Riverside County African-American Performance Shannon Wells, PhD 1

Cost of Dropout: Academic Each day, 7 busses full of kids dropout in CA CA, estimated 1 out of 8 drop out before HS Benefit of effective dropout intervention – $392,000 for every HS graduate Riverside County, 3 busses each week 2

IMPORTANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Education is the civil rights issue of this time. Ongoing educational underachievement negatively impacts academic accountability and larger societal issues. The rigor of the CCCSS will result in a widening of the achievement gap if this issue is not addressed. To truly increase college and career readiness rates, we must address the performance of all underperforming students. It is a disadvantage to all if a significant group of Americans remains consistently under-educated. 3

4 “I am particularly concerned that our African-American students fall below national norms of student achievement and performance measures….To support our belief that students are our future leaders, teachers, inventors, soldiers, doctors and so much more, we need to readily address specific needs and provide appropriate support where needed. Changing California’s future for the better begins with our students.” -Tom Torlakson State Superintendent of Public Instruction “I am particularly concerned that our African-American students fall below national norms of student achievement and performance measures….To support our belief that students are our future leaders, teachers, inventors, soldiers, doctors and so much more, we need to readily address specific needs and provide appropriate support where needed. Changing California’s future for the better begins with our students.” -Tom Torlakson State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Riverside County Demographics “Testing” Subgroups: – 62.6% SED – 30.5% EL – 11.9% SWD 5

Riverside County AA Subgroup Makeup AA Students Tested in 2012 – 63.7% SED – 0.9% EL – 16.4% SWD 6

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF AFRICAN- AMERICAN STUDENTS DOES EACH DISTRICT CONTRIBUTE TO THE COUNTY? 7

Total

WHAT PERCENT OF THE STUDENT POPULATION IS THE AFRICAN- AMERICAN SUBGROUP IN EACH DISTRICT? 9

10

COMPARISON SUBGROUPS 11

12

13

14

RIVERSIDE COUNTY DISTRICTS: ACHIEVEMENT GAP DATA 15

16

17

18

DISSECTING AA PERFORMANCE 19

20

21

22

IT’S BEING DONE: A LOOK AT SUCCESSFUL MODELS

24 HOW MANY EXAMPLES DO WE HAVE TO SEE OF HIGH POVERTY, HIGH ACHIEVING SCHOOLS BEFORE WE BELIEVE THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN ACHIEVE?

25 “We can, whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” - Ronald Edmonds Harvard University “We can, whenever, and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” - Ronald Edmonds Harvard University

DEMOGRAPHICSDATA (2012 Growth) 20% African American 79% Hispanic or Latino 1% Pacific Islander 92% SED API Overall- 919 African American- 913 AYP (ELA) Overall- 77.5% African American- 78.6% AYP (Math) Overall- 89.9% African American- 82.1% 26 LAUREL STREET ELEMENTARY COMPTON, CALIFORNIA

KEY STRATEGIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

NEXT STEPS WHAT NEXT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN AT THE DISTRICT AND COUNTY LEVELS TO INCREASE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN- AMERICAN STUDENTS? Be prepared to share one item from your table discussion.

Questions? 29