GOOD TEACHING MATTERS: Strategies for Improving Achievement And Closing Gaps Between Groups Prepared for the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors by The Education Trust, 2003

Achievement in America: Key Facts on Where We Are Now

Where Are We Now? 4th Grade Reading, All Students, 1998 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

Where Are We Now? 8th Grade Mathematics All Students 2000 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

Underneath those nation-wide figures, there are gaps of all sorts… including gaps among states

Differences Among States: Grade 4 Reading

Today’s Focus: Examining Performance of Key Racial and Economic Groups

By Race, Ethnicity 4th Grade Reading 1998 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

By Family Income 4th Grade 1998 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

NAEP 8th Grade Mathematics 2000 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

NAEP 8th Grade Math Performance 2000 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

Progress over time? During seventies and eighties we made a lot of progress, but that progressed stopped by 1990.

Gaps Narrow, Then Mostly Widen NAEP Reading, 17 Year-Olds Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress (p. 107) Washington, DC: US Department of Education, August 2000

Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady or Widen: NAEP Math Scores, 13 Year-Olds Source: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress (p. 108) Washington, DC: US Department of Education, August 2000

By End of High School?

Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Reading Skills Source: USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables

Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate Strong Math Skills Source: USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables

African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Do Math at Same Levels As White 13 Year Olds Source: NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables (online)

African American and Latino 17 Year Olds Read at Same Levels as White 13 Year Olds Source: NAEP 1999 Long Term Trends Summary Tables (online)

Not Surprisingly, These Same Patterns Evident in High School Graduation

Students Graduate From High School At Different Rates, 1998 Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States: March 1998 (p ), Detailed Tables No. 2

Despite Poor Preparation, Most Graduates Will Go Immediately On To College

IMMEDIATE COLLEGE- GOING GROWING

Within 2 Years of HS Graduation?

Most High School Grads Go On To Postsecondary Within 2 Years Source: NELS: 88, Second (1992) and Third (1994) Follow up; in, USDOE, NCES, “Access to Postsecondary Education for the 1992 High School Graduates”, 1998, Table 2.

Unfortunately, About Half of these Students Must Take Remedial Coursework… and Many Do Not Even Make it to the Sophomore Year

College Freshmen Not Returning for Sophomore Year Source: Tom Mortensen, Postsecondary Opportunity, No. 89, November 1999

Result: Gains In College Completion Are Not Proportionate With Gains In College Attendance

College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Whites Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, October Current Population Surveys, , in US DOE, NCES, The Condition of Education 2002, p.166 and

College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Blacks Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, October Current Population Surveys, , in US DOE, NCES, The Condition of Education 2002, p.166 and

College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Hispanics Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, October Current Population Surveys, , in US DOE, NCES, The Condition of Education 2002, p.166 and 174.

ADD IT ALL UP...

Of Every 100 White Kindergartners: (24 Year-Olds) Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States; March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

Of Every 100 African American Kindergartners: (24 Year-Olds) Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States; March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners: (24 Year-Olds) Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States; March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

College Graduates by Age 24 Source: Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post Secondary, 1997.

WHY?

What We Hear Adults Say: They’re poor; Their parents don’t care; They come to schools without breakfast; Not enough books Not enough parents...

But if they’re right, then why are poor and minority children performing so high in...

Some schools...

Wrigley Elementary 78% Low-Income 3rd Highest Performing in State in Reading 6th Highest Performing in State in Writing KENTUCKY Sources: Kentucky Department of Education Web site,

Mount Royal Elementary/Middle, Baltimore, MD 99% African American 73% Low-Income Highest Performing in State on state’s 5th grade Math test. Top 10% of state in 5th grade reading. MARYLAND * or tied Sources: Maryland Department of Education Web site,

Pimlico Elementary, Baltimore, MD 100% African American 94% Low- Income Top 1% in improvement on the state’s 5th grade Math test. Maryland Sources: Maryland Department of Education Web site,

Prince Edward County High, Farmville VA Sources: Virginia Department of Education Web site, (715 students – 55% African American and Latino)

Dispelling the Myth

Some districts...

