Developing An Educational Model for a Competitive Alaska SWAMC March 6, 2014 Diane Hirshberg Center for Alaska Education Policy Research at ISER University of Alaska Anchorage

Outline of Talk 2 Context – student achievement in Alaska and SWAMC region Context – student achievement in Alaska and SWAMC region What contributes to student success? What contributes to student success? What are some models for success and how do we get there? What are some models for success and how do we get there?

3 What is the situation in Alaska?

Alaska schools overall are not nationally competitive Percent of Students Scoring Proficient or Above National Assessment of Educational Progress 2013 AlaskaUS 4 th grade reading28%34% 8 th grade reading31%35% 4 th grade math36%42% 8 th grade math33%34%

In 2013, the average 8 th grade NAEP math score in Alaska (282) was: In 2013, the average 8 th grade NAEP math score in Alaska (282) was: lower than those in 29 states/jurisdictions lower than those in 29 states/jurisdictions higher than those in 11 states/jurisdictions higher than those in 11 states/jurisdictions not significantly different from those in 11 states/jurisdictions not significantly different from those in 11 states/jurisdictions In 2013, the average 8 th grade NAEP reading score in Alaska (261) was: In 2013, the average 8 th grade NAEP reading score in Alaska (261) was: lower than those in 37 states/jurisdictions lower than those in 37 states/jurisdictions higher than those in 6 states/jurisdictions higher than those in 6 states/jurisdictions not significantly different from those in 8 states/jurisdictions not significantly different from those in 8 states/jurisdictions 5

Alaska Native students are particularly low performing on NAEP assessments 44% of white students are proficient or advanced on NAEP 8 th grade reading scores, while 12% of Alaska Native/American Indian students are 44% of white students are proficient or advanced on NAEP 8 th grade reading scores, while 12% of Alaska Native/American Indian students are 46% of white students are proficient or advanced on NAEP 8 th grade math scores, while 16% of Alaska Native/American Indian students are 46% of white students are proficient or advanced on NAEP 8 th grade math scores, while 16% of Alaska Native/American Indian students are 6

In parts of the SWAMC Region students are struggling District Attendance Rate Graduation Rate Dropout Rate data (except where noted) Aleutian Region ( ) 89.3%*66.7%9.1% Aleutians East89.7%72.7%3.9% Bristol Bay91.2%82.4%0% Dillingham90.1%42.4%7.5% Kodiak Island93.6%83.5%1.5% Lake & Peninsula** 91.3%71%3.2% 7 * Aleutian Region attendance rate was higher in , but graduation rate was unavailable (too few students) ** Lake & Pen graduation rates increased from 55% to 71% between 2012 & 2013

Many graduates are not prepared for college 77% of recent high school graduates who attend UA from three SWAMC districts (Kodiak, Lake & Pen, and Dillingham) took developmental coursework, compared to 52% of all recent Alaska high school graduates who attend UA 8

Students are not going on to post-secondary learning Alaska has the 2 nd lowest college going rate in the U.S. Alaska has the 2 nd lowest college going rate in the U.S. Alaska and your region needs skilled workers in a number of areas - do students know this? Alaska and your region needs skilled workers in a number of areas - do students know this? 9

10 The question is… What the outcomes we want for our students and what do we need to do to achieve them?

What are some key factors in students succeeding Quality early learning so students enter school ready to learn Quality early learning so students enter school ready to learn Quality teachers Quality teachers High expectations High expectations Effective teaching practices Effective teaching practices …But what does this mean? 11

Effective teaching practices Effective pedagogy includes: Effective pedagogy includes: High expectations/challenging activities High expectations/challenging activities Active learning – students co-producing knowledge with teachers Active learning – students co-producing knowledge with teachers Connecting learning to students’ contexts – home and community lives Connecting learning to students’ contexts – home and community lives 12

Do teachers have high expectations? 13 Choose the option below that most closely matches the percentage of students currently in your classes you expect will leave high school college or career ready.

