Pennsylvania State Board of Education

Pennsylvania State Board of EducationPennsylvania State Board of Education


The FactsThe Facts

AAn achievement gap exists n achievement gap exists when groups of students with when groups of students with relatively equal ability fail to relatively equal ability fail to achieve at the same levels in achieve at the same levels in

school – in fact, one group often school – in fact, one group often far exceeds the achievement far exceeds the achievement

level of the other. level of the other.


Students above and students below the Students above and students below the poverty linepoverty lineWhite, African-American and Latino White, African-American and Latino studentsstudentsStudents with Limited English Language Students with Limited English Language Proficiency and English proficient studentsProficiency and English proficient studentsStudents with and students without Students with and students without disabilitiesdisabilities

The FactsThe FactsA Few Common Gaps Are the Gaps Between:A Few Common Gaps Are the Gaps Between:


The FactsThe Facts

PPennsylvania has ennsylvania has some of the largest some of the largest achievement gaps in achievement gaps in

the country.the country.


Black-White GapNAEP Grade 4 Reading

Source: EdWatch Online, http://www.edtrust.org


Poor-Non Poor GapNAEP Grade 4 Reading

Source: EdWatch Online, http://www.edtrust.org


2004 PSSA Grade 11 Reading

2245

17

21

61

34

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

All Students Low IncomeStudents

Perc

ent o

f Stu

dent

s

Proficient/AdvancedBasicBelow Basic

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Education, http://www.pde.state.pa.us


2004 PSSA Grade 11 Math

31

56

20

2049

24

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

All Students Low IncomeStudents

Perc

ent o

f Stu

dent

s




2004 PSSA Grade 11 Readingby Race/Ethnicity

50 52

16

22 19

17

28 29

67

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

AfricanAmerican

Latino White

Perc

ent o

f Stu

dent

s




2004 PSSA Grade 11 Mathby Race/Ethnicity

64 62

25

18 19

20

18 19

55

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

AfricanAmerican

Latino White

Perc

ent P

rofic

ient




Pennsylvania High School Graduation Rates (2001)

5849

83

0

20

40

60

80

100

African American Latino WhitePerc

ent G

radu

atin

g in

Fou

r Yea

rs w

ith

a R

egul

ar D

iplo

ma

Source: Jay Greene and Greg Forster. Public High School Graduation and College Going Readiness Rates in the United States. The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, September 2003.


The Bottom Line?

By the end of 11th grade:

• Pennsylvania’s African American and Latino students are two to three times as likely to be performing below the basic level compared to the state’s White students.

• There are similar gaps for low-income students, only about half of whom are reaching even the basic level in reading and math.

• The annual dropout rates and their one-year changes by racial/ethnic category were:

– 4.0% for Blacks– 5.2% for Latinos– 1.3% for Whites



Consequences for the Consequences for the CommonwealthCommonwealth

Certain populations of PA students will Certain populations of PA students will continue to be unprepared for college continue to be unprepared for college and/or the workforce. and/or the workforce. Directly impacts the Commonwealth’s Directly impacts the Commonwealth’s economic competitiveness, quality of economic competitiveness, quality of life. life. NCLB also requires that all students NCLB also requires that all students perform at least at the proficient level. perform at least at the proficient level.

WWhile there is no quick or easy hile there is no quick or easy fix for the achievement gap, fix for the achievement gap,

Pennsylvania has an obligation to Pennsylvania has an obligation to meet the challenge and raise meet the challenge and raise achievement of all students.achievement of all students.



Data shows that there Data shows that there areare schools with high percentages schools with high percentages of low-income and/or minority of low-income and/or minority children that have closed the children that have closed the

achievement gap among achievement gap among groups of students.groups of students.

Research Shows the Research Shows the GapsGaps CANCAN Be ClosedBe Closed


33 things students need from adults: things students need from adults:

BELIEFBELIEF in their abilities to master a in their abilities to master a rigorous curriculum.rigorous curriculum.

