Winter 2011 - Augsburg College

How is it Affecting Our Community?
The Achievement Gap
Young Leaders Rising
2011
A newspaper showcasing youth voice, action & engagement
Shine On! is a publication of Community Education, Minneapolis Public Schools
WINTER
!"!

About this issue:
You are about to get a better understanding
of the Achievement Gap from the perspective
of Minneapolis’ own. We, the editors,
have learned a lot about the Achievement
Gap. We think it is important that, based on
the feedback from your submissions, we
have this discussion. We encourage you to
read cover to cover, but for starters, here
is a little road map for you: first we define
and gather an understanding about what
the Achievement Gap is. We then take
a tour through the minds of youth from
definition to personal perspectives and
artistic expressions. Finally, we do not want
to present this problem without presenting
solutions. We believe it is possible to
close the gap and a lot of you have ideas of
how to do that. It is important to keep this
discussion going and really think about
our system.
Read on!
—The Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
Inside this issue:
Definining & Understanding the Gap ... 3­5
Student Perspectives On The Gap ... 6­7, 10
What Does The Gap Look Like? ..... 8­9, 16
Plans For Closing The Gap .............. 12­15
This issue’s cover art by Shine On! Youth Editorial
Board member Mackenzie Neaton.
Funding for Shine On! is provided in
part by The Gannett Foundation.
.Ñ«
Check out our Service Learning website:
commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/
service_learning.html
2 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
Dear Shine On!
By Evelyn Lagunas
6th Grade, Andersen Community School
My name is Evelyn Lagunas. I am 11 years
old, Hispanic and in the 6th grade. I know
about the achievement gap and I study
hard because my goal in the future is to become
a doctor. Some people may think that I won’t be
able to make it, but you never know how much
somebody can achieve if they work hard.
I personally don’t like the way in which some
people think about Hispanics, African Americans
and Native Americans. Just because you consider
us minorities doesn’t mean we can’t achieve as
much as Caucasians. I think we should all be equal.
Of course some kids are smarter than others, but
we can all be considered equals.
To me, the achievement gap does exist in Minneapolis.
I can see it pretty much everywhere. The
population of Hispanics and African Americans
is very big and so is that of Caucasians. Often
Caucasian’s income, however, is bigger than that
of minorities. Because of this, usually schools with
high populations of white students get more money
for materials, which helps kids learn better. While
some of the African Americans and Hispanic students’
parents work two or more jobs just to give
us the basic things we need.
The resources here at my school Andersen United
Community School aren’t the best, but what we
have is the way we learn. Most of the books in the
classes are all torn up and ripped. We are hoping
to get new ones. Some of the schools have better
and newer materials than us.
What I really don’t like about some of the students
here at my school is that some of them don’t realize
that education is really important to us and to
Young Leaders Rising
Managing Editors:
Lily Thiboutot and Kelsey Schonning
Design & Production: Kirsten Perry
ShineOn! Youth Editorial Board:
Yasmin Awale, Jalane Bekuto, Niklas Curle, Karis
Pryor, Phoua Lor, Mackenzie Neaton, Ben Nordquist,
Vanessa Phillips, Annie Wood
Special thanks to: Janine Freij, Colleen Sanders,
Jeri Ezaki, Kate Kampa, MPS teachers and employees,
and all the student contributors.
parents. This is the only way we’re going to be
able to make it in the future. Some of the kids at my
school don’t think about it. I would really like it if
they would start thinking about this.
The fact that some kids want to study and some
don’t affects the achievement gap as well. What really
helps the gap is that some kids like me like to
study and get good grades on their tests. When they
get good grades it goes to the state and notifies the
governor which next thing goes on the computer
and stands out and shows people that Hispanics,
African Americans, and the Native Americans have
really good skills, even though some don’t! When it
comes to kids who really don’t care about school,
tests, and themselves, that really affects the school
and most of all their own ethnicity. They sometimes
make us look like we don’t care, while some of us
kids do care! #
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mpls.k12.mn.us/Shine_On.html
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Special School District #1
!"##$%&'(")*&+,("-*)-.''()**/**Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Board of Education:
Jenny Arneson, Carla Bates, Jill Davis, Rebecca
Gagnon, Lydia Lee, Richard Mammen, Alberto
Monserrate, Hussein Samatar
Superintendent of Schools: Bernadeia Johnson
Director of Community Education: Jack Tamble
An Equal Opportunity School District

Defining & Understanding the Gap
AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress): How the nation measures whether or not a school is improving their test scores from
year to year. If they don’t improve, it affects how much money a school receives to teach students, and the types of programs
they are able to offer. Charts taken from “MPS 2010 Adequate Yearly Progress Summary,” MPS Research, Evaluation & Assessment
Minnesota’s Gap
Sam Hillyer, Grade 6
Anthony Middle School
Teacher: Paul Sommers
Minnesota’s gap is a huge problem
in our education system.
In this article I will share the
reasons that cause this problem.
The achievement gap is the difference between
the highest test scores and the lowest
test scores. One of the reasons for this gap is that
the questions on the tests favor European kids. I
researched childhood screening. One example
Support
By Tamiya Walton,Grade 6
Anthony Middle School
Teacher: Paul Sommers
Ithink the achievement gap is an issue
between students who do well in school
and students who don’t. I agree that the
achievement gap exists in Minnesota and
Minneapolis because at Anthony and other
schools, some kids like me do very well in
school and others don’t. I think some kids
are guaranteed to succeed because some
have more support and help from their
parents and their community. So they do
way better and they always succeed. Others
who are guaranteed to fail do so because
maybe they don’t have support or as much
support as other kids. #
I found was that kids
from Native American
culture when asked
“What color is a banana?”
would often
answer sun. The tester
would have to
count this wrong because
the only answer
accepted is yellow. This
repeats in grade school,
middle school and high
school, this is a part of every
subject. I think one thing
to do is have a wider variety
of answers accepted when more of an opinion is
involved. One other way to help solve this issue is
to have more questions that the kids of different
cultures would be able to relate to.
Another reason for our big gap is that we have a
big difference in economic status. The kids coming
from a wealthier family would have an advantage
because they can afford to send their kids to tutors
if they are struggling. Kids who come from not­aswealthy
families would not be able to get extra help
from tutors. One way to solve this problem would
be to get more tutors into the schools; this would
open up equal opportunities for every kid to get the
extra help they need, so they can be ready for the
tests. If we could get the extra tutors into the schools
we would make our gap much smaller. I think the
extra tutors will also help kids feel better about
themselves because the kids would get higher test
scores and that makes everyone feel better.
If Minnesota solves these problems I think we will
have a huge improvement in our gap. I think it will
also help our schools overall. It’s very important we
take care of these problems before our gap gets
any bigger. #
Where does the
achievement gap exist?
By Shukri Hassan
Edison High School
Teacher: Amy Knowlen
Where does the achievement
gap exist? The white students
achieve higher and all other
groups achieved lower than white students
on tests. So the achievement gap still exists
in Minnesota.
I think the cause of the problem is socioeco­
nomic because if the students are poor, they
might need to get a job in order to support
their families. So they worry about how they
can figure out the problems in their families
first before worrying about homework. Also,
the ELL (English Language Learners) stu­
dents are still learning how to speak English.
It’s hard for them to pass the reading test
because they don’t speak good English; that
is the biggest problem that new immigrant
students face in this country. But they are
getting better; year after year their English
skills are getting better.
The achievement gap exists in Minnesota.
It’s about black and white and other minority
groups. White students scored the highest
level and all other groups were behind them.
The new immigrant students are still strug­
gling with the tests. #
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 3

