cultural populations in grades 5-8 to Improve achievement in mathematics, science, and

writing Develop confidence, self-regulation skills, and habits of

mind Apply to and be accepted at competitive high schools in

New York City The program also assisted teachers to

differentiate the curriculum to bring a variety of new skills to all students.

Parents/guardians were invited to attend monthly workshops that helped them to learn about community resources and assist their children in the high school application process.

Program Description

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Post-test control group design Mathematics achievement (state test) English Language Arts Achievement (state test)

Pre-post test design Self-regulation (evaluator-developed, validity &

reliability) Self-confidence in self-regulation skills (evaluator-

developed, validity & reliability) Habits of Mind (teacher-developed)

Descriptive statistics and Qualitative Interviews Percent identified as potentially gifted

Methodology

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State Assessments in AchievementEnglish Language ArtsMathematics

Student PerceptionsSelf-Confidence in School-Related Tasks

Teacher Perceptions of their StudentsSelf-Regulation for School-Related TasksHumanities RubricScience RubricMathematics RubricWeekly Ratings of Academic Tasks

Instruments: ecaprogram.pbworks.com

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Academic SkillsPlanning and Management SkillsComprehension and Summarization SkillsNote Taking SkillsTest Preparation SkillsWriting Skills

Self-regulation: 43-item survey

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Poorly Proficiently

Plans and uses study time

1 2 3 4

Understands and summarizes text

1 2 3 4

Takes efficient and thorough notes

1 2 3 4

Prepares for exams 1 2 3 4

Writes assignments 1 2 3 4

Comes prepared to class (with notebook, pencil, and other necessary materials)

1 2 3 4

Works constructively with peers

1 2 3 4

Stays on task 1 2 3 4

Academic Skills

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3 2 1

Reading Keeps up with reading assignments; Makes marginal notations; Completes reading logs thoroughly and thoughtfully

No more than two chapters behind; attempts marginal notations; Completes reading logs partially or with confusion

Does not complete reading assignments; Does not make marginal notations; Does not attempt reading logs

Writing Willingness to engage in variety of writing tasks and motivation to complete multiple drafts; Incorporates feedback; Participates in peer editing appropriately; Exhibits improvement in mechanics and organization over time

Engages in variety of writing tasks and completes multiple drafts with prompting; Attempts to incorporate feedback; Attempts peer editing; Attempts to improve mechanics and organization over time

Resistant to variety of writing tasks and fails to complete multiple drafts; looses focus when writing independently; Inability to incorporate feedback or participate in peer editing

Preparedness Arrives on time; completes homework in a timely fashion; brings necessary materials; keeps track of worksheets and drafts; Exhibits positive attitude and readiness to attempt tasks

No more than two latenesses; attempts homework; no more than one day without materials; stays organized with coaching; Exhibits positive attitude most of the time and, with coaching, readiness to attempt tasks

Frequently tardy; does not attempt homework; does not bring necessary materials; Exhibits resistance to classroom norms and tasks;

Class Participation

Volunteers to share work; Active group member and appropriate listener; Asks questions to clarify confusion

Shares work after being prompted; occasionally distracted, but participates in group willingly

Does not share work; unfocused and distracts other group members

Instruments: ECA Humanities Rubric

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StudentsDevelop and enhance Academic skills in

mathematics, science and language artsAssist students in the competitive high school

application processTeachersProvide regular classroom teachers with skills to

differentiate the curriculum for their higher achieving students

ParentsAssist parents with knowing a variety of community

resources

Focus of the Program

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Content KnowledgeHumanities, mathematics, science

How to SkillsLearned how to take Exams, complete

applications, and respond to interviewsInterpersonal Skills

Dressing appropriately, shaking hands at the beginning and end of a conversation, looking in the eyes of the person with whom you are speaking, being patient when asked a question that is unexpected

Application to Competitive High Schools

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Raw Number Ratio %2005-2006

Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8Overall

1815 538

18/13715/140 5/14838/425

13.00%11.00% 3.00% 9.00%

2006-2007Grade 5Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8Overall

91518 345

9/10915/19218/176 3/19445/671

8.00% 8.00%10.00% 2.00% 7.00%

2007-2008Grade 5Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8Overall

21 9151459

21/113 9/19615/20614/18559/700

18.58% 4.59% 7.28% 7.57% 8.43%

Sample

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English Language ArtsECA: MEAN=670, n=52Comparison Group: Mean=664,

n=50p<.05

Mathematics ECA: Mean=691, n=52Comparison Group: Mean=674,

n=50 p<.001

Achievement: Year 3

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Student Self-ratingsSummer Year 1

May Year 2

Change

SkillMean n Mean n

Academic Skills: I feel confident . . .

Planning and using study time 2.5 4 3.3 4 0.8 Increase

Understanding and summarizing texts

2.8 4 3.8 4 1 Increase

Taking efficient and thorough notes 3.5 4 3.3 4 -0.2 No Change

Preparing for exams 2.8 4 2.8 4 0 No Change

Writing my assignments 2.8 4 3.0 4 0.2 No Change

Coming prepared to class (with notebook, pencil, etc.)

