Raising achievement and proficiency of students

from non-dominant groups

Justin Darnell2010 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Denver Public Schools justin_darnell@dpsk12.org

Where we’re going today

What will our future “look” like?

Observing trends to better plan for our future.

Challenging yourself and your district

Preparing for the future by changing how we think about non-dominant or “at-risk” students.

our population is changing

* U.S. Census 2008

our population is changing

Colorado is changing

* Colorado Children's Campaign, 2008

our system is not living up to its promise

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

further evidence of not meeting our promise

* Colorado Department of Higher Education, 2009

Evidence our system is not working

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

evidence our system is not working

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

Science Csap w/quality education

* Colorado Department of Education, 2009

REality for our students

Fewer options for ECE (Karoly et al., 1998)

Inadequate school facilities (Earthman, 2002)

Reduced access to technology and/or used ineffectively (Fairlie, 2004; Sweet et al., 2004)

Tracked into lower level courses and fewer AP placements (Solorzano and Ornelas, 2004; Betts et al., 2000)

Self-fulfilling stereotypes (Crosnoe, 2006)

Fewer experienced and high-quality teachers; High turnover (Peske and Haycock, 2006; Prince, 2002)

Teacher centered classrooms, low-level questioning, and large class size in working class schools (Anyon, J. in Finn, 1999)

How do we live up to our promise to educate students?

Move from a Deficit model to an Asset model

Become aware of Social Capital

Build a classroom that is learner-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered

Embed inquiry, multicultural education principles, and research based practices within these centers

Increase rigor and raise expectations

Deficit to asset

Your students are lazy, they don’t care about school, they’re dumb, they have no future, and their undisciplined

We must change to view student strengths and build upon them

They have been held back by other teachers and the education system, don’t follow their lead

Alter your lists

social capitalAbility of individuals or groups to “command limited resources by virtue of their relationships of membership in broader social structures (Portes, 1998), social capital is made up of resources that may be converted into material capital (Bourdieu, 1986), human capital (Coleman, 1988), and healthy civic participation and community cohesion (Putnam, 2000)” (Ream and Stanton-Salazar, 2007, p. 69).”

Our students have significantly less social capital

Our students’ parents have less social capital

Outreach and planning can help alleviate many problems caused by reduced social capital (Gandara and Conteras, 2009; Noguera, 2003)

How people learn (branford et al., 2000)

CommunityCommunity

LearnerLearner

AssessmeAssessmentntKnowledgeKnowledge

community centered

...environments “refer to several aspects of community, including the classroom as a community, the school as a community, and the degree to which students, teachers, and administers feel connected to the larger community of homes, business, states, the nation, and even the world.”

Weekly team building and/or class building

Assignments that engage family with content

engage families with content

TEam building: write, round, robin

11

44

22

33

What’s your What’s your favorite favorite song?song?

I like...I like...

I like...I like...I like...I like...

I like...I like...

3’s stand up. Group 3’s stand up. Group 5, tell me what your 5, tell me what your

partners said.partners said.

1 said.., 2 1 said.., 2 said.., and 4 said.., and 4

said...said...

Start with #1 Start with #1 and say what and say what you thought.you thought.

WritingWriting

class building: Mix, Pair, ShareEach student needs a sheet of paper divided into four sections.

When music is playing they are moving around the room and high fiving.

When music stops they must partner up.

Ask a question and the students write an answer on their paper.

Choose one person to share first (longest hair) and give them a specific amount of time to share.

After they share have the listener give them a positive comment. “That answer was sweet!”

Second person goes, followed by positive comment.

Call on a few students to share what they heard. Repeat the process.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Learner centered“...environments pay careful attention to the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and beliefs that learners bring to the educational setting.”

Inquiry: Elicit and Engage, start every activity with a protocol designed to activate prior knowledge.

“IN” of notebook page; Graphic organizer; Cooperative Learning protocols

Support language and culture

Apply their knowledge in multiple settings, not just to access prior knowledge.

“in”: What words do you associate with energy?

Critter Plot

EnergyEnergyMonster

Sugar

Solar

Batteries

Applying their knowledge

Can be done with compare/contrast graphic organizers.

You can also use similes and metaphors.

Both increase rigor and expectations.

My My liverliver is is likelike my my mommom because she because she protects me from dangerous things and protects me from dangerous things and

makes sure that I have the right amount of makes sure that I have the right amount of fat in my diet.fat in my diet.

learner center and multicultural ed.

“A cultural approach to learning recognizes the range of experiences and knowledge that students accumulate across the routines of their everyday lives. In this approach, we view student learning that occurs in homes, communitites, and schools as tightly interconnected and interactive.” (Banks, et al., 2007)

knowledge centered

“...environments take seriously the need to help students become knowledgeable by learning ways that lead to understanding and subsequent transfer.”

Inquiry: Explore and Explain (develop understanding)

Cooperative Learning, Differentiation, Scaffolds, Graphic Organizers, Cornell Notes, Reading/Writing Strategies

cooperative learning and differentiation

A major source of differentiation is found through “flexible grouping.”

WRR: requires students to think and write on their own prior to interacting with a partner or group. They may then revise answers prior to sharing with the class.

This creates a safe environment and prevents students from hiding.

Graphic organizers

Use Venn diagrams/Bullseye diagrams constantly.

Find unique ways to organize and explain data and phenomena.MagneticMagnetic Electric-chargeElectric-charge

_____interaction _____interaction

Evidence: ___________

__________________

Evidence: ___________

__________________

cornell notes

A method for recording and organizing important information that can later be accessed and improved.Title

Answer and importantinformation

Question

Summary:

Paragraph3 important details

Example notebook

reading/writing strategies

Read and repeat the procedure with a partner.

Underline important words in the objective everyday.

Summarize everything in threes.

Sentence frames, T-charts, word walls, and visuals

Write, Round, Robin, Revise

Sticky note word stick

knowledge center and multicultural ed.

“...diversify pedagogical approaches to integrate new media, technologies, and the range of students’ experiences and knowledge to enrich student learning.”

“Learning is facilitated when the cultural, socio-economic, and historical contexts of learners are recognized, respected, and responded to.”

assessment centered

...environments “should provide opportunities for feedback and revision and that what is assessed must be congruent with one’s learning goals.”

Inquiry: Elaborate and Evaluate (metacognition)

Focus on efficiency. You can’t grade everything, so determine what gives you the best concept of student proficiency.

Your determination of proficiency should accurately reflect state assessment scores.

Provide variations for students and opportunity to apply knowledge to real life.

Unique evaluations

Unique evaluations

Interview via leveled questions. Students choose the question type.

“Assessment Cube” and “Choice Chart”

Video diary and Big Idea Movie

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

increasing metacognition

Conference with students as frequently as possible.

Increasing efficiency

Identify the “Big Ideas” and “Subconcepts” for every unit.

Link each subconcept to a standard benchmark.

Identify “Essential Activities” and 2nd or 3rd level question that can assess student proficiency for a specific subconcept.

Plan unit assessments so that you increase quality, not quantity.

big ideas document

Embedded Assessments document

conclusion

Our students deserve our best effort and an equitable education experience.

It will not happen over night, so choose one or two things and become very good at them before moving on.

Do not revert to old practices that do not increase educational opportunity for your students.

Please email any questions.

Thank you for believing in us!