Defining & Understanding the Gap
The Achievement Gap
By Vanessa Phillips, Grade 12
North Community High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
The world as we know it is advancing. Soon new
technologies will be redesigned and things
we believe now to be state of the art will become
obsolete. Technology is not the only thing that
is advancing, our educational system is too. The U.S.
Fill the Gap
When you don’t understand something,
When you’re in a tough spot and you’re
embarrassed to ask, “What’s this?”
“What’s that?”
When you are afraid to ask and your
teachers don’t notice.
How do you succeed?
When the pressure is on to win that grade.
When the depression washes over you
when you fail.
The achievement gap is everywhere
like a wild fire untamed.
It eats up kindling or kids who just
don’t get it, then it grows.
Some grownups ignore that kid’s F,
some just say “their fault” or “poor kid.”
Some help, but too many Fs go without
explanation.
Maybe they were tired that day, possibly
the dog died.
These kids go unseen, they are the ones
who are in the blind spot.
These are the ones who only need that
extra sentence from someone: “I will help.”
All we need is encouragement and respect.
We work just as hard as grownups and
we all deserve a chance to succeed.
All we need is a pick­up to fill the gap.
4 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
—Zoey Norling, 6 th Grade
Anthony Middle School
Teacher: Paul Sommers
has some of the highest dropout
rates in the world but also
houses some of the greatest
minds. Our problem is that
while we have great thinkers,
we still have people who
decide that pursuing an education
isn’t important. Those
people are the future of this
country, and as they choose
not to focus on their education
they condemn the country
to fall behind in reaching its
goals. This situation causes the
“Achievement Gap.” By definition
I was told by my peer,
Ben that it is the “Difference
in potential to achieve across
borders.” These borders can
include family situations, race
and ethnicity, poor teacher
quality, lack of funds, a lack of
resources and so much more.
I see the achievement gap a
lot within my own school, North Community High
School, and in others. It affects us all. There are
those students that are succeeding and are on track
and there are those who are not. Why is this so? In
one’s opinion it could be because, “That child just
does not take their education seriously,” or “That
child just does not try hard enough.”
This may be true for a small percentage but it is
much more than that. The gap does not always exist
because students do not wish to succeed, but
that the resources to help them do not exist. When I
interviewed my peer Alysha Waddles she had this
to say, “It can result from a lot of things. Parenting
is one of the contributory causes. Without proper
parenting, or a guardian that cares for your education
it can be hard to focus. Love and support
can ground a student mentally and can help them
succeed. Teachers are another contributory cause.
There may be teachers that are not teaching to the
best of their abilities and are not taking enough
time to make sure that all of their students grasp
the material.”
These are all valid points. Students need to have
every resource available in order to succeed and if
these things are missing, it can cause a rift in their
ability to learn.
Chart below taken from “MPS 2010 Adequate Yearly Progress Summary,”
MPS Research, Evaluation & Assessment
The gap does not always exsist
because students do not wish to
succeed, but that the resources
to help them do not exist.
I agree with my peer because life revolves around
education and money. To live comfortably, you need
money. Your education is important and furthering
it gives you a better opportunity to make more of
the money that is needed to live comfortably. I believe
that it is not the child that chooses not to stay
in school but that it is because no one is teaching
to them in a way that is interesting enough. That, in
my mind, is the biggest contributory factor. When
you have a student(s) that does not grasp all of the
required material as well as everyone else does,
teach to them in a newer, more exciting way.
I see this problem in my academic environment
now at North High School. We lack much including
students, more money, space and time. All of our
resources are stretched to capacity and we have no
numbers to receive better funding to fix it. I believe
that is why our gap exists. Without resources such
as money and time you cannot possibly hope to
accomplish fixing the gap.
The achievement gap is something that can be
fixed. It is like a nasty weed and we have to zap it
at the root in order to fix the problem. The number
of students who are succeeding compared to
the number of those who aren’t are very distantly
spaced apart and we have to do whatever we can
to connect it. More tutoring sessions, more interactive
student activities and more enthusiasm could
be a start. #

By Niklas Curle
Grade 9, South High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
You may think that the achievement gap
happens only in the city, where inner­city
schools sometimes receive $4,000 less per
student than suburban schools. But even with all
these resources, there still is a gap in achievement
in suburban schools. Our suburban school for this
analysis will be Edina, a normal suburban school.
Let’s compare this to South, a pretty normal inner
city high school.
Let’s look at South’s numbers: 87.5% of students
achieve the requirements for No Child Left Behind
(NCLB), and every race is proficient in those same
annual math and reading tests except African­
American students. As a whole, American Indian,
LEP (Limited English Proficiency), and Special
Education students score only 35% proficiency in
other reading tests. And it’s even worse for math
tests; of free or reduced priced lunch students
(who a lot of the time live in poverty) and African­
American students, and the other groups mentioned
before, only 25% are proficient. In science,
Asian students, who were proficient about 58% of
the time in reading and 70% of the time in math,
achieved proficiency of around 35%, a big drop.
Also, LEP students achieved proficiency at a very
low 6% of the time.
Now let’s look at Edina High School: 100% of the students
achieve the requirements for NCLB. In other
reading tests, all ethnicities achieve proficiency at
least 90% of the time, except African­Americans
and LEP and Special Ed students. There is an approximate
30% difference between the proficiency
of White and African­American students, and 40%
between LEP students and whites. In other math
tests it is pretty much the same story, but this time,
LEP students only achieve proficiency about 8%
of the time, a very low number. The gap between
White and LEP students is 70%. In science, the results
are a little bit less consistent. Latino students
achieve 60% of the time, down from 80% in math,
and White students under­achieve Asian students,
a rarity, since White students achieve proficiency
in all other categories.
I think there is an achievement gap in the suburbs.
As I could see by the data, there sometimes is only a
gap for one ethnicity or group, while others achieve
proficiency. In both high schools, whites almost always
achieved the most. In Edina, Asian, Latino, and
White students almost always achieved proficiency.
At South, White students always achieved the most.
I suppose you could now call this the achievement
gap between schools. It seems like students in the
Defining & Understanding the Gap
The Achievement Gap in the Suburbs
suburban school always had consistently higher
chances of succeeding. In South, everybody con­
There is a sort of invisible
line and all races except
White achieve at roughly
the same percent. There are
usually few circumstances
where they cross this line.
sistently achieved lower than students at Edina, no
matter what their race. Sure, there are less people
of color in the suburbs, but generally suburban
By Phoua Lor, Grade 12
Edison High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
Based on an interview with David Heisted, Research,
Evaluation & Assessment, Minneapolis
Public Schools
The majority of people believe that student’s
academics are mostly important
in high school, but studies now show that
by third grade students must know how to read
and by middle school must be able to do basic
math in order to be academically successful. If
students do not receive the proper education in
their earlier years, it will make learning harder
for them while in high school.
School districts should concentrate more time
and effort into providing more options for
younger students and children to prepare for
school, so that they can learn effectively once
they get into the classroom. By providing more
options for younger students, it will help close
the gap, because students will be coming into
school with equal chances of succeeding, which
enhances their education. Everyone learns
differently and at a different pace. By starting
at the root of the gap, it will be easier to close
the gap because all the missing information
would be filled in.
Early childhood education is just as important
as high school education and it deserves to
be focused on just as much. No one can learn
schools have more resources, so they should be
able to educate everybody equally, including
people of color. But it seems as if they haven’t
done that. There is a sort of invisible line and all
races except White achieve at roughly the same
percent, and there are usually few circumstances
where they cross this line. This is definitely a sign
of the achievement gap in the suburbs. Maybe if
the education system would better fund inner city
schools and support all students equally in their
education we could give anybody, no matter where
they go to school, an equal chance of succeeding
and the ability to live a successful life. #
Early Childhood Education
Charts above from “Achievement Gap Trends” by
David Heistad, MPS Research, Evaluation & Assessment.
if there is no previous knowledge. Therefore,
more money should be put into the education
of elementary and middle school students in
order to help prevent the achievement gap
before it begins. #
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 5

