Going Broader and Deeper in Understanding How to Close the Achievement Gap(s) A. Wade Boykin, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Executive Director Capstone

Going Broader and Deeper in Understanding How to Close the

Achievement Gap(s)A. Wade Boykin, Ph.D.

Professor of PsychologyExecutive Director

Capstone Institute at Howard university

Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved.

The Achievement Gap is Multi-faceted

• Minority Group vs. Majority Group

• American Students vs. “The World”

• 20th Century Preparation vs. 21st Century Preparation


PERF

PRE POST

C

White

Black

GAP CLOSING OPTIONS


Evidence-Based Practices

• Did we get these results because of what we did?

• Can we repeat this and get the same results again?

• Can we or others get the same results elsewhere in similar settings?


Transactional Along with

Technocratic Solutions


3D Gap Closing

Outcomes

EngagementGuiding

Functions(Adaptive Learning

Orientations)

Asset Focused

Strategies

Professional

Development


Guiding Functions (Impact Engagement & 3D Outcomes)

• Self-Efficacy(Confidence that one can do what it takes to

accomplish the desired outcome)

• Self-Regulated Learning(Planning, monitoring & assessing ones own

learning)

• Belief Change(From Smartness as Fixed to Smartness as

Incremental)


Borman & Overman (2004)

Resilient Students are higher thannon-Resilient students in terms of:

• More positive attitudes toward school• Engagement (Teacher Rating)• Efficacy


Asset-Based Strategy Types that Impact Guiding Functions, Engagement, and

Achievement

• Information Processing Quality• Classroom Interpersonal Relationship

Quality• Enabling Learning Goals• Classroom Collaboration• Meaningful Learning (Individual, Social)• Cultural Resources


Information Processing Quality

• Automaticity (Williams et al 2005)

• Schema Based Instruction (Jitendra et al 2007)

• Direct Teaching of Critical

Thinking Skills


Arithmetic Word Problem Structures

• Change-Andy had five marbles. Then he gave three marbles to Nick. How many marbles does Andy have now?

• Combine-Andy has two marbles. Nick has three marbles. How many marbles do they have altogether?

• Compare-Nick has five marbles. Andy has two marbles. How many more marbles does Nick have than Andy?

• Equalize-Nick has five marbles. Andy has two marbles. How many marbles does Andy have to buy to have as many marbles as Nick?


Text Structure of Information Text

• Sequence Pattern• Descriptive Pattern• Comparison-Contrast Pattern• Cause-Effect Pattern• Problem-Solution Pattern

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Somebody Wanted But SoOverview of the “Somebody Wanted But So” StrategyStudent identification of plot elements, such as conflicts and resolutions, can be facilitated by the use of the “Somebody Wanted But So” (SWBS) reading strategy. With SWBS, students complete a chart by creating a SWBS statement that identifies a character, the character’s goal/motivation, a conflict that impedes the character, and the resolution of conflict. The chart has four column headings:

Somebody(character)

Wanted(goal/motivation)

But(conflict)

So(resolution)

While the SWBS reading strategy lends itself to after reading, it can be used during the reading of specific chapters or section of the text and with the main plot as well as subplots.


TSRQ Elements

• Caring (Genuine)• Empathy• Affective Support• Instructional Support• Encouraging the Best• Holding Optimistic view of student(s)• Non-Patronizing(Safit & Pianta 2001; Hughes & Kwok 2007; Hamre & Pianta 2005;

Tennenbaum & Ruck, 2007)


High Emotional Support Can Lead to Gap Closing Outcomes

• High emotional support includes factors such as (1) Teacher sensitivity to child’s needs e.g. mood, interests etc. (2) Teacher reluctance to impose her/his agenda unilaterally onto the child (3) Teacher creation of a positive affective climate (4) Teacher deployment of classroom management marked by clear yet flexible expectations and behavioral guidelines.

(Hamre and Pianta, 2005)


When You Work Really Hard In School, Which of the Following Reasons Are Most

Important To You

Percentages

Blk Wht Hisp Asn

My Teachers Encourage Me 47% 31% 41% 31%To Work Hard

The Teacher 15% 29% 19% 20% Demands It Ferguson (2003)

TSRQ


Information Processing Plus TSRQ Crosnoe et al (2010)

• In classrooms that promoted inference-based learning techniques, low math achieving students improved their math achievement outcomes more steeply from the third to the fifth grade than was the case for average and high achieving students. This gap closing result however occurred only when these classrooms also fostered TSRQ, and did not occur in classrooms that primarily manifested “basic skills” instruction.

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Kaplan & Maehr (1999)

Goals Goals

Emotional Tone -.35

Peer Relationships -.31

Perceived Academic Efficacy .49

Disruptive Behavior -.41

Significant Regression Coefficients

Mastery Performance

Enabling Learning Goals


Collaboration and collaborative learning

Student accountability, ownership