TIMETIME tailored to specific student needs tailored to specific student needs

UNDERSTANDINGUNDERSTANDING that not all students that not all students learn the same way and at the same learn the same way and at the same raterate

Our BeliefOur Belief


Close the achievement gap among Close the achievement gap among subgroupssubgroupsBring every student to proficient or Bring every student to proficient or above in reading and mathabove in reading and mathSuccessful prevention/intervention Successful prevention/intervention – via proven practice– via proven practice

Our GoalsOur Goals

RResearchesearch shows that the shows that the very techniques used to help very techniques used to help bring success to struggling bring success to struggling learners improve teaching learners improve teaching

practices, the learning practices, the learning environment and results for environment and results for

all students. all students.



HOW WILL WE HELP HOW WILL WE HELP CLOSE THE GAP IN PA?CLOSE THE GAP IN PA?

SCHOOLSSCHOOLS

SCHOOLSSCHOOLS

High SchoolsHigh Schools Elementary SchoolsElementary SchoolsMiddle schoolsMiddle schools AVTSAVTS



1616 PAGE 1PAGE 1 SCHOOLSSCHOOLS

66 UrbanUrban

33 RuralRural

77 SuburbanSuburban



66 Elementary Schools Elementary Schools44 Middle Schools Middle Schools

33 Jr./Sr. High Jr./Sr. High SchoolsSchools33 High SchoolsHigh Schools


State Board of EducationPAGE1 SchoolsMay 6, 2004

Number ofIU District School Grade Students

1 Washington Washington Park MS 6-8 502 2 Pittsburgh Murray ES K-7 275 3 East Allegheny East Allegheny Jr/Sr HS 7-12 981 5 Erie SD Strong Vincent HS 7-12 722 8 Bellwood-Antis Bellwood-Antis MS 5-8 426

12 County-wide York County Schl of Tech. 9-12 1,431 13 Columbia Borough Park Elementary Schl K-6 532 15 Middletown Area Feaser MS 6-8 681 17 Williamsport Area Sheridan ES K-5 270 19 Scranton Scranton HS 9-12 1,394 20 Stroudsburg Stroudsburg Intmd ES 4-6 1,328 21 Allentown Trexler MS 5-8 1,059 25 Wallingford-Swarthmore Strath Haven HS 9-12 1,222 23 Cheltenham Twp Elkins Park Schl 5-6 701 26 Philadelphia Fairhill Schl K-8 661 29 Shenandoah Shenandoah Valley HS K-12 957

6 Elementary Schools4 Middle Schools6 High Schools




PAGE 1PAGE 1 SCHOOLSSCHOOLS

Are being created in Are being created in collaboration with Intermediate collaboration with Intermediate Units Units

Are governed by a planning and Are governed by a planning and oversight committeeoversight committee

Use proven strategies for success Use proven strategies for success in closing the achievement gap.in closing the achievement gap.



PAGE 1PAGE 1 Schools not only had to Schools not only had to meet certain criteria, but they meet certain criteria, but they had to be willing to participate.had to be willing to participate.

We are grateful to the schools We are grateful to the schools that have willingly and that have willingly and courageously volunteered to courageously volunteered to participate in this initiative.participate in this initiative.


PAGE 1PAGE 1 SCHOOLS will…SCHOOLS will…

Establish success stories in Establish success stories in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Commit a community leadership Commit a community leadership team to each school.team to each school.Put successful, research-proven Put successful, research-proven practices to work.practices to work.Promote artful and strategic use Promote artful and strategic use of our schools best teachers and of our schools best teachers and time.time.



Align curriculum with state Align curriculum with state standards & anchors.standards & anchors.

Use frequent benchmark Use frequent benchmark assessments to identify & assessments to identify & provide remediation.provide remediation.

Encourage parent involvement Encourage parent involvement


• PAGE 1 schools visited to PAGE 1 schools visited to “frontier schools” in other states“frontier schools” in other states

• Training in school improvement Training in school improvement planning & data analysisplanning & data analysis

• Leadership training for PAGE 1 Leadership training for PAGE 1 school principalsschool principals

• Community involvement trainingCommunity involvement training

ActivitiesActivities


What’s NextWhat’s Next• Implement school improvement Implement school improvement

plansplans

• Address individual school Address individual school professional development needsprofessional development needs

• Continue efforts through 2007Continue efforts through 2007

• Apply lessons learnedApply lessons learned


Questions?

Jim BuckheitState Board of Education

(717) [email protected]

Documents

Pennsylvania State Board of Education