Personal Perspectives on the Gap
The Achievement Gap at Southwest Always Try Hard & Never Give Up
Annie Wood, Grade 12
Southwest High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
Southwest High School in Minneapolis was
recognized in the past year as Minnesota’s
best public high school by Newsweek. This
honor is based on the strong staff, students, curriculum
and extracurriculars at the school. As the
district’s top achieving school, Southwest must be
doing something right. It’s also the least­diverse
school, and has the most students with the highest
socioeconomic backgrounds. I decided to look into
the Achievement Gap at Southwest, and talk to my
peers to see where they saw it occurring.
Certainly the academics at Southwest are excellent,
with a strong International Baccalaureate Program.
But we know that that’s not all that contributes to a
school’s success. “Students at Southwest are really
enthusiastic and have so much school spirit,” says
senior Devon O’Brien, who attributes classroom
success to motivation outside of the classroom. Also
having access to a great College and Career Center
and dedicated teachers makes a difference.
I’m Succeeding
By LaToya Hall,
Edison High School
When I think of not succeeding
or lack of success, I think of
my mother. The doubting, the
yelling, and hurtful sayings, the “You ain’t
gonna be nothing at all when you grow up,
you ain’t nothing but a selfish girl that don’t
deserve anything.”
When I hear those sayings come out of her
mouth, that makes me feel that what she
says is true. Then it makes me act like it in
school, it reflects on my work, attitude, and
my smile that most love, and all my friends
ask about me in the conference room. I just
don’t know what to do.
She stops me every time I think I’m going
somewhere in my life. And I feel like
I’m going to be where she left off in life.
NOWHERE!
But I know who I am and what I’m capable
of doing. I’m going somewhere in life.
I’m succeeding. #
6 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
It may be easy to look at all of the successes of
Southwest students and ignore the Achievement
Gap. However, it is present. “I see [the Achievement
Gap] at Southwest, particularly when it comes to
the classes we take,” noted O’Brien. She found that
As global citizens, it’s our
job to look outside of our
bubble and know what’s
going on and advocate for
social change.
there is a large divide between those who are on
advanced tracks, like International Baccalaureate
and Advanced Placement, and those who are on
regular tracks. The quality of teaching may be
the same across the board, but the students who
take the classes are not. The students who are in
Advanced Placement classes and those in mainstream
classrooms don’t often need to interact with
one another, which creates separation amongst
students. Sam Hills, a senior, noted the clear lack
of diversity in all of his IB courses. He feels that
despite attending a city school, he still is “experiencing
very little diversity in my peers” and
educational setting. He attributes this, in regards to
the district’s graduation statistics, in general to the
attendance area. “Southwest has, in my opinion, a
higher graduation rate largely because it’s located
in a more affluent neighborhood compared to the
other city schools.”
Despite Southwest’s great educational successes,
the Achievement Gap takes a toll, as it does everywhere.
One of the major costs is the loss of social
cohesion, according to many students. “I care because
I feel like I barely know the school I’ve been
attending for four years, and I doubt I know half my
class,” says Hills. O’Brien agrees, also stressing the
importance of students knowing about the Achievement
Gap outside of Southwest: “The all­around
success of the district matters to all of us.”
While it’s easy to look at Southwest’s statistics and
community as a winning education system, I challenge
students and the school to look deeper. It’s
not enough that 98% of our students graduate. To
be a truly successful school, no students should fall
through the cracks of the system. Awareness also
needs to be improved. Some students are noticing
the cost of the Achievement Gap at Southwest, and
it’s important to look at the bigger picture: What
are the true costs of some students not attaining
educational success? As global citizens, it’s our
job to look outside of our bubble and know what’s
going on and advocate for social change. Someday
soon, we’ll be in charge of society. We need to work
together to close the Achievement Gap. #
By Hodan Jama
Edison High School
Teacher: Amy Knowlen
try hard and never give up.”
These are the words my mom would
“Always
say to me when I felt like giving up.
Why do some people judge others? When I moved
to the United States I did not know how to speak
or to write English. One day I was in class and my
teacher asked me a question, but I couldn’t answer
it because I was scared I did not know enough
English. I thought they would laugh at me. A student
came to me and said to me, “You’re stupid and you
can’t even speak English. What are you going to do
about that?” and laughed at me.
I felt so sad I couldn’t even say anything. My teacher
heard what the student was saying to me, and came
up to me and said, “Don’t listen to her, she just wants
you to feel bad.”
Then I thought about what my mom used to tell
me and I decided to study hard and do my best to
learn English. My teachers helped me to succeed,
and now I have learned a lot. I can speak English
very well and I can answer the questions that my
teacher asks me. #
Life is Tough
By Jorge Riera
Edison High School
Iam still young but I feel like I am 45. There’s not
one day when I can get my 8 hours of sleep. It’s
not easy being a father at a young age. Being
16 and taking care of a baby, working hard every
day that goes by.
Sometimes I just think that school is a waste of my
time, but I know I can do better. That’s why right
after school I go home, see my baby and my girlfriend,
and then get ready to go to work. My baby
is the reason I keep my head up, but sometimes I
feel that I’m unable to succeed because I’m always
working hard to give my baby a better life than I
had. I start working at four, then I get off at 12 am I
get home at one, then I have to go to school. That’s
why I’m so tired at school, but I try to keep going
no matter what.
I keep my head up, like if I was bleeding through
my nose. I’m still young, and I keep going so my
baby can have a better future. That’s why I keep
going to school, so one day I can go to college. #

