Schools, districts can reduce achievement gap between
high achievers and poor, students of color
While there still exists an achievement gap in schools across the country between white, affluent students and those of color and who are poor, there are also shining examples of schools and school systems that are decreasing that gap, according to Kati Haycock, director, The Education Trust.
She told principals at the Summer Leadership Institute that there are five keys in schools which are eliminating that achievement gap:
- Make no excuses. Everyone must take responsibility for student learning and believe that all kids can learn. Too many educators blame unmotivated students and/or non-involved parents for student failure, but that doesn’t solve the problem.
- Don’t leave teaching and learning to chance. They have clear, specific goals for what kids should learn in every grade, provide teachers with common curriculum assignments, assess students every four to eight weeks, and act immediately when the assessment results indicate that help is needed.
- Have rigor throughout the K-12 system. The single best determinant of college success, she said, is the quality and intensity of the high school curriculum. She explained that successful schools are placing all students in college prep programs.
- Provide extra instructional time for students who need it. These schools work hard to minimize interruptions to instruction.
- Know that good teachers matter more than anything else. Haycock urged school leaders to provide intensive, focused professional development for teachers.
More information can be obtained at The Education Web site, www.edtrust.org.
Click here for a copy of the Powerpoint presentation.