Aldine, TX: Raising Achievement for All While Narrowing Gaps Source: Texas Education Agency-Academic Excellence Indicator System Report 1994 through 2001.

Aldine, TX: Raising Achievement for All While Narrowing Gaps Source: Texas Education Agency-Academic Excellence Indicator System Report 1994 through 2001.

And some entire states...

4th Grade Math African American Gains Between 1992 and 2000 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

4th Grade Math Latino Gains Between 1992 and 2000 Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

North Carolina: Gains in Grade 4 Reading Outpace the Nation, Source: NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress

Connecticut: Gains in Grade 4 Reading Outpace the Nation, Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Summary Data Tables

Differences among states so large that minority and/or poor students in some states outperforming white and/or non-poor students in others.

8th Grade Writing: African Americans in Texas Perform as Well or Better Than Whites in 7 States Source: NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress

What We Hear Students Say: We CAN Learn, But… some teachers don’t know their subjects counselors underestimate our potential principals dismiss concerns curriculum and expectations are low

Where’s Louisiana in All This?

NAEP MATH: Louisiana 4th Graders (2000)

NAEP 4th Grade Math: LA ( )

LA: NAEP Grade 4 Math LA students made third biggest growth in country; Growth for every student group--Whites, Blacks and Hispanics--exceeded national growth; In 2000, performance of each group of students not much different than national average.

NAEP MATH: Louisiana 8th Graders (2000)

NAEP 8th Grade Math: LA ( )

LA: NAEP Grade 8 Math Ninth in growth overall; Growth for all groups exceeded national growth for that group; Gap widened somewhat; Performance for each group significantly below national average.

NAEP READING: Louisiana 4th Graders (1998)

NAEP READING: Louisiana 8th Graders (1998)

NAEP READING OVER TIME: LA Trends headed down for minorities; Fourth grade more serious problems; PERFECT TIME FOR YOUR NEW READING INITIATIVE!

LA: A Look at the Education “Pipeline”

Changing These Patterns: What Do We Know About The Places that are Improving Results?

Four Key Elements: clear, high goals and consistent instructional approaches; all students in curriculum lined up with those goals; students who arrive behind get extra instruction...

But most of all, they understand that: Good Teaching Matters More Than Anything Else

SEE FOR YOURSELF

Boston Students with Effective Teachers Showed Greater Gains in Reading and Math Source: Boston Public Schools, “High School Restructuring,” March 9, 1998.

1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.

Teachers Matter Big Time!

Problem: Teachers Not Evenly Distributed Across Different Schools, Kids

Virtually every high poverty school has some spectacularly wonderful teachers, but...

Classes in High Poverty High Schools More Often Taught by Misassigned* Teachers *Teachers who lack a major or minor in the field Source: National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future (p.16) 1996.

Math and Science Classes of Mostly Minority Students Are More Often Taught by Misassigned Teachers Source: Jeannie Oakes. Multiplying Inequalities: The Effects of Race, Social Class, and Tracking on Opportunities to Learn Mathematics and Science (Rand: 1990)

Poor and Minority Students Get More Inexperienced* Teachers *Teachers with 3 or fewer years of experience. “High” and “low” refer to top and bottom quartiles. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, “Monitoring Quality: An Indicators Report,” December 2000.

High-Poverty Schools Get More Low- Scoring* Teachers *Teachers scoring in the bottom quartile on on SAT/ACT. “High-poverty” schools have 2/3 or more students eligible for reduced-price lunch. Source: Education Week, “Quality Counts 2001,” January 2001.

In Louisiana?

Out-of-Field Teachers LA: Secondary Schools Low-poverty schools:38% High Poverty schools: 51%

Multiple Reasons; Devastating Impact

If we had the courage and creativity to change these patterns?

“By our estimates from Texas schools, having an above average teacher for five years running can completely close the average gap between low-income students and others.” John Kain and Eric Hanushek

What Contributes to Teacher Effectiveness? Academic (especially Verbal) Skills; Subject Matter Knowledge; Experience; ??????

Measures not great, but…let’s look at what we have.