4.0 4 2.8 4 -1.2 Decrease

Working constructively with my peers

3.5 4 3.8 4 0.3 No Change

Staying on task 3.3 4 3.3 4 0 No Change

Results

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Teachers’ Ratings Summer Year 1 May Year 2

Skills

MeanScale=

1 (Poorly)- 5 (Proficiently)

n

MeanScale=

1 (Poorly)- 5 (Proficiently)

n Change (.5 or greater)

1. Takes efficient and thorough notes 4.75 4 4 4 -0.75 Decrease

2. Keeps a well-organized notebook 4 4 4 4 0 No change

3. Finds a text’s main ideas1 4 3.5 4 2.50 Increase

4. Rereads difficult texts1 4 3.75 4 2.75 Increase

5. Underlines or makes note of relevant portions of text 1 4 4 4 3.00 Increase

6. Grasps the main purpose of writing assignments 3.75 4 3.5 4 -0.25 No change

7. Writes an appropriate amount for the assigned tasks 3.75 4 4 4 0.25 No change

8. Uses words efficiently3.75 4 3.5 4 -0.25 No change

9. Employs descriptive language3 4 3.5 4 0.50 Increase

10. Self-edits3 4 4 2 1.00 Increase

11. Comes prepared for class (with notebook, pencil, and other necessary materials)

3.75 4 2.5 4 -1.25 No change

12. Works constructively with peers 3.25 4 3.5 4 0.25 No change

13. Stays on task3.75 4 3.13 4 -0.62 Decrease

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School Number of ECA Students in Eighth Grade

Number of ECA Students Who Applied to a Competitive HS

Number of Acceptances to Competitive High Schools for ECA Students

Number of Acceptances to BHSEC for ECA Students

Year 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A

Year 2 3 3 3 3

Year 3 14 7 7 4

Total 22 10 10 7

Table 12Students Who Applied to and Were Accepted at Competitive High Schools in 2007-2008

Note: Since approximately 135 students are accepted into BHSEC ‘s ninth grade each year, the 3-4 students selected from this program each year amounts to 3% of the ninth grade class each year. Forty-five percent (10/22) of the total of eighth grade students in the ECA program were accepted to competitive high schools.

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The students stated that they felt smart at knowing information they could use in their regular classrooms.

He likes math when it is a challenge. At Bard he learned how to use parentheses, how to make a problem shorter, how to use positive and negative numbers.

“At Bard, they gave us High School and college

work. I felt smart. My mom, dad, and the rest of my family [were] proud of me. I felt good about myself.”

How do you learn best? When are you most confident in school?

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The students stated that extended program activities helped them in the regular classroom.

“If you have a problem, you learn how to solve it.

When you have a problem in school, you now have the experience in solving problems. I think that is important.”

“I never really liked poems. I was never a poem fan. Now, [after being at Bard], I think of poems by myself. I think of poems in my head and put them on paper.”

What do you learn in the special program that helps you learn in school?

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Students learned better when they had more direct feedback.

• “It is easier here. It was better in Bard. At Bard, if you do the wrong thing, they help us. Here, if we need help, the teacher asks us to wait until she’s finished.”

• “At Bard they pay more attention to you because there are smaller classes. We learn better in smaller classes.”

Do you think school is easy or difficult? Why?

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Students Liked a Challenge “Here we don’t really write about everything. It was

better to write more at Bard. In our school we don’t write enough.”

“I think they should make reading harder for me.”

“Bard was hard, but it was a good challenge.”

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Students learned about topics that were not being taught at their own schools.

“At Bard we had science and a science teacher and it was cool. I didn’t start thinking about science until Bard.”

“I just like working with numbers: how fractions become wholes; how numbers are everywhere around us.”

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“Change the fighting. It’s already the beginning of the year and the 6th grade is already in trouble. The 7th and 8th grade are picking on the 6th grade.”

What would you like to change about school?

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Monthly parent program

Teacher PD regarding differentiation

Parents and teachers

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School liaisonsConstant communicationParent supportCounselingAcademic rigor

Needed Supports

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We learned that students and staff from two very different environments, three low achieving middle schools and a top ranked high school-early college, can work out a plan so that the former can become feeder schools for the latter.

It was also reinforced that high expectations can move students in the direction to become highly motivated, achieving learners.

Conclusions

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NEW YORK, N.Y.– President Barack Obama, in a speech given yesterday (07/16/09) in New York City marking the centennial of the NAACP, cited the Bard High School Early College as an innovative model for the future of secondary and higher education. In a passage on addressing approaches to improving education in America, Obama said:

“We should also explore innovative approaches being pursued here in New York City; innovations like Bard High School Early College and Medgar Evers College Preparatory School that are challenging students to complete high school and earn a free associate's degree or college credit in just four years.”

President Obama Singles Out Bard Early College Program as Model for the Future

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http://www.bard.edu/bhsechttp://eca.bard.eduhttp://ecaprogram.pbworks.com/FrontPage

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Founded on the belief that many young people are ready and eager to do serious college work at age 16, Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) was created by Bard College in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education as an alternative to the traditional high school.

Located in lower Manhattan, it enables highly motivated students to earn an associate of arts degree as well as a high school diploma in four years.

Since opening in September 2001, BHSEC has celebrated seven graduations, with over 750 students receiving a Bard College Associate in Arts degree as well as a New York State Regents high school diploma.

More than 95 percent of these graduates successfully move on to leading four-year colleges and universities, and the majority of these students complete their four-year college degree within three years.

BHSEC II partners with the New York Academy of Sciences to provide additional curricular and extra-curricular opportunities in the sciences.

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identify underserved students, with gifted potentialstrengthen capacity of students for self-regulationcreate a culture to develop habits of mind among

students that will prepare them to succeed at competitive high schools and early colleges

prepare students to emerge from 8th grade with confidence about how they learn

improve students’ academic achievement as measured by standardized test scores

increase the number of underserved students applying to and accepted by the top public high schools

ECA Program Goals

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The Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT) emphasizes the role of language in thinking, building habits of mind in students throughreading, listening, reflecting, creating

dialogue, considering alternatives, and engaging in collaborative work, etc.

Gifted/talented students need to develop habits of mind in preparation for admission to top high schools as well as college.