Created by penumbra theatre summer institute students interning at the advocates for human rights summer 2014 Overview What is the achievement gap How is the achievement gap currently being addressed ID: 714844
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Slide1
Addressing the “achievement gap”
Created by penumbra theatre summer institute students interning at the advocates for human rights summer 2014Slide2
Overview
What is the “achievement gap”?
How is the “achievement” gap currently being addressed
?
How should we address the problem
? Slide3
questions
Is there
diversity in the demographics of the general staff and administration at your school?
Have you observed racial and gender segregation at your school?
Is your culture’s history taught in your school curriculum? Do you read literature by female authors? Do you read literature by authors of color?
Do you feel safe asking questions and voicing comments in class?
Are boys usually the leaders of class discussions?
Do male teachers and faculty take you seriously?
Do you find that students of color require more discipline?
Do many students of color show interest in AP or honors classes?
Would you/have you ever confronted another staff member about a race or gender issue?
What have you done, if anything, to address the
“achievement
gap” at your school? Slide4
What is the “achievement Gap”?
“The ‘achievement gap’
in education refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students. The achievement gap shows up in grades, standardized-test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates, among other success measures. In the past decade, though, scholars and policymakers have begun to focus increasing attention on other achievement gaps, such as those based on sex, English-language proficiency and learning
disabilities” (7).
“
Some researchers are also exploring more subtle factors that can contribute to achievement gaps such as peer pressure, student tracking, negative stereotyping, and test bias. Research also has shown that students from a disadvantaged group can perform below their normal ability when confronted with negative stereotypes about their
group” (7).Slide5
How is the “achievement” gap currently being addressed?
“In
principle, the public has been behind closing the achievement gap, and schools have employed a variety of tactics to address it. Common reform recommendations have included reducing class sizes, creating smaller schools, expanding early-childhood programs, raising academic standards, improving the quality of teachers provided to poor and minority students, and encouraging more minority students to take high-level courses. Still, progress in reducing academic divides has been slow or
nonexistent” (7).Slide6
How should
we address the problem?
We believe that teachers are key to reducing the “achievement gap,” as they are the ones working most closely with students. A teacher can be a very influential person in a child’s life. The methods that teachers use to encourage their students throughout their learning process can have a great impact on their success.
Girls and students of color can be most vulnerable to the “achievement gap” due to traditional teaching practices and the culture of their learning environments.
We asked both students and teachers questions about their school communities and compiled information about problem areas and possible solutions. This information is included in
“why
it is important
and
what can be
done” in the following slides. Slide7
Is There diversity in the demographics of the general staff and administration at your school?
“One of our missions is that we want our teachers to match the look
and experience of the students that they are serving.” – Administrator
Why
it is
important & what can be done:
•
Having
teachers come from the community of the students
motivates
the students to achieve.
• Having female teachers in m
ath
and s
cience encourages female students’
interest in the subjects as well as the idea that women have the capability to excel in STEM fields in the future.
•
“Exposing
girls to talented female mathematicians can reduce the negative influence of stereotype
threat .”(1)
• Hiring teachers of color becomes difficult when the environment does not change to accommodate them. This contributes to a cycle as parents of students of color want to see diverse representation of teachers and potential teachers want to see diverse representations of students. The end result of this lack of accommodations is a continuation of the problem.
•
Students can more easily find mentors they are comfortable
with when the staff demographics reflect the students body demographics.Slide8
Have you observed racial and gender segregation at your school?
“We’re a small enough community that very strong integration occurs. We structure the program to ensure that the students are engaged with each other. – Administrator
“Educators
notice that kids often group themselves with others of the same
race.”
– Beverly Daniel Tatum (Author of “
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”)
Why it is important & what can be done:
•
The
separation
of the majority in power from those who hold less power in the community
reinforces
social hierarchy.
• When those who are in the position to succeed according to society’s
standards
are separated from those who feel they cannot
succeed, stereotypes
are
reinforced.
Smaller classes create closer integrated communities.
Understand the difference between health and unhealthy segregation. Students of color need safe spaces to interact with each other.Slide9
Is your culture’s history taught in
your
school curriculum? Do you read literature by
female authors?
Do you read literature by authors of color
?
“The
only part of my culture's history that is taught is
slavery.” – Student
“It’s
hard to find women in the classics we read for
school maybe
because
their works
aren’t
considered classics.
If
we
do [read literature by authors of color],
they
are never women of color
.” - Student
Why
it is
important & what can be done:
“The root cause of institutional
racism
and thus the achievement gap, is the Euro-centric curriculum and the Euro-centric dominant society (3
)”.
• A
void
exclusion and alienation.
• M
ake
sure that students are engaged
in
subjects they can relate to.
•
Have
examples of figures
[students]
can look up
to.Slide10
Do you feel safe asking questions and voicing comments in class?
“I don’t
think
it’s
a matter of safety anymore. I think
I'll
always feel unsafe. I think at
this point its
a matter of whether I can leave this classroom feeling okay with the fact that
I did or didn't
ask that question, or say a
comment.” - Student
Why
it is
important & what can be done:
•
Students
can get the help they need and teachers can understand and address when a student is struggling.
