Equity and Access to Rigor

1. Equity and Access to Rigor Success for ALL students

2. THANK YOU for Being Here!

3. The Plan for Today • Overview of the issues that affect student achievement gaps in Pennsbury • What we have done to begin to address them • Brainstorm where we need to go from here

4. Mission Statement The Pennsbury School District, a student-centered learning community, will prepare all students to achieve their highest potential and to demonstrate mastery of skills and talents necessary for life in a global society by providing a diverse educational program with the involvement and support of families and community.

5. Achievement Gap • the significant difference in educational success among different groups of students.  • The achievement gap can be observed on a variety of measures, including standardized test scores, grade point average, access or enrollment in rigorous courses, college-enrollment and completion rates, etc. • Sorting VS. Learning

6. NAEP – White / Black gap in Math

7. NAEP – White / Black gap in Math

8. NAEP Rdg

9. NAEP Rdg

10. NCLB Disaggregated Groups and the Achievement Gaps

11. Adequate Yearly ProgressPennsylvaniaProficiency Targets

12. 2011 Pennsbury School District

13. Pennsbury • Economically Disadvantaged • IEP students • Black students • Hispanic students • Single Parent Families*

14. Grade 11 Math PSSA% Prof. & Adv. 2008 - 2011

15. Grade 11 Reading PSSA% Prof. & Adv. 2008 - 2011

16. Grade 8 Math PSSA% Prof. & Adv. 2008 - 2011

17. Grade 8 Reading PSSA% Prof. & Adv. 2008 - 2011

18. Grade 5 Math PSSA% Prof. & Adv. 2008 - 2011

19. Grade 5 Reading PSSA% Prof. & Adv. 2008 - 2011

20. Key Issues for Consideration • Economic Disadvantage • School Structures • Sorting vsLearning orientation • Expectations – kids’, parents’ and teachers’ • Access to Rigorous courses • Engagement • Formative Assessment & Grading for Learning • Inspire all kids to ASPIRE to be great!

21. Unmarried Births as a % of All U.S. Births

22. Language Development pre-school By age 4 in a Professional family, a child : has heard ~ 20 million more words than if in a working class family And has heard ~35 million more words than if in a welfare family

23. The Normal Curve vs. Success Orientation(school structures) Standards based environment?? Sorting students or ensuring that they learn?

24. Sorting vs Learning • Norm Referenced = sorting, categorizing, lining up in order • Criterion Referenced = focus on actual learning that has occurred, specific to the learning Expectations – self perceptions of where you fit Our Beliefs – All kids can Learn (do we believe it?)

25. Teaching is NOT Adversarial !

26. MEDIOCRITY

27. Expectations • Tracking (sorting) promotes lower expectations and lower rigor • Tracking contributes to widening of the achievement gap • Slower – less rigorous • Teacher Expectations • Student Expectations • The best of intentions to provide for students in need have resulted in widening of the achievement gap.

28. RIGOR • The Thinking Mind • Clearly defined learning targets for every course • Formative Assessment • EVERYONE to proficiency on those targets • Motivation to go beyond proficient • Access to higher level content

29. ENGAGEMENT Kids will only engage and put forth effort if there is a likelihood of success. They need to know that they can be successful and that you will help them get there.

30. How do we sort students in Pennsbury? What limits do we place on students and what can we do about it?

31. Tracks (sorting) • Blue Birds, Robins and Sparrows • Dolphins, Trout, Rocks • MG – AMP • Talent Pool • Honors, Parallel, Selected Materials • LS, DWLS, Self-contained • Honors / AP • Algebra Topics, Algebra I, IA, IB,

32. Lessons from High Performing High Poverty Schools • What do they have in common? • What is different than in low performing high poverty schools? • What lessons can translate to Pennsbury? • What limitations are there to trying to implement those lessons in Pennsbury? • New Research on High Performing, High Poverty Schools – http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_New_Research_High

33. Key Findings • High expectations for faculty, staff and students • Emphasis on academics and instruction • Systems for regularly assessing individual students – and using assessment information for instruction • Caring, respectful relationships

34. 2012 Strategic Plan – now called Comprehensive Plan • Tentative Goal #1 – Student Learning: Improve Academic Achievement of ALL Students • Shift to Standards Based Curriculum/Grading • Use Data for Instruction • Teacher as Learner • Tentative Goal #2 – Student Life: Improve Affective Development of ALL Students • Belongingness and Character Education • Aspiration to Greatness • Community Engagement

35. What have we done? • Eliminate Reading Tracking at the elementary division • Eliminate tracking of math in grade 3 • Lessen tracking in Math Gr 6 • Eliminate SM at 9 and 10 • Provide remedial “in addition to” instruction / intervention (Fundations, RdgGr 6, Gr 7, Gr 8, HS Rdg, • LRE

36. What needs to be done? • Continue elimination of early tracking in math • Provide appropriate supports for “in addition to” instructional time • Develop a Standards-based curriculum and grading system • USE formative assessment • Raise expectations for students – assessment – support – encouragement - advocacy • Develop the Thinking Mind concepts for all students, all instruction, etc.

37. Next Steps??? • Comprehensive planning • Get involved? • Start the conversations • Embed and promote ideas • Advocacy for kids • ???? • ?????