A Tale of Two Districts: Disparities in Poverty and Socioeconomic Status in Education

1. A Tale of Two Districts: One High Poverty, One High SES 2008 IES Research Conference Dr. Jane T. Plenge Dr. Antoinette Rath

2. W-NJ “B” District 3/5 schools made AYP in 2007 Majority white & black MT-NJ “J” District 5/5 schools made AYP in 2007 Majority white & Asian Overview of Districts

3. W-NJ 05-06 LAL PartProf/Prof/AdvProf Wh – 40 32.5% 37.5% 30.0% Bl – 33 36.4% 60.6% 3.0% MATH Wh - 40 32.5% 55.0% 12.5% Bl – 32 59.4% 40.6% 0.0% MT-NJ 05-06 LAL PartProf/Prof/AdvProf Wh - 287 2.1% 45.3% 52.6% As - 69 0.0% 30.4% 69.6% MATH Wh - 288 3.5% 43.1% 53.5% As - 69 1.4% 17.4% 81.2% State Assessment Results 2005-06

4. Use of Research – W-NJ WRITE in all content areas • UPenn – PENN Literacy Network • Writing Across the Curriculum – teacher constructed writing prompts • Administered every course, every period, 3x per marking period • Accountability: Teacher portfolio due at time of APR • Teachers not writing specialists; focus on content understanding • PD for full staff + on-site graduate courses

5. Use of Research – W-NJ Writing in all content areas • Research & data from Education Trust – • PD - Standards in Practice • Full staff study - use of standards (1 content, 1 writing) in teacher assignments and resulting student work samples • Cross content, within content, in grade level

6. Use of Research – W-NJ Achievement Gap • PD to prep for research & data collection – Ron Ferguson, Harvard University - Tripod Project • PD with Psychologist Howard C. Stevenson, Jr. –GSE UPENN • Playing with Anger: Teaching Coping Skills to African American Boys Through Athletics and Culture

7. Use of Research – W-NJ Achievement Gap • Minority Task Force – community & staff • Book Study Groups for Staff – Lisa Delpit, Gary Howard, Ruby Payne • Membership in Delaware Valley Minority Student Achievement Consortium • African-American Male Group, student focus groups • On site qualitative study – Gender, Race, and Representation in US History Films: Impact on Identity Development in Black and White Females

8. W-NJ – After Research-Based Program Interventions Over 2 Yrs (2003-04) Language Arts Literacy – 99 tested • PartProf Prof AdvProf 22.2(31.5) 64.6(59.6) 13.1(9.0) • Passing 77.7 (04) 68.6 (03) gain = 9.1 Math – 99 tested • PartProf Prof AdvProf 38.4(57.3) 36.4(36) 25.3(6.7) • Passing 61.7 (04) 42.7 (03) gain = 19.0

9. Use of Research – MT-NJ Math & Science curriculum renewal process • Change deeply held beliefs of teachers and administration to change practice • E.g. Everyday Math & Physics First – Promising programs based on empirical data – NCTM and NSF • Implement standards-based instruction and assessment • Encourage constructivist & inquiry learning - more than just procedural, i.e., conceptual understanding • Support - extensive PD

10. Use of Research – MT-NJ TIMSS • Focal Points • Makes TIMSS research applicable • Shifted emphasis for grade levels • De-emphasized and eliminated some areas • Moves closer to national curriculum • NJ in process of planning implementation of Alg I, Alg II, Bio, Chem. end-of course assessments

11. Use of Research – MT-NJ Elementary Principal: • With parents to support instruction or issues with practice • To redirect a teacher, e.g. use of negative discipline system • Planning – budgeting for resource purchases • Answering questions from teachers and parents • Move to non-fiction story books rather than history text

12. Use of Research – MT-NJ • ETS – Non-cognitive measures • Construct and administer HS student survey • Provide actions for self monitoring based on responses • Utilize findings for research • ERS • Class size, study skills, reading recovery, grading/student evaluation, first grade, transitional/junior kindergarten, full day kindergarten, gifted education, MS transitional programs

13. Thanks for your attention and your interest!