Combined SAT Score

Praxis II Passers vs. All College Grads

A Look at Prose and Math Literacy

Average Prose, Document and Quantitative Literacy: Teachers vs. Other 4-Year Degrees

Prose Literacy of Teachers vs. Other BAs

Description: Prose Literacy Levels 1 and 2 CAN Underline meaning of term given in government brochure CAN Locate two features of information in a sports article CAN Interpret instructions from an appliance warranty CAN’T Integrate information from lengthy or dense text CAN’T Generate response based on information easily identified in text CAN’T Match information when low-level inferences are required Source: USDOE, NCES, National Adult Literacy Survey, 1992, in Literacy in the Labor Force: Results from the NALS, September 1999, p. 61.

Description: Prose Literacy Level 3 CAN Write brief letter explaining error on credit card bill CAN Read news article and identify sentence that provides interpretation of situation CAN’T State in writing argument made in a lengthy newspaper article CAN’T Contrast views in two editorials on technologies available to make fuel-effective cars CAN’T Compare two metaphors used in a poem Source: USDOE, NCES, National Adult Literacy Survey, 1992, in Literacy in the Labor Force: Results from the NALS, September 1999, p. 61.

Math Literacy of Teachers vs. Other BAs

Description: Quantitative Literacy Level 3 CAN Determine correct change using information on a menu CAN Use information stated in news article to calculate amount of money it takes to raise a child CAN’T Determine shipping and total costs on an order form for items in a catalog CAN’T Use information in news article to calculate difference in time for completing a race Source: USDOE, NCES, National Adult Literacy Survey, 1992, in Literacy in the Labor Force: Results from the NALS, September 1999, p. 61.

Preparation in the Field

Percent

Clearly, important roles for higher education in assuring both adequate core academic skills and knowledge of content. But...

Other critical needs as well, including (among others): Assuring that ALL new teachers are steeped in new research about reading; Assuring that ALL new teachers are familiar with state standards and assessments, know how to analyze data and find related resources; and, Assuring that ALL new teachers immersed in lessons from high-performing, high poverty schools.

Improving Teaching: Key Roles for Higher Education Lessons from NASH Systems, States

Three Key Roles: Preparing new teachers capable of teaching all students to standards; Helping to improve the skills and knowledge of current teachers; Increasing supply and equitable distribution.

1. Preparing teachers capable of teaching all students to high standards

TEACHING IN A STANDARDS-BASED SYSTEM... REQUIRES SO MUCH MORE THAN EVER BEFORE

FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Educator preparation should be driven by and flow from K-12 standards/learning goals

Most States Have Moved to Raise Licensure Standards

Higher Education Response: Raising Standards for Entry; Increasing Content; Aligning preparation with standards

Increasing Content University System of Georgia; North Carolina

Aligning University Preparation with State K-12 Standards Louisiana; Texas A & M System

2. Supporting the Growth of the Current Teacher Force

University of Pittsburgh: Support for Schools Helps Wipe Out Black/White Gap in Math Skills Note: Chart compares students in schools with similar demographics. Source: Briar and Resnick, CSE Technical Report 528, CRESST, UCLA, August 2000.

El Paso TAAS Pass Rates Reading Grades 3, 8 and 10 Source: El Paso Collaborative for Academic Excellence

California Subject Matter Projects University of California System; California State University System

3. Increasing Supply, especially in Shortage Fields, and Working Toward More Equitable Distribution of Teacher Talent

Raising Standards for Teachers: Automatically Reduce Supply?

State Policy Directives and Incentives Can Help New York; Louisiana

Serious, Aggressive Institutional Recruitment Will Also Help California State University; North Carolina One-Stop

But Need to Expand Quality Alternate Routes, as Well New York Teaching Fellows: CUNY and New Teacher Project; East Baton Rouge; ULS and New Teacher Project.

For Higher Education…a lingering worry about K-12 hiring practices? Georgia

Putting It All Together: Texas A & M aggressive production goals, especially minorities, shortage areas; higher institutional pass rate standards than state as a whole--for all groups of teachers; Quality Assurance Process.

The Education Trust For More Information