hello

1. IMPROVING ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGH
SCHOOLS AND BEYOND
Prepared for the Office of Vocational
and Adult Education by
The Education Trust
2003
Archived Information

2. What Do We Know About
Student Achievement?

3. 12th Grade Achievement In
Math and Science is Up
Somewhat

4. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
High School Achievement: Math
and Science
280
285
290
295
300
305
310
315
1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999
Math
Science
Source: NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress.

5. In Reading, 12th Grade
Achievement is Headed
Downward

6. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
HIGH SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT: READING AND
WRITING
250
255
260
265
270
275
280
285
290
295
300
1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996
READING
WRITING

7. After Earlier Progress
in Narrowing Gaps,
Gaps in the 90’s
Largely Unchanged

8. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
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 Fairly Flat:
NAEP Reading Scores,
17 Year-Olds
200
300
1975 1980 1984 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999
Average
Reading
NAEP
Score
African American Latino White

9. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
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
Gaps Narrow, Then Hold Steady
or Widen: NAEP Math Scores,
17 Year-Olds
250
350
1973 1978 1982 1986 1990 1992 1994 1996 1999
Average
Reading
NAEP
Score
African American Latino White

10. Students Make More
Growth Grade 4 to 8
than
Grade 8 to 12

11. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Academic Growth
Grades 4-8, 8-12
48
58
44
25
27
9
34
38
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Reading Writing Math Science
Grade 4-8
Grade 8-12

12. Value Added in High School
Declined During the Nineties

13. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Value Added Declining in High
School Math
36 36
34
29
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
Math
Class of '90 Class of '94 Class of '96 Class of '00
Age 13-17 Growth
Source: NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress

14. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Value Added Declining in High
School Science
39 39
38
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
Science
1986-90
1990-94
1992-96
Age 13-17 Growth
Source: NAEP 1999 Trends in Academic Progress

15. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Reading: Students Entering Better
Prepared, But Leaving Worse
Source: NAEP 1996 Trends in Academic Progress
Total=290 Total=288
211 212
46 48
33 28
0%
100%
1984-1992 1988-1996
NAEP
score
and
gains
to
age
17
Ages 13-17 growth
Ages 9-13 growth
Age 9 score

16. Hormones?

17. Students in Other Countries
Gain far More in High School

18. TIMSS

19. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: NCES 1999-081R, Highlights From TIMSS
Nations' Average Science Performance
Compared with the U.S.
0%
50%
100%
Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12
Nations scoring higher than the U.S.
Nations scoring the same as the U.S.
Nations scoring below the U.S.

20. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: NCES 1999-081R, Highlights From TIMSS
Nations' Average Mathematics
Performance Compared with the U.S.
0%
50%
100%
Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12
Nations' scoring higher than the U.S.
Nations scoring the same as the U.S.
Nations scoring below the U.S.

21. KNOWLEDGE AND
SKILLS AT END OF
HIGH SCHOOL

22. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables
Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate
Strong Reading Skills
African
American
Latino White
Learn from Specialized
Materials
1% 2% 8%
Understand Complicated
Information
17 24 46
Partial Skills 66 68 87
Make Generalizations 95 97 98

23. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: USDOE, NCES, 1999 NAEP Summary Data Tables
Too Few 17 Year-Olds Demonstrate
Strong Math Skills
African
American
Latino White
Multi-Step Problem
Solving
1% 3% 10%
Moderately Complex
Procedures
27 38 70
Numerical Operations 89 94 99

24. And these numbers
are for those who
make it through
High School!

25. Each Year, One of Every
Twenty High School
Students Leaves School

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

27. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
IMMEDIATE COLLEGE-GOING
GROWING
49 50
55
60
65 63
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1972 1978 1984 1990 1996 1999
TOTAL

28. Within 2 Years of HS
Graduation?

29. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Most High School Grads Go On To
Postsecondary Within 2 Years
Entered Public 2-Year
Colleges
26%
Entered 4-Year Colleges 45%
Other Postsecondary 4%
Total 75%
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.