Everyone Faces Barriers
By Chanraksmey Wat
Edison High School
Abarrier that keeps me from success is moving
from place to place. I can’t feel focused
on studying at all. I have to move from one
school to another school, moving from one house to
another house each year. Living in a house that we
rent from somebody isn’t as easy as living in a house
that we own. I get messed up every time we have to
move. I get messed up with my studying, my school
credits, and having to get to know new people, where
I should go, and what I should do in the new school
and new neighborhood. There is no way I can focus
on studying; it is just so hard to get adapted to a new
place. My grades are really low. #
Stopping Me
By Wako Ebessa
Edison High School
Do you think everybody has a barrier that
stops him or her from being successful?
There are three barriers that are stopping
me from being successful: being shy, not speaking
the language fluently, and seeing my dad work hard
every day to keep me in school.
The first barrier that stops me from being successful
is that I always have a hard time getting up and speaking
in front of people to tell them about my barriers.
I’m always shy around people because of the different
culture and the things other people do. For me it
is really hard to get used to the American culture. I
think when I speak in front of people that they might
laugh at me and make fun of how I speak.
The second barrier that is always in front of me is
language. In the United States in order to be successful
you need to know how to speak, read and
write in English. When I speak to the teachers I’m
less able to communicate because of not speaking
English fluently.
The third barrier that is stopping me from being
successful is my dad who works hard every day to
raise us. Everyday when he gets out of work, he
barely comes home. Sometimes when I go to school
and my dad goes to work no matter how tired he is,
I think of quitting school and working instead of my
dad. I think it is taking forever to finish school so I
can get a job. Because of my dad I have less focus
in school but he always works hard to keep me in
school to achieve my dream and goals.
I hope all of my barriers will get solved so that I
can follow my dream goal. #
Personal Perspectives on the Gap
Life is Not Easy for Those Who Dream
By Alarif Kalil
Edison High School
“ Don’t be pushed by your problems.
Be led by your dreams.”
Ihave serious problems that can prevent me
from success. My job that I worked after school
is a problem that can take away from my study
time. If I don’t study hard, my dream will be only a
wish. But this is real; I have to be successful to help
my family.
My success is their success
and I will help them some
day if my dream becomes
real, when I graduate from
college and get a job.
I am wondering if there is anybody who helps
their parents by working after school. The problem
I face is how to effectively manage my time.
I worked every day after school in the mall doing
house­keeping. I started working my job at 4 pm.
First I had to throw away garbage, which is heavy
like a family of dinosaurs, and smells like dead fish.
I started cleaning bathrooms and stairs before I
By Sindi Ortiz
Edison High School
Did you know that a lot of students who came
from other countries to the United States
find it hard to be successful because they
have lots of barriers facing them? Don’t be scared
of the barriers that you find in your way—you know
you can pass through.
When you come from other countries to America
you face a lot of barriers and sometimes it is so hard
to pass through. My first day at Edison High School
I was so scared, I wondered how in the world I was
going to pass all these classes. Especially when I
didn’t understand English and I didn’t have help
from my family. When I entered my classes and saw
my teachers, I was thinking, ‘Someday the principal
is going to kick me out of the school!’ Every time I
didn’t understand what my teacher was saying in
the class, I never asked because I was scared that
the teacher would tell me that I was stupid and an
idiot. One day, I wrote a very bad essay and I was
left at 9:15 pm. It took me 25 minutes to get home
from my job. It was almost 10 pm when I got home
every night. I tried to work on my homework after
I ate my dinner, but it was not easy for me to do my
homework every day, because I really got tired after
my job. Sometimes I just gave up and went to bed. I
woke up at 6:25 am to go to school and I asked my
friends to copy their homework. I know this was not
taking me far because I should study hard and give
enough time to my homework.
The reason I worked was because I wanted to
help my little brothers who live in Africa. My dad’s
income is not good enough to afford for my little
brothers to go to private school. Their hope is on me
and I want to be successful in my lessons and they
also want to be successful in their lesson by getting
a good education in a private school. I decided to
stop working after school because my success is
their success and I will help them some day if my
dream becomes real, when I graduate from college
and get a job.
Only my job is a problem that can prevent me from
success. I know life is not easy for those who dream
about something that is so important. The important
thing in my life is to graduate from college and my
family. To help my family I have to be successful. So
I decided to give full consideration to my lessons
to be successful. #
What Happens When You Have Barriers?
very sad because my grade changed from an A to
a D. My teacher gave me another chance to write
my essay, but there were a lot of words I didn’t
understand. For the first time in my life I asked my
teacher a question and I realized that I wasn’t scared
anymore and I finally broke the barrier that was
keeping me from success.
Don’t be scared of the
barriers that you find
in your way—you know
you can pass through.
Sometimes we are scared of the barriers that we
have in our lives and we cannot pass through them
because it is hard. But you have to know if you don’t
break the barriers that keep you from success
because you are so scared you are never going to
succeed. #
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 7

What the Gap Looks Like
What Does The Gap Look Like To You?
By Nicole Booth & Jennifer Lee, 11th Grade, Patrick Henry High School
Is it Disrespect? Or Respect?
Is it Listening? Or Not Listening?
To us, we think that even though good and bad things happen
we still come together to unite…
8 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
What does it look like to YOU?
My Dream
—Valeria Ramirez Lopez, Whittier School
My dream is to get the best education I can
But how do I
When I’m struggling with
parents who fight?
Can’t seem to get it right
It’s not about them, but me
So I’m suffering cause you see
Neither of them finished school
Who do I go to when I need help
Can you see it’s not me, but them
Who need to fix me
Try to help me succeed
Quit the fighting about money
’Cuz in a quick sec it can all be gone
My life isn’t perfect
I have a name and a family
But what good is a family that fights?
How am I to accomplish my dream
with no support?
I’m stuck with my parent’s dream
A low­life loser
All I know in my heart is
I won’t be like them
My kids are going to say,
“My mom’s somebody.”
It only makes me stronger,
never going to break me
I keep my head up in all hope
Some stranger sees my pain
and helps me
Now can you tell me
I’m not like them
I got dreams, I will fulfill
Notice I say
I want it
I will do it
Put me down, I bring me up
Cause if I say, I’ll be the best I can, I will
Me, I got a big heart filled with belief
See, do you think I got a chance?
—Lisa Phanesri, AVID Edison High School
Teacher: Amy Knowlen

