A few of the Achievement Outcomes for San Francisco Unified School District’s California Math and Science Partnership Grant- Working together to Improve Science Education (WISE) Gibson & Associates External Evaluators

WISE Program  )WISE is a collaborative partnership formed between San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and San Francisco State University (SFSU) and includes City College of San Francisco (CCSF), the University of California Museum of Paleontology, and the California Academy of Sciences.  The WISE program began in the Summer of 2004 with 15 schools and 44 teachers. In this fourth year of funding, there are 14 sites and 33 teachers involved in the program. The mission of Working together to Improve Science Education (WISE) is to improve student achievement in science through content and pedagogy professional development for grade four and five teachers.

Intensive Content Knowledge WISE teachers received an average of 50 hours of professional development content from partner faculty.  Focused on grade level Earth, Life, and Physical science standards.  Included hard-to-teach/grasp subjects.  Combined inquiry-based hands-on activities with lectures.  Conducted during summer sessions and release days throughout the year.

Coaching Support WISE teachers receive an average of 20 hours of coaching support annually from 2 district coaches: Each site had at least two teachers involved in the program. Coaching support included team-teaching, materials preparation, curriculum pacing, and assessment preparation, and support. Coaches visited each classroom at least once a month. Coaches conducted monthly meetings at each site with WISE teachers.

2007 Science CST Results 5 th grade science proficiency rates for students in classrooms with WISE teachers with 50 or more hours of WISE Professional Development, and those with a minimum of 20 professional development hours, surpassed 5 th graders at the same school site not participating in the program, students throughout the district, and the state.

Results The graph below represents the percent of students achieving proficiency on the 5th grade California Standards Test in Science for WISE teachers and a control group matched by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and 2004 science and literacy achievement. The N for each year is approximately 260 WISE students and 400 Control group students. While there was growth for each group of students, the treatment students continued to outperform the control group and the state every year.

Results The graph below shows the distribution of average raw scaled scores for the WISE treatment group, the control group, and the state. As evidenced by this data, students of 5 th grade WISE teachers with at least 50 hours of WISE professional development surpassed achievement of students in the control group and the state’s classrooms.

2007 Science Results by Gender The graph below indicates the average raw scaled scores of the WISE treatment group, as compared to those of the control group of students and the state. Both boys and girls in the treatment group outperformed the control group and the state.

Results by Gender The graph below indicates three years of average raw scaled scores in Science for MALES in the WISE treatment group, as compared to males in the control group of students and in the state.

Results by Gender The graph below indicates three years of average raw scaled scores in Science for FEMALES in the WISE treatment group, as compared to those of the control group and in the state.

Achievement Gap Analysis In 2007, targeted subgroup populations (African American and Hispanic-Latino) in treated classrooms outperformed the control group and the state. However, due to the subgroup population fluctuations, it is impossible to make year to year comparisons for treatment subgroup and control group populations. Data for subgroup populations is presented for the year 2007 only.

2007 Science Results by Ethnicity The chart below indicates the average scaled science scores by significant ethnic subgroup populations of the treatment group as compared to the control group and the state.

Reducing the Achievement Gap The graph below compares the percent of students with below basic science scores from control classrooms and WISE treatment classrooms. WISE treatment classrooms had a far lower percentage of students with low scores.

Reducing the Achievement Gap The graph below indicates raw-scaled scores on the 5 th grade Science CST for targeted subgroup populations.

Literacy and Science Data A key component of the WISE professional development program has been the use of science literacy notebooks. As the charts below indicate, there is a pattern of proficiency decline for 5 th grade English Language Arts for the control group, but no significant pattern of change in achievement for WISE teachers in the area of English Language Arts.

Literacy and Science Data The percentage of 5 th grade students with proficient scores in English Language Arts decreased for the control group, but there was no significant overall change for the WISE treatment group or the state.

2007 ELA Results by Gender The graph below indicates the average raw scaled English Language Arts scores by gender for the WISE treatment group, as compared to those of the control group and the state.

ELA Results by Gender The graph below indicates three years of average raw scaled scores in English Language Arts for MALES in the WISE treatment group, as compared to males in the control group and in the state.

ELA Results by Gender The graph below indicates three years of average raw scaled scores in English Language Arts for FEMALES in the WISE treatment group, as compared to females in the control group and in the state.

2007 ELA Results by Ethnicity The graph below indicates the average raw scaled scores in English Language Arts of the WISE treatment group, as compared to control group and the state. The two targeted subgroups, African American and Hispanic-Latino students, are exceeding the state and the control group.

Reducing the Achievement Gap African American and Hispanic-Latino students in WISE classrooms outperformed the control group and the state in English Language Arts as indicated by average raw scaled scores for 5 th graders on the CST.

Contact Information For more information contact Jeanne D’Arcy, Supervisor, Mathematics & Science San Francisco Unified School District or Nada Djordjevich, Senior Associate, Gibson & Associates