Are teachers using effective teaching practices? 14

Hiring and Retaining Excellent Teachers High turnover needs to be stemmed High turnover needs to be stemmed Pay is a part of the equation, but… Pay is a part of the equation, but… Working conditions more important Working conditions more important Parent/community support Parent/community support Administrative support Administrative support Sense that succeeding with students Sense that succeeding with students Induction, mentoring & professional development important Induction, mentoring & professional development important 15

Average Teacher Turnover Aleutian Region45.3% Bristol Bay33.3% Aleutians East24.2% Lake & Peninsula22.9% Dillingham22.8% Kodiak13.1%

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? 17

How do we change school community relationship? 18

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? 19

Too few of our teachers are home grown, from rural and/or Indigenous backgrounds Fewer than 5% teachers statewide are Alaska Native Fewer than 5% teachers statewide are Alaska Native Only 172 Alaska Native teachers have graduated from special programs aimed at increasing the # of indigenous teachers in Alaska over the past 44 years Only 172 Alaska Native teachers have graduated from special programs aimed at increasing the # of indigenous teachers in Alaska over the past 44 years 20

How do we grow more of our own teachers? Encourage youth in your communities to go to college Encourage youth in your communities to go to college Ask current teachers to mentor students Ask current teachers to mentor students Pay for your own graduates to get a teaching degree (e.g., LKSD)/take advantage of loan forgiveness (state Teacher Education Loan) Pay for your own graduates to get a teaching degree (e.g., LKSD)/take advantage of loan forgiveness (state Teacher Education Loan) Raise the status of teachers in your community – make it a desired profession Raise the status of teachers in your community – make it a desired profession 21

But could we be doing something really different? 22 Models for schooling stuck in 20 th century mode Models for schooling stuck in 20 th century mode Traditional school year Traditional school year Traditional classrooms in our villages, and the alternative is traditional residential schools Traditional classrooms in our villages, and the alternative is traditional residential schools Curriculum from outside Curriculum from outside How do we truly think outside this box? How do we truly think outside this box?

One example: Reframing the basis for education North Slope Borough School District Iñupiaq Learning Framework North Slope Borough School District Iñupiaq Learning Framework 23

One Example: Rethinking secondary to post-secondary links Northwest Arctic Borough School District 24

One Example: Using charter school law to create a culturally based school Lower Kuskokwim School District 25

What could your schools be doing differently? 26

27 Next Question - How do we get all this done?

Resources are key - but… how schools and districts spend money makes a difference 28

Select findings from a national study of school district spending (Boser, 2011) Many school districts could boost student achievement without increasing spending if they used their money more productively. Many school districts could boost student achievement without increasing spending if they used their money more productively. The nation’s least-productive districts spend more on administration. The nation’s least-productive districts spend more on administration. High-spending school systems are often inefficient High-spending school systems are often inefficient 29

Select Findings, Cont’d. Without clear controls on how additional school dollars are spent, more education spending will not automatically improve student outcomes Without clear controls on how additional school dollars are spent, more education spending will not automatically improve student outcomes Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be enrolled in highly inefficient districts Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be enrolled in highly inefficient districts States and districts fail to evaluate the productivity of schools and districts. States and districts fail to evaluate the productivity of schools and districts. 30

Alaska’s school funding system doesn’t give any answers… 31 School funding in Alaska is NOT based on any research based model… and therefore… School funding in Alaska is NOT based on any research based model… and therefore… We can’t tie student outcomes to inputs We can’t tie student outcomes to inputs But… we do need a thoughtful allocation of resources to get where we want to go But… we do need a thoughtful allocation of resources to get where we want to go

Back to the earlier question… 32 What could your schools be doing differently from what they are doing now? What could your schools be doing differently from what they are doing now? What could parents, community members, businesses in your region be doing differently in terms of the schools? What could parents, community members, businesses in your region be doing differently in terms of the schools? What can you do to make that happen? What can you do to make that happen?

33 Thank you! Diane Hirshberg