What’s the Real Problem?
By Darneshia Jones, 12th Grade, Patrick Henry High School
What the Gap Looks Like
—Cecilia Sosa­Silvia, Edison High School
Flowers
Some flowers have water and sunlight
Some don’t.
Some flowers have room to grow
Some don’t.
Some people don’t have what they need
Some do.
Some people don’t have support
Some do.
Everybody needs help
Not everybody gets it.
Some people think it’s okay
When it’s not.
Some people need help
So let’s help them
Give them what they need
Support them
Let them blossom
Let them achieve.
—Claire Pince, 6 th Grade
Anthony Middle School
Teacher: Paul Sommers
Is it destiny that some people
succeed & others fail?
Or is it that some people
just learn as fast as a snail?
One side of the gap thinks
school is a necessity
The other side thinks
“they’re just trying to
get rid of me.”
—Alex Alexander, Edison High School
Read Alex’ s poem “Never Going Back”
in its entirety on the Shine On! Website:
commed.mpls.k12.mn.us/Shine_On.html
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 9

Personal Perspectives on the Gap
What’s Causing The Gap?
By Chanraksar Wat
Edison High School
Did you know that Minnesota has a large gap
in achievement between students native to
the United States and immigrant students?
I believe that the achievement gap does exist in
Minnesota. The three reasons that the gap exists in
Minnesota are socioeconomic problems, languages,
and misunderstandings.
I have seen a lot of immigrant students drop out of
school because of socioeconomic problems in their
family. The socioeconomic problem has to do with
not having enough money. Most immigrant students
said that socioeconomic problems are their biggest
problems. Some immigrant families cannot afford
to send their children to school, so they need their
kids to go to work instead of going to school.
An additional problem is languages. Numerous immigrant
students are using their first language with
their family instead of English. It is hard for students
to understand math or science; even if English is
their native language. Also some immigrant stu­
The Question of Success
By Amanda Merritt
Edison High School
What are the types of barriers you have to overcome
in life for you to be able to succeed?
Do you come to school every day, even when you don’t
feel good or when something bad has happened?
Do you understand everything you do in school?
Do you have a hard time understand what you are
learning?
Do you sit in the back of the class not raising your hand
because you don’t want to say the wrong thing?
Do you sit down in your room watching TV or texting
on your phone instead of studying for your
text the next day?
Do you feel like giving up but you try because you
tell yourself you can do it?
Are you around people that don’t have your back?
Who always want you to do things that don’t help
you in life?
Did you get up one day and say you don’t need
anybody who doesn’t have your back? #
10 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
dents who speak a different language at home don’t
have someone to help with their reading, writing
and other homework.
The last but not least problem is misunderstanding
from their parents or other people in their family. In
this situation some immigrant parents think that they
brought their kids to this country for a better life
by going to work and having a lot of money instead
of going to school. Their parents think that going to
school just wastes time and money for nothing.
However, this problem is connected to the achievement
gap between students native to the United
States and immigrant students. In my opinion this
situation could be solved by getting more immigrant
parents involved in education and encouraging
them to pay more attention to their children’s
grades and what they do well and poorly in at
school. One other thing that I think it could be
helpful for immigrant students is to have the school
provide more clubs that could help them more with
phonics, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and
phonemic awareness and school should get more
minority student to be involved in these clubs. #
Surviving
By Aujhinaa B., Edison High School
Ithink the Achievement Gap does exist in Minneapolis.
I think it happens because some kids
in school don’t want to pay attention. But if you
think about it, maybe somewhere down the line
they didn’t get taught what they needed to be, or
didn’t get to go to school.
Maybe some kids are
concentrating on surviving
and that's why they’re not
succeeding in school.
Wait… Some kids out there don’t have any beds to
sleep in. They probably don’t have any food in the
house. They’re up all night crying, trying to figure
out how they’re going to eat, fighting with their
moms and dads who are trying to kick them out of
the house. Spending the night at friends’ houses
every other day. Or they might be at home taking
care of their little brothers and sisters. Mom isn’t
ever home, dad left a long time ago.
Maybe some kids are concentrating on surviving,
and that’s why they’re not succeeding in school. #
You Can Do It!
By Armoni Jackson
Edison High School
Why is it that some students seem guaranteed to
succeed and some seem guaranteed to fail?
Why does it seem like students have no hope?
Why does it seem like students don’t try?
Why does it seem like Martin Luther King and
Malcolm X and the “Black Panthers” did all that
HARD WORK and tried and tried and tried and
even died for nothing?
I don’t know…
See what we don’t realize is that we are in school
for a reason. We belong here, if we didn’t need
to be here, why would we be?
Why do people leave school?
Why are there dropouts?
I don’t understand…
If you fail at something, won’t you try it again? If
you don’t understand, try to make a plan to help
and teach yourself and others who also don’t
understand.
Why won’t we listen in class?
Why do we sit in class talking?
Asking questions, asking questions, that’s what
we need. If we don’t ask questions how will we
succeed?
I’m not sure…
Sometimes we sit in class, learning of those
who risk their lives everyday for you, for us,
for us all…don’t you think it’s time for us to
do the same?
Who are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
You make the difference.
You make the WORLD a better place.
Don’t you believe in yourself?
You can do anything you want if you put
your mind, your heart, and every single cell
you have into it!
You,
You have the courage,
You have the confidence,
You have the ambition,
You can do it. #

The Achievement Gap In Our Eyes
By Pang Cheng & Sweet Vang, 12th Grade, Patrick Henry High School
In our experience, having a
good environment would help
us learn more. Having resources
is also a way students can
learn. Teachers are a big part
of a student’s education.
We don’t want teachers who
are not prepared and lack
knowledge of the subject.
In the end, the Gap is based on
what our goals are. Even though
there is an Achievement Gap,
we still choose our own path.
The Achievement Gap does
not stop us from achieving our
goals/future. We go through
tough times, but we learn from
it, and, like the Achievement
Gap, we can grow and learn
from it.
Students achieve differently due to the level
of courses they take. For example, students
who take easier classes may get an easy 100%,
but those who take harder or more challenging
classes may get a lower percentage.
Is the Achievement Gap based on levels?
Why is testing the only way to
judge a student’s achievement?
Why can’t we do projects, or a
worksheet to reflect our achievement?
As students, we take many
tests throughout school. We tend
to get nervous; we think that
nervousness affects our test results.
What the Gap Looks Like
Extra-curricular activities can help
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areas of their lives, and improve their
academic achievement!
Hale Afterschool Choir to
Sing at Timberwolves Game
The Hale afterschool choir will sing the
national anthem at the Minnesota Timberwolves
game February 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm.
The choir will do this in conjunction with Field, the
sister school to Hale. The Hale choir is composed
of thirty­six students in Grades K­4; they are led by
Patti Regan and Emily Regan. This group practices
weekly as part of the Minneapolis Community
Education Youth Program. They believe that getting
involved in after school activities at an early age
and showing your community what you can do is a
great way to build confidence and began to take
steps to improve one’s achievement. #
The Hale Afterschool Choir: Zacaria Blair, Amelie­
Michele Chatters, Sofie Clough, Madison Curtis,
Amanda Flint, Yayra Fry, Britt Fulton, Elizabeth
Gebhard, Olivia Goehring, Olivia Higgins, Lauren
Hoogheem, Emma Hurbanis, Marjorie Johnson,
Mowana Johnson, Aurora Kliewer, Hannah Klopp,
Abigail Louk, Logan Love­Geist, Sohpie Macy, Aviva
Milgrom, Ava Montout, Devon Nease, Gwendolyn
Nelson, Lilian Nelson, Bariana Nicholson Perkins,
Jane Olney, Rhaedyn Prew, Julia Price, Aviella
Raspberry, Josephine Schliemann, Astraya Simmons,
Maya Sprenger­Otto, Siobhan Sullivan, Kalahari
Szarkowicz, Jillian Ulrich, Madelyn Untz, and Mijah
Ylvisaker.
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 11