• Students may try to appear as if they do not need help in order to dissuade others from
placing stereotypes
on them. Only active participation can break the cycle.
• Comments could give insight into the how to better teach students affected by the
“achievement gap.”
Pay attention to the needs and concerns of all students by inviting them into class discussions.Slide11
Are boys usually the leaders of class discussions?
“Men
interrupt all the time and they don't even know it. In the few times women dominate a discussion
[the boys]
will joke about women talking too much
amongst
their friends to make themselves feel better
.” - Student
Why it is important & what can be done:
•
Validate
women’s
opinions.
•
Aid
in increasing female
students confidence
in the
classroom.
“…men
dominate mixed discussion groups everywhere -- both within the classroom and
beyond
(4)”.
Invite girls into class discussions.Slide12
Do male teachers and faculty take you seriously?
“My
voice is just as important as anyone else's. I have grown up with a crown on my head
that
cannot be taken by any supremacist society
.” - Student
Why
it is
important & what can be done:
• Female students should feel that their thoughts, beliefs, ideas, etc. are valid and taken into account
sincerely.
“Stereotype threat—the anxiety that arises when a girl finds herself in a situation where a negative stereotype about girls or women prevails (e.g., ‘girls are bad at math’)—can hinder performance on tests and other assessments of ability (2
)”.
• The environment established in school determines how female students will approach relations with others in the work
force.
• Female students should not feel that they have to work against the adults
who
are put in positions to help them
achieve. Slide13
Do you find that students of color require more discipline?
“In some school communities discrimination in discipline comes from a largely white environment so the students feel like it’s not their space. White teachers can interpret their behavior in reaction to that as problems when they really aren’t.” - Administrator
Why it is important & what can be done:
“Youth of color… are far more likely to be removed from school for disciplinary reasons than other students. African American students are over 3 times more likely than their White peers to be suspended or expelled often for similar offenses” (5).
Discriminatory discipline reinforces negative stereotypes in the minds of students of color.
T
he system already puts them in a position to fail and they cannot escape the cycle in the future.
Suspended students are more likely to drop out or come into contact with the juvenile justice system (5).
Talk through the issue before resorting to disciplinary action.Slide14
Do many students of color show interest in ap
or honors classes?
“…unfortunately
some of our accelerated courses do not have as many
students
of color in them as we would like to see
.” – Teacher
“Most of the students of color we see are highly motivated
and have high potential.” – Administrator
Why it is important & what can be done:
Even in racially mixed schools, it is very common for young people of color, particularly
Black
and Latino students, to find that the upper-level courses have very few students of color in
them (8).
Encouraging students to participate in accelerated courses increases their opportunities for collage and careers. Slide15
Would you/have you ever confronted another staff member about a race or gender issue?
How you approach the person is very important, you don't want to be confrontational or that person will immediately become defensive and not receive your message
.
-Teacher
Why it is important & what can be done:
Students need to be supported and understood when they cannot recognize or directly address discrimination against them.
“It
is imperative to call attention to the problematic and the
privileged, because
all too often, no one
does” (6).
To break the cycle on neutrality, teachers and those in power in the school administration cannot be bystanders in cases of insensitivity.Slide16
What have you done, if anything, to address the
“Achievement gap
” at your school?
“I
feel relationship building with students is very important. I differentiate my instructional practices and focus on lessons that students can connect and relate to. Frequent communication with families is key as well
so that
we're in partnership
.”
- Teacher
Why it is important & what can be done:
In order to reduce the “achievement gap,” all aspects of schooling need to be affordable.
Accelerated and advanced courses can help to narrow the “achievement gap.”
Exposing teachers to other cultures and communities can ensure that students feel comfortable in their learning environment.Slide17
Works Cited
1.
David M. Marx and Jasmin S. Roman, “Female Role Models:
Protecting Women’s
Math Test Performance,” Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin 28
, no. 9 (2002): 1183—93
.
2.
Kelly Danaher and Christian S. Crandall, “Stereotype Threat in
Applied Settings
Re-Examined,” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 38, no.
6 (2008
): 1639—55
.
3. Charles
, Bob. "Removing the Euro-Centric Curriculum."
Edutopia
.
Edutopia
, 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 June 2014
.
4.
Krupnick
, Catherine G. "Women and Men in the Classroom." Women and Men in the Classroom. Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University, 2002. Web. 22 June 2014
.
5. "U.S
. Departments of Education and Justice Release School Discipline Guidance Package." YouTube. U.S. Department of Education, 8 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 June 2014
.
6.
Dadabhoy
,
Heina
. "When Calling Out Is Called Out."
Skepchick
.
N.p
.,
21 Mar. 2013. Web. 26 June 2014
.
7.
Editorial Projects in Education Research Center. (2011, July 7). Issues A-Z: Achievement Gap. Education Week
. Web. 26 June 2014.
8.
"Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together? A Conversation with Beverly Daniel Tatum." Interview by
John
O'Neil. Educational Leadership. Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development,
1997. Web. 26 June 2014.