Closing the Achievement Gap - Washington State School Directors ...

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cient (LEP) students were disproportionately represented in schools thathad not met their reading goals.The data are similar for different socio-economic groups. The A+ Commissionfound schools that met their fourth grade reading goals had lowerpercentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. In fact, thepercentage of schools meeting their goals decreases as the percentage ofstudents receiving free or reduced-price lunches increases.Understanding the Achievement Gap in Each School DistrictTo provide leadership and policy guidance at the local level, school boardsneed to have a thorough understanding of the achievement gap in theirown school district. This means having a working knowledge of thedistrict’s assessment results from the ITBS/ITED and WASL and knowingthe right questions to ask regarding the test scores to determine the degreeto which some students are achieving and others are not.With knowledge and understanding of what the achievement gap looks likein their schools, board members can engage staff and the community inmeaningful dialogue about why a gap exists and specific actions to take toclose the gap.The following questions can help guide the discussion about studentachievement to determine the extent to which the achievement gap existsin each school district.1. Based on the scores from the ITBS/ITED and WASL, what are theachievement rates for all students in the district at each grade leveltested? What has been the three-year trend of these test scores?2. To what degree is there a difference in the test scores of studentsacross socio-economic groups? To what degree is there a difference inthe test scores of students across ethnic groups?3. Do the scores over the past three years show any trend? Is the differencein the test scores across groups increasing or decreasing?4. What other patterns or trends exist in the achievement rates of ethnicminority and low-income students?5. Are there patterns of achievement between groups across schools?What are the characteristics of schools with lower achievement? Whatdoes the Just For Kids data 1 show?6. What conclusions about student achievement can be drawn from thedata, and what limitations are there?1The Washington Just for the Kids is a Web-based data analysis and school performance and accountabilitysystem based on a very successful and highly acclaimed methodology developed by the Just for theKids organization in Austin, Texas. The methodology takes into account a school’s socio-economicstatus, bilingual services, size, student mobility rate and other factors to identify high performingschools based on WASL and ITBS/ITED data. The Web site is www.spu.edu/orgs/research/justkids.asp.WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL DIRECTORS’ ASSOCIATION11
7. What other assessment data exist at the school and classroom levelsto demonstrate student achievement trends in the district?The achievement gap plays out in a myriad of ways in addition to testscores. While investigating the gap in districts, it is important to considerthe following:Dropout and College Rates. The report Postsecondary Opportunity andAchievement in Washington presents research showing that AfricanAmerican, Hispanic and Native American students in Washington aremore likely to drop out of high school and less likely to go directly toa four-year college from high school. According to the report, about 17percent of high school students drop out; however the rate for black,Native American and Hispanic students is between 27 percent and 36percent.Over-representation in Special Education. The A+ Commissionreported that American Indian and black students are over-representedin special education compared to their presence in the nonspecialeducation population. Data show that while four percent ofAmerican Indians are in special education, they make up only 2.5percent of the non-special education population. Blacks make up 8.1percent of the special education population and only 5.5 percent ofthe non-special education population. Whites and Hispanics are eachequally represented in the special education and general educationpopulations, and Asians are under-represented.Under-representation in Gifted/Talented Programs and AdvancedPlacement Classes. Low expectations for students of color and thosewho are poor have a significant impact on achievement. Low expectationsfor students may be one reason that students of color and thosefrom poverty are under-represented in Advanced Placement (AP)classes and gifted and talented programs. In Washington, for example,only 661 American Indian, black and Hispanic students out of 11,447were enrolled in AP classes in 2001. Research shows that studentswith opportunities to learn at high levels have a much higher probabilityof completing a college degree.Discipline. Uneven administration of discipline results in students ofcolor being suspended and expelled more often than other students.Studies have shown this disparity in discipline based on race cannotbe explained just on socio-economic factors or the home lives ofchildren. A greater understanding of students from different culturesis needed by teachers and principals in applying fair and consistentdiscipline practices. As reported in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a SanFrancisco school has implemented a successful program to reduce thediscipline gap by focusing on what adults can do to manage studentbehavior, rather than what students can do.12CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP: A POLICY ACTION GUIDE
Page 4: Table of ContentsForeword .........
Page 7 and 8: My thanks to the members of the Ach
Page 9 and 10: Assess the achievement gap problem.
Page 12 and 13: Overview of the PolicyAction GuideT
Page 14 and 15: Understanding theAchievement GapWSS
Page 16 and 17: Data also show a clear pattern of a
Page 20 and 21: All Students Can Learn:Evidence Tha
Page 22: The two building graphs are from Wa
Page 25 and 26: Allocation and Alignment of Fiscal
Page 27 and 28: What School Districts Are DoingIn t
Page 29 and 30: The No Child Left Behind Act (www.n
Page 31 and 32: What School Districts Are DoingThe
Page 33 and 34: Questions to Guide the Discussion1.
Page 35 and 36: economically disadvantaged families
Page 37 and 38: “We need to look inside ourdistri
Page 39 and 40: 5. To what degree have new ways to
Page 41 and 42: “Closing the achievementgap requi
Page 43 and 44: “Where there are differentlevels
Page 45 and 46: What School Districts Are DoingKenn
Page 47 and 48: 5. To what degree are parents and c
Page 49 and 50: the classroom, grade level, school
Page 51 and 52: technology and professional develop
Page 53 and 54: tion, learning environments, progra
Page 55 and 56: Statewide 6th Grade ITBS Results: 2
Page 57 and 58: Train teachers to meet the demands
Page 60 and 61: ReferencesBrumbaugh, S. (1997). “
Page 62: Waymack N. & Drury, D. (Summer/Fall
Page 65 and 66: Gary Wilson Principal and Linda Hah
Page 67: Notes

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