Plans for Closing the Gap
Getting In the Zone
By Yasmin Awale, 11th Grade
Roosevelt High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
“ Class, if you have any questions
don’t be afraid to ask me.”
How many times have you heard that line or
something similar to it? Countless, right?
Well, how about this: how many times do
you actually ask a question after that? I don’t know
about anyone else, but I usually just wait to see if
anyone else has a question. Who will be willing
to voice something that I might be wondering, or
might not have been wondering but that might still
help me to understand something?
If no one has a question based on the assignment
they have to do, that doesn’t mean that everyone
gets it. In fact I’m willing to bet that at least a good
portion of the class doesn’t get how to do it. I think
that’s a problem. Students that are afraid to ask for
help when they really need it could be limiting their
growth in learning, which could lead to them falling
behind. Alas it is just one of the many contributing
factors to the ever­growing achievement gap.
Jalane Bakuto, 11 th Grade
Roosevelt High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
Unquestionably immigrant students have
some struggles when they first come to
the United States. When I interviewed
some immigrant students, the majority of them
mentioned that they had a hard time learning
English. This was a problem when students
were trying to participate in everyday activities
such as choosing which classes to take, going to
the bathroom when they needed, and making
new friends. They also had problems communicating
their needs to teachers. For example
when they needed help on their work, it would
be difficult to interact with their teacher. They
also had a difficult time getting used to a new
culture, a new religion, and a new life style
outside of school. They had a hard time meeting
new people or getting a job. Some of the
people even experienced discrimination and
bullying. The main reason why they experienced
bullying is because they don’t always fit
in with other students so they always end up in
12 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
I think it’s safe to blame it on the ZPD. The ZPD
or ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ is something
that teachers are taught in college. Right now I am
learning about it in my General Psychology course.
The term was invented by a Russian Psychologist
named Lev Vygotsky. He believed that there is a
certain order in which kids need to be taught. That
order begins with the things they already know, and
then the things they can learn with someone’s help,
and then finally there are the things they can learn
by themselves. The Zone of Proximal Development
is the gray area in between what they know and
The teacher must do
their best to teach you,
but the learning part,
that’s all on you.
what they can learn with a little bit of help. When
the learning you do is within the ZPD, it focuses on
the things you can learn with assistance and then
will be able to do by yourself. If the learning is not
within your ZPD it focuses on things that you have
no area of previous knowledge in, so the content
doesn’t have anything to connect to in your brain,
and is nearly impossible to learn fully.
How do international students experience
the gap with their education & school life?
the center of attention. Additionally, the MCA
tests are challenging because they are written
in English. Most of the students don’t really get
help studying for their MCA test at home because
their parents don’t understand English.
Because of this situation, some of the students
score really low on their MCA test.
However, instead of giving up, they did some
things to overcome the gap. They study very
hard, get involved in different kinds of school
clubs that provide help on their school work.
Some of the clubs that helped them were afterschool
homework club, boat club, robotic club,
student council and also admission possible.
They also communicate with U.S. students to
improve their language skills. And also students
have learned to ask in order to get help
from teachers. Finally, I figured out what kind
of things we should improve so future new immigrants
won’t have the same problems. We
should communicate about the issues they
have, make MCA tests easier for them, and
make them feel comfortable. In final analysis, I
encourage all students to step up and do what
is needed to help immigrant students. #
I’ll give you an example: me and math. I’m brilliant
with English and just about any other class, but
math has been difficult for me. My first few weeks
of 10th Grade Geometry class I fell asleep every
Thursday, because the class was boring to me. I
left 10th Grade feeling like I was dumb because
I didn’t understand a thing about Geometry. The
whole year I kept wondering if it was just me, or
if anyone else was behind like I was. If there was
anyone in the class like that, they sure didn’t make
themselves known. Slowly letting my grades drop
to the lowest I’d ever had them, even my GPA suffered
and it saddened me to realize I was getting
nowhere. I was not helping myself if I kept silent
any longer. So what did I do? I took full advantage
of the kids sitting next to me, and I finally asked
them for help. I was blessed to have at least 1 or 2
classmates near me that understood—to a certain
degree—what was going on, and what we were
learning. Peers help you from within your ZPD
because you won’t have to feel dumb or embarrassed
asking them, like many students do if they
have to ask a teacher for help.
Looking back, it seems I have laid most of the blame
on teachers, but education is a two part thing. Not
learning from your ZPD isn’t just the teachers’ fault
for not giving you the help you need to increase your
understanding and capacity to learn, it’s also yours.
Learning is something that requires 50/50 responsibility.
Half of the effort comes from the teacher,
and the other half comes from you, the student. The
teacher must do their best to teach you, but the
learning part, that’s all on you.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you
are out of your ZPD and having trouble keeping up,
then there are a few things you can do:
1. Ask your teacher for help before or after class.
2. Get a tutor. They aren’t scary and it’s actually
their job to help out kids.
3. Try to sync your lunch with your teachers’. It’s
time to have a one­on­one with your teacher, and
to talk to them without having to feel embarrassed
or self­conscious about what others think. Trust me,
there isn’t a teacher alive that would deny a student
help. Or if you’re shy like I am, at least get a minireview
from your friends before seeking help from
a tutor or teacher.
I hope this helped to enlighten some of you to the
fact that there is an achievement gap among us,
and that there actually are a few ways to bridge
that gap and get everyone involved and having
fun while they learn. The ZPD is a crucial thing that
not many realize, the sooner you can find out yours
the easier it will be to seek help if you ever need it.
Then when you do seek help, know that there are
many ways to get it, and that as long as you have
an open mind, and are willing to spend time, you
can learn anything! #

Volunteering: Closing The Gap
By Karis Pryor, Grade 11
Washburn High School
Shine On! Youth Edtorial Board
When most kids hear the word volunteering,
they usually turn up their nose and
think about tedious, unpaid labor. You
won’t find people of my generation to be the first
ones in line to volunteer. Most students would
rather be involved in sports or social activities.
I am not saying this is a bad thing. Volunteering
is just seldom an option that is offered to teens. I
guarantee that if volunteering in the community
was as advertised as the newest fashion, it would
be widely praised by youth.
With volunteering on my mind, I interviewed a
couple of my peers about it. I asked the simple
question, “Have you ever thought about volunteering?”
Many responded with a shake of the
head or replied, “I did Feed My Starving Children
a couple years ago.” This is a result of the young
people’s ability to contribute to the community
being ignored.
Although there were some teens who responded
this way, there were others out there who thrive
on volunteering. Teenagers who grew up with a
background that required help have turned out
to be the main ones participating in every volunteering
group available. I know of young adults
in their twenties who live to help underprivileged
kids and get joy out of it. I have asked when these
people what they think about volunteering and they
all give me positive feedback, usually concluding
their statements with, “I wish I could have gotten
this kind of help as a kid.”
Ways I Can Help
There are two boys in my class. They
can do their work but something is
stopping them. I don’t know what it
is, but I’m going to find out. I think to help
the two boys, first I should ask them what is
stopping them. The second thing I should
do is find a few things that may help. I will
try them and see what ones work. If one or
some work I will try to help them.
When I help them I will feel good and I
will want to tell everyone because one day
when I went to church my pastor said when
something good happens to you you should
tell everyone so that is what I’ll do. #
—Gianna, Whittier School
We are presented the broad idea of problems in
the world. For example: world hunger, poverty
and homelessness. Given the knowledge of these
problems, how are we expected to respond? A few
moments of silence in the classroom and nods of
the head in astonishment is often the response we,
as students, have. After we are presented with the
problems, it stops there. Rarely have I heard anybody
tell a grief­filled story followed by somebody
offering little ways that we could help out. Unless
it is an organization asking for donations or letters
to the people struck by grief, there is nothing more
asked of youth.
How can they have the
chance to be selfless when
they see the problem, but
are offered no road to a
solution? I believe we all
have it in us to give what
little, or great, we can
to our community.
I believe we all have it in us to give what little,
or great, we can to our community. Even if it is
just helping out a neighbor with his/her homework,
we all have the ability to give. But where
are the resources? I ask this question to move
us to the achievement gap. If we were presented
more opportunities and encouraged more in
our younger years, would we be willing to give
up some of our free time to help others out?
This is where the achievement gap ties in. There
are no opportunities offered for kids to help out
within their communities, state, country or world
that can motivate them enough. Instead, they are
sheltered from the news and the adults are left to
do all of the work. People may think that teenagers
are caught up in their own world and are selfish
when it comes to giving, but how can they give if
they don’t know where to give to? How can they
have the chance to be selfless when they see the
problem, but are offered no road to a solution? I
believe we all have it in us to give what little, or
great, we can to our community.
Please keep in mind that the bridging of the
achievement gap can always start with you. You can
make a great impact with anything you do for your
community, neighbor or friend, whether it be academically,
physically or financially. You will always
have a place in this world and your contribution
will be greatly appreciated. #
Plans for Closing the Gap
Want to Volunteer?
Here are some volunteering organizations
that have a hand in everything and offer a
large array of opportunities:
The Courage Center
This is a great opportunity for youth volunteers
to offer their services to adults and
kids, just like them, who are disabled. This
also includes helping them with adaptive
sporting events.
Second Harvest Heartland
Do you feel you can contribute physically
and have no problem working up a sweat
to eliminate hunger? Then join this organization
in helping stock shelves, sort or
pack food, and pick apples during the fall
at apple orchards.
Lyngblomsten
This is a great organization that focuses on
youth helping elderly people.
Bridging
Got some friends or a team of youth who
would love to volunteer? This is an organization
for everybody. Help move and sort donated
furniture that was given to Bridging.
Neighborhood Involvement
Program (NIP)
This organization offers assistance to elderly
people who still live at home. You can
help the elderly with their chores, which
may include things such as raking, trimming
bushes, painting, etc.
Minneapolis Parks & Recreation
Want to work with kids but don’t know specifically
what you want to do? Minneapolis
parks are always looking for volunteers
to help out with various projects, whether
small or large, and offer a wide range of
tasks.
Arc Value Village
Ever come here to shop for fun stuff or donate
things? Arc Value Village can also use
your help sorting and organizing clothes to
sell at the store.
If you are still not finding anything that suits
you, you can visit www.handsontwincities.
org and find specific projects that you can
get involved in. This website is a great place
to visit and find something that fits just right
with what you would like to do and your
schedule. Also, ask around! There is always
an opportunity for you to help out.
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 13

Plans for Closing the Gap
Finding Equity Through Expectations
By Ben Nordquist, Grade 12
Southwest High School
Shine On! Youth Editorial Board
Ihave been on the Youth Editorial Board of Shine
On! for three years, and over this past summer
I was given the chance to go to the National
Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) and be a representative
for the paper. While at the camp,
we learned a lot about the Achievement
Gap and how to address it through service
learning.
Community service and service learning
have been big parts of my life from a young
age. Throughout high school I have done many
mission trips, been involved with Southwest’s
National Honor Society, and tutored students
at an organization called Urban Ventures. This
organization is making great strides in bridging
the gap through their involvement with
youth on many levels. The program preaches
healthy lifestyles and consistently teaches the
kids relevant activities that they get to choose!
Their rigorous tutoring program helps kids
excel with all the homework they are assigned,
allowing them the ability to further their understanding
of any subject. I have had the honor of
volunteering with this program, and it has taught
me a lot of methodologies to use in bridging the
gap that I can embrace in my daily life to make
a difference. It has also taught me that there are
tons of different ways to get involved in order to
bridge the Achievement Gap. I have learned that
we need to be the change we want to see, and our
pursuit for equity in an educational system has to
be actively strived for.
I presented myself with a challenge starting the
new school term my senior year, to take service
learning out of a classroom setting and work to
14 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
Left: Managing Editors Lily Thiboutot &
Kelsey Schonning with Youth Editorial
Board members Ben Nordquist & Annie Wood at NYLT
July 2010. Center: NYLT gets you into the outdoors to learn and grow. Right: NYLT is led by
enthusiastic, passionate, and educated staff like Sarah Ullmer (pictured above).
bridge the gap in my everyday life. When I learned
about the Achievement Gap at NYLT, one of the
solutions for bridging the gap that was presented
to me was maintaining high and equal expectations
for everyone; this seemed like a good place to start
integrating service­learning into my life. When
serving I think it’s important to go into the project
with an open mind, likewise, we should not define
Above: Idea sharing, learning, and
problem solving are essential parts
of NYLT. Right: The whole group of
participants from the July 2010 NYLT.
the crowd we expect to serve. I believe that we can
find a strong sense of equality through maintaining
a sense of community and holding challenging
expectations for one another. I have grown up in a
I have learned that we need
to be the change we want
to see, and our pursuit for
equity in an educational
system has to be actively
strived for.
supportive community, and have benefitted greatly
from the help I have been given by my friends and
family’s support. Their time in itself is a resource
that not everyone has access to. It is incredibly
important to remember that support is a resource
that not everyone has, and supporting others with
expectations challenges them and shows that
you care through your involvement! Whether it is
friends, peers, those you tutor, siblings, or others, I
believe that we can find equity and bridge the gap
by maintaining involvement, support, and expectations
in our everyday life.$#

