Transcript Dismantling the Achievement Gap: What Counselors Need to Know

Closing the
Achievement Gap
Kristi Krohn & Beth Paige
Which Achievement Gap?
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Refers to differences in scores on state or
national achievement tests between various
student demographic groups
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Two kinds of gaps at the school level:
 Internal: average differences between
specific racial/ethnic groups and their white
peers within a school
 External: average differences between
aggregate school scores for each student
subgroup in the school and aggregate
scores for white students across the state
(Anderson, Medrich, & Fowler, 2007)
No Child Left Behind (2001)
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Increased accountability for states, school
districts, and schools with the purpose of
increasing achievement
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State assessments in public schools (grades 38 and at least once in HS) are required in order
to receive federal funding
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Schools are required to use “scientifically based
research” strategies in the classroom and with
staff (professional development)
Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP)
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A set of performance targets that schools must
achieve to meet NCLB requirements
Students must be tested in Reading, Math, and
Science (new in 07-08)
10 Student Subgroups:
•Whole school (all students)
•White
•Black
•Hispanic
•American Indian
•Asian
•Multi-Racial
•Economically Disadvantaged
(free and reduced lunch)
•Limited English Proficient
•Students with Disabilities
***NC ABCs also counts
the following subgroups:
•Male
•Female
•Not Economically
Disadvantaged (NED)
•Migrant Students
NC ABCs of Public Education
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NC’s accountability program to improve student
achievement, reward excellence, and provide
assistance to schools that need extra help
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Began in 1996 and was revised in 2006,
comparisons to results prior to 2006 may be
problematic
NC ABCs, Cont’d
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Performance labels:
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School of Excellence
School of Distinction
School of Progress
Priority School
Low Performing
(90-100% above Level III)
(80-89%)
(60-79%)
(50-59%)
(less than 50%)
Monetary incentives to certified staff and
teacher assistants based on performance
level
The Education Trust
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Philosophy: All children will learn at high levels
when they are taught to high levels.
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Website contains fact sheets and resources for
educators, fact sheets on achievement for each state
In general, results show that schools that get
results:
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Have clear goals (standards)
Provide all students challenging curriculum aligned to
the standards
Give extra instruction to students who need it
Provide teachers who are well prepared to teach the
subject
Keep in Mind
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Schools closing the gap are not necessarily
the highest performing schools
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Schools closing the gap are not necessarily
making AYP
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Schools making AYP are not necessarily
closing the achievement gap
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Comparisons across states are inappropriate
Local Examples
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Pittsboro Elementary
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Shepard IB Middle School
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http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/schDetails.jsp?Page=2&pSchCod
e=348&pLEACode=190&pYear=2006-2007
http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/schDetails.jsp?Page=2&pSchCod
e=338&pLEACode=320&pYear=2006-2007
Cedar Ridge High School
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http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/schDetails.jsp?Page=2&pSchCod
e=310&pLEACode=680&pYear=2006-2007
*What “scientific research based” programs are being
implemented in your school to close the gap?
Dismantling the Achievement Gap:
What Counselors Need to Know
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ASCA and Ed Trust are holding SC
accountable for assisting students placed as
risk (SPARS) and the teachers in the schools.
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There is disagreement as to whether or not SC
are prepared for the significant role in
educational reform….well we have news for
them….WE ARE
What SC need to know!
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Author Pedro Portes envisions that in order to
close the gap SC need to make sure
adolescents graduate with a set of critical
thinking skills and social knowledge.
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SPARs in most schools feel academically
alienated and unmotivated because they are
already behind.
What can SC do to help..
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Counselor education programs represent ideal
field for preparing experts in primary
intervention.
 This is a challenge because few policy
makers understand and support primary
prevention as a long term approach.
 We need to have effective prevention,
promotion and collaboration to be
successful!
Mediation as guidance
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Huge focus of the mediation of students comes
from not only targeting the problems of SPARs
but also their future roles as parents of SPARs
and society.
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Include concept development for SPARs who
are ready to create zones for proximal
development.
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Videos or plays
Counselor led peer groups
Our roles….
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Important for SC to work proactively with
students, teachers, administration, parents
and communities.
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Two new roles to take on to help reduce AG:
1.
2.
Extend guidance activities by organizing and
overseeing a new human growth and development
curriculum in secondary education.
Role in primary school is to focus mainly on not
allowing the gap to emerge by organizing support
for SPAR’s over time.
IDP?
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Believed that SPAR’s students should have an
Individualized Development Plan (IDP) to
determine the level of external support needed
for academic learning. Mainly done at
elementary level
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Thoughts on IDP’s?
Secondary level
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Its important for SC to learn about
curriculum development and work with
principals and teachers to design district
level programs and evaluation procedures.
(Lucky for us we know how to do this!)
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Curriculum must be values-free and must
be linked with the community!
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Have human development workshops for
teachers, parents and others who want to
be aware of the growing concerns. Stress
the importance of peers in adolescence.
What is being done to help:
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DeWitt Reader’s Digest initiative in
counselor education aims to transform
counselor education programs by having
them play a direct role in raising test
scores.
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Some resources available today:
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Books
Journal articles
Resource
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Book: School Counseling to
Close the Achievement Gap: A
Social Justice Framework for
Success, written by Cheryl
Holcomb-McCoy.
SC have multicultural training that
places us at an advantage to help
close the achievement gap.
 We have the power and tools to
influence students!
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Social Justice Approach
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Six key functions of school
counselors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Counseling and Intervention Planning
Consultation
Connecting Schools, Families and
Communities
Collecting and utilizing data
Challenging bias
Coordinating student services and
support
Programs that help!
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The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) is a
“non-partisan, non-profit professional
development organization based on
Washington, DC that provides varied learning
opportunities for individuals working on policy
issues affecting youth at the local, state and
national levels”
http://www.aypf.org/publications/RAA/RAA.pdf
Successful programs
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Target:
 Attendance and dropout rates
 Grades
 Credits earned
 Standardized test scores
 High School Graduate
 College Admission or completion
5 Overarching keys to
success
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High expectations for youth, program and staff
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Personalized attention
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Innovative Structure/Innovation
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Experiential learning
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Long-term support
Programs
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ABACUS/ASHS:NY
AVID
Boys and Girls Clubs
of America
Career Academies:
CA
College Bound
Gateway to Higher
Education
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I Have a Dream
Upward Bound
Youth River Watch
Maryland’s
Tomorrow
Sponsor-a-Scholar
Student Support
Services
Conclusion
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We as SC need to advocate for our roles in
closing the achievement gap. Go out and
let your principal know that you have
training to help participate in this arena.
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Through consultation and collaboration we
can all work to help make positive change.
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Set a goal for yourself!!!!
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What you can do to help close the achievement
gap?