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

31. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
College Freshmen Not Returning for
Sophomore Year
4 year Colleges 26%
2 year Colleges 45%
Source: Tom Mortensen, Postsecondary Opportunity, No. 89, November 1999

32. GAINS IN COLLEGE
COMPLETION ARE NOT
PROPORTIONATE WITH
GAINS IN COLLEGE
ATTENDANCE

33. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
College Going vs. Completion of BA or Higher, Whites
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1
9
8
0
1
9
8
1
1
9
8
2
1
9
8
3
1
9
8
4
1
9
8
5
1
9
8
6
1
9
8
7
1
9
8
8
1
9
8
9
1
9
9
0
1
9
9
1
1
9
9
2
1
9
9
3
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
White College-Going White Completion
Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, October Current Population
Surveys, 1972-2000, in US DOE, NCES, The Condition of Education 2002, p.166 and 174.
19
10

34. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
College Going vs. Completion of BA or
Higher, Blacks
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1
9
8
0
1
9
8
1
1
9
8
2
1
9
8
3
1
9
8
4
1
9
8
5
1
9
8
6
1
9
8
7
1
9
8
8
1
9
8
9
1
9
9
0
1
9
9
1
1
9
9
2
1
9
9
3
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
Black BlackCompletion
Source: US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, October Current Population Surveys, 1972-
2000, in US DOE, NCES, The Condition of Education 2002, p.166 and 174.
21
7

35. ADD IT ALL UP...

36. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Of Every 100 White Kindergartners:
93 Graduate from High
School
65 Complete at Least
Some College
33 Obtain at Least a
Bachelor’s Degree
(24 Year-Olds)
Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States;
March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

37. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Of Every 100 African American
Kindergartners:
87 Graduate from High
School
50 Complete at Least
Some College
18 Obtain at Least a
Bachelor’s Degree
(24 Year-Olds)
Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States;
March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

38. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Of Every 100 Latino Kindergartners:
63 Graduate from High
School
32 Complete at Least
Some College
11 Obtain at Least a
Bachelor’s Degree
(24 Year-Olds)
Source: US Bureau of Census, Current Population Reports, Educational Attainment in the United States;
March 2000, Detailed Tables No. 2

39. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
College Graduates by Age 24
Young People From
High Income Families
48%
Young People From
Low Income Families
7%
Source: Tom Mortenson, Research Seminar on Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Post Secondary, 1997.

40. WHY?

41. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
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 . . .

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

43. Some schools...

44. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Hambrick Middle School,
Aldine, TX
 94% African American and Latino (state =
56%)
 85% low-income (state = 50%)
 Has performed in the top fifth of all Texas
middle schools in both reading and math in
both 7th and 8th grades over a 3-year
period.

45. Hambrick Middle School,
Aldine, TX
28%
93%
46%
73%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
1993 2002
8th
graders
passing
all
tests
Hambrick State Average
Source: New York State Department of Education. Analyses by Student Subgroup of School Performance in English
Arts and Mathematics for Lincoln School in Mount Vernon City School District. March 7, 2002.

46. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Prince Edward County High,
Farmville VA
12%
44%
74%
92%
71% 78%
40%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Passing
state
Algebra
I
test
Prince Edward High State Average
Sources: Virginia Department of Education Web site, http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/2002SOLpas
(715 students – 55% African American and Latino)

47. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Norview High School,
Norfolk, VA
33%
73%
90% 89% 92%
78%
40%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Passing
state
Algebra
I
test
Norview High State Average
Sources: Virginia Department of Education Web site, http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/2002SOLpass
(1,560 students – 70% African American and Latino

48. And some entire states...

49. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
4th Grade Math
African American Gains Between
1992 and 2000
United States +13
North Carolina +25
Texas +21
Indiana +20
Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Summary Data Tables

50. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
4th Grade Math
Latino Gains Between 1992 and
2000
United States +10
North Carolina +18
Texas +15
Mississippi +15
Source: USDOE, NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
Summary Data Tables

51. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
North Carolina: Gains in Grade 4
Reading Outpace the Nation, 1992-
1998
United
States
North
Carolina
Overall +0 +5
African American +1 +6
Latino -4 +4
White +2 +6
Source: NCES, National Assessment of Educational Progress

52. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
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

53. SO, WHAT DO WE DO?

54. Small and personal for both
students and teachers will
help.
Indeed, given the clarity of the
research, it is unthinkable NOT to
act.

55. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
But real change also requires at
least five critical elements:
 Get the goals right;
 Get all students in a curriculum lined up
with those goals;
 Make certain that all students are genuinely
STRETCHED;
 Provide extra instruction for students who
arrive behind;
 TEACHER QUALITY MATTERS.

56. Element 1: Goals

57. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: US bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of the Census, Current Population Survey, March 2002
Education Pays:
Annual Earnings of 25-34
yr-olds by Attainment, 2001
27831 29663
34259 36135
49011
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
HS, no
diploma
HS diploma Some coll,
no deg
Assoc deg BA/BA

58. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: Andrew Sum, “Literacy in the Labor Force,” NCES, September 1999
It’s Not Just Degrees, But Also Skills
That Matter--
for All Groups
Prose
$5,000
$10,000
$15,000
$20,000
$25,000
$30,000
level 1 level 2 level 3 level
4
African American
Latino (Mexican)
White

59. Students seem to get all
this, but…

60. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
How Expectations Differ: Plans For
Students After High School
Responses From
51
68
79
28
11
5
0
100
Students Parents Teachers
percent
2- or 4-yr college
Work full-time
Source:Metropolitan Life, Survey of the American Teacher 2000: Are We
Preparing Students for the 21st Century?, September 2000.

61. To break through these old
attitudes, cannot
equivocate.
ALL students must graduate from
high school ready for
postsecondary education.

62. Element 2: All Students in
Curriculum Lined Up With
Those Goals

63. Transcript Study: single biggest
predictor of college success is
QUALITY AND INTENSITY OF
HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Cliff Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box, U.S. Department of
Education.

64. But college prep curriculum
has benefits far beyond
college.

65. Students of all sorts will
learn more...

66. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1992 Mathematics Trend Assessment, National Center for
Education Statistics. NAEP 1992 Trends in Academic Progress (p 113). Washington, DC: US Department of Education.
1994
A Rigorous Math Curriculum
Improves Scores For All Students
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
Pre-Algebra
or General
Math
Algebra I Geometry Algebra II Precalculus
or Calculus
African American
Latino
White

67. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: Bottoms, Gene. “Report of the SREB, High Schools That Work 1998 Secondary
Teacher Survey”, SREB, 1998, NAEP Scores.
Vocational Students Taking High-
Level English Courses Score Higher
% Seniors Taking
High-Level English
Reading
Scores
1996 28% 283
1998 43% 292

68. They will also fail less
often...

69. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Challenging Curriculum Results in Lower Failure Rates, Even for
Lowest Achievers
16
23
47
31
0
50
Quartile I (Lowest) Quartile 2
Percent
Earning
"D"
or
"F"
College Prep Low Level
Source: SREB, “Middle Grades to High School: Mending a Weak Link”. Unpublished Draft, 2002.
Ninth-grade English performance, by high/low level
course, and eighth-grade reading achievement quartiles

70. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Students of All Abilities Are Generally More Likely to Fail Low-
Level Mathematics Courses
9th-graders earning Ds or Fs by 8th grade achievement & course assignment
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Lowest
Quartile 1
Quartile 2 Quartile 3 Highest
Quartile 4
College Prep
Low-level
Source: Sondra Cooney & Gene Bottoms, “Middle Grades to High School: Mending a Weak Link,” SREB,
2002

71. Element 3: Working on the
Rigor Part

72. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
What Teenagers Say About School
Rigor
 Fewer Than 3 in 10 Think Their School
is “Very Academically Rigorous”
Source: 1998 Annual Survey from Who’s Who Among American High
School Students

73. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
 A full one-third of American Algebra 1
courses use textbooks with very little
Algebra in them.
 Willam Schmidtt

74. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Students can do
no better than
the assignments
they are given...

75. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Grade 10 Writing Assignment
A frequent theme in literature is the
conflict between the individual and
society. From literature you have read,
select a character who struggled with
society. In a well-developed essay,
identify the character and explain why
this character’s conflict with society is
important.

76. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Grade 10 Writing Assignment
Write a composition of at least 4
paragraphs on Martin Luther
King’s most important
contribution to this society.
Illustrate your work with a neat
cover page. Neatness counts.

77. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
14 SC High Schools Calibrated:
Gaps Between Standards and
Assignments Largest in Upper
Grades
7.3
7.82
8.5
9.56 9.78
8
9
10
11
12
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

78. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Source: Prospects (ABT Associates, 1993), in “Prospects: Final Report on Student Outcomes”,
PES, DOE, 1997.
‘A’ Work in Poor Schools Would
Earn ‘Cs’ in Affluent Schools
87
35
56
34
41
22 21
11
0
100
Percentile
-
CTBS4
A B C D
Grades
Seventh Grade Math
Low-poverty schools High-poverty schools

79. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
End of Course Exams Can Help, but
teachers need…
 Help in designing powerful lessons, units;
 Help in developing consistent
understanding of what quality work looks
like;
 Help with more regular assessments (e.g.,
9 weeks) of student progress.

80. Element Four:
Provide extra instruction
for students who arrive
behind

81. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
When Kids Are Behind, Schools
Must Provide More Instruction and
Support:
 Kentucky provides extra time for struggling
students in high-poverty schools
 Maryland offers extra dollars for 7th and 8th
graders who need more support

82. And if you don’t live in a
smart state?
Many schools, districts finding
ways to double, even triple,
amount of time spent on literacy,
math.

83. Element Five: Teachers
Matter Big Time

84. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Too Many High School Teachers
Don’t Have Background in Subject
They are Teaching
0
10
20
30
Math Science English Social
Studies
Percentage teachers without a major/minor in field
Source: Ingersoll, Richard. American Educational Researcher, “The Problem of
Underqualified Teacher in American Secondary Schools”, vol. 28, no. 2, March 1999, p. 29.

85. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
*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.
Classes in High Poverty High
Schools More Often Taught by
Underqualified* Teachers
28%
14%
19%
16%
40%
20%
31%
18%
0%
50%
Math Science English Social Studies
< 20% Free Lunch > 49% Free Lunch

86. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Math & Science Classes With a High
Percentage of Minority Students Are More
Often Taught by Underqualified Teachers
54%
86%
42%
69%
30%
90%
90-100% Non-White 90-100% White
Certified in Field B.A. or B.S. in Field
Source: Jeannie Oakes. Multiplying Inequalities: The Effects of Race, Social Class, and Tracking on Opportunities to Learn
Mathematics and Science (Rand: 1990)
1998 by The Education Trust, Inc.

87. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
High-Poverty Schools Get More
Low-Scoring* Teachers
42%
28%
0%
50%
High-poverty* schools All other schools
*Teachers scoring in the bottom quartile on on SAT/ACT. “High-poverty” schools have 2/
students eligible for reduced-price lunch.
Source: Education Week, “Quality Counts 2001,” January 2001.

88. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Even Within Schools,
Often Big Differences

89. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
Students in Low Track Classes Are
More Often Taught by
Underqualified Teachers
51.1%
55.1%
43.0%
66.8%
20.4%
33.5%
11.2%
24.7%
0%
70%
History Physical
Science
Math English
High-Track
Low-Track
Source: Ingersoll, The Problem of Underqualified Teachers in American Secondary Schools Educational Researcher, Vol. 28, No 2
(March 1999) pp. 26-37

90. Impact?

91. 2000
by
The
Education
Trust,
Inc.
1998 by The Education Trust

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

93. “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

94. Teachers Matter Big Time!

95. The Office of Vocational and
Adult Education
karen.clark@ed.gov