NYLT &
Service­Learning
By Esther Lee, Grade 11
Chaska High School
This past summer I had the privilege
of attending the National
Youth Leadership Training camp
in Mound, Minnesota. During the week, I
made many friends and was given an eyeopening
education about the achievement
gap and service­learning. Before the training,
I thought that service­learning was an
extracurricular, and that the achievement
gap was simply a concern of academics.
During the camp, I came to understand
that these two were correlated and that
successful service­learning programs can
lead to reducing the achievement gap.
As we were learning about the achievement
gap, I came to realize that there are
no “dumb” kids. When someone says that
they haven’t finished high school, or they
are failing certain classes, or they are in the
alternative school, subconsciously we as
a society and as students judge that these
students have failed or are “dumb.” Instead,
throughout the week I came to realize that
every student has a different learning
style and that that style may not be able to
express itself or have its needs met in the
conventional school environment.
Through service­learning programs, however,
students are able to work and learn
in a hands­on and engaging way, and have
an opportunity to serve their community
and be involved in solving local issues.
This approach enables students to find
their potential and confidence in learning.
Once the students find confidence and
potential in themselves, they will tend to
be more positive and curious, and take
more responsibility for their own work at
school and in their community. In this way,
service­learning can be a good start to
help close the achievement gap.
Hearing about youth making a difference
in their community by supporting servicelearning
helped me realize that it is time
we take action and raise our voices to help
close the achievement gap!$#
This past July, over fifty students from around
the country gathered at the National Youth
Leadership Training (NYLT). Participants
took part in countless interactive activities relating
to service­learning and the Achievement Gap. At
the end of the training, participants put together
Service­Learning Action Plans to help close the
Achievement Gap in their home communities.
These are some of the projects students across
the nation are taking part in now to mobilize youth
around the issue of the Achievement Gap, inspired
by NYLT.
“ Our project is to create a group called Kelvyn
Park Youth Committee. We made two
committees called peer to peer committee
and peer to staff committee. We work on
separate projects but we come back as a
group and reflect and help each other with
our projects to close the gap.”
Plans for Closing the Gap
National Youth Leadership Training
— Jorge Zamora & Leo Cedasero
Kelvyn Park High School, Chicago, IL
“ We’re promoting narrowing the achievement
gap by holding a summer camp program
for elementary school kids, and we’re
going to incorporate a healthy/awesome
learning experience. We’ll focus on reading
and math and do some exercise to whip that
brain and body into shape!”
— Molly Messner, James Fletcher, Laura Salvidar,
Peter Barnas, Savannah Mayer, Rhiann Owen,
Kelsi Breazeale, & Rachel Zahaur; Algonquin, IL
Harry D. Jacobs; Dundee, Hampshire,
“ We are going to host workshops to remove
or decrease the external emotional and
behavioral concerns of students at Hyde.”
—Shacoya Freeman, Christian Hill, & Julian Busby
Hyde Leadership Public Charter School,
Washington D.C.
“ We are talking to our legislators about
rules and certain issues that play into the
achievement gap in our school. We are also
making sure everyone has the basic tools
for school!”
—Kayla Phillips, John Sedgwick Jr. High
Port Orchard/Bremerton
“ We are creating an initiative in our school
to open students’ eyes to the achievement
gap. To do this we hope to plan and carry
out an experiential learning seminar meant
to simulate the achievement gap with the
freshman class of 2014 in April of 2011.”
—Vic Griffin & Michelle Gavel
Lincoln Charter School, Denver, NC
“ We’re planning an immersion style lockin
for 7th­10th graders to open student’s
minds to the achievement gap, what it looks
and feels like.”
—Justice Walker, Trevor Hammond, &
Kenithia Nicky Addison, Campfire USA
(Community Based Organization), Washington, DC
“ We’re designing a curriculum for a class in
the spring to raise awareness in our affluent,
homogenous school about what a ‘good
education’ is and why certain students are
not receiving it. Students will conduct research
projects on various causes/effects of
the achievement gap. Also, we will establish
a connection with Markham Elementary
School (where over 65% of students qualify
for free/reduced lunch) through servicelearning
to further strengthen community
ties.”
—Kelsey West, Ellie Bartlett, & Nate Higby
Riverdale High School, Portland, Oregon
Tired of hearing about
the achievement gap?
Become a part of the solution
through service-learning.
Check out youth
leadership trainings at
nylc.org/nylt.
Shine On! | Winter 2011 | 15

What the Gap Looks Like
16 | Shine On! | Winter 2011
“ I think the school should put less
kids in each class so kids can get
more one­on­one time the teacher to
reach each of their individual needs.”
Doesn’t Scare
Me Anymore
On the first day of school
I didn’t know what to expect
Crowded halls
New faces
But it doesn’t scare me anymore
Harder classes
Same long day
Tell me will I want to stay?
But it doesn’t scare me anymore
Are the older kids mean?
What if I just want to leave?
But it doesn’t scare me anymore
I walked into school
Saw people that I knew
When the day ended
I could say I wasn’t frightened
It doesn’t scare me anymore.
—Pahwahnna Khem, Grade 7, Marcy Open
—Ella Laurent, Grade 6
Field Community School
Teacher: Sandy Berry
If our education system continues to fail some kids,
we are going to fall apart globally… this is a global issue!
Success Struggles
Because of who I am, and what I see, there
are plenty of reasons why I cannot succeed.
Whether it’s the money problems,
the drinking problems, or drugs,
It keeps me from success.
How are you supposed to do your best
when you have nobody to run to?
Because the only thing you know is what
people show you and just because they
showed you doesn’t mean it’s good. Cause
anybody would show you anything if it’s
good for ‘their ’hood’.
People have struggles, people have
battles, if people would take time to
figure them out, Maybe one day the
failing students’ math tests would count!
—Shavala Parker
AVID Edison High School
“ I can help my peers if they are
struggling. I could get together with
my friends that are struggling with
work and we could study together.”
—Paige T.,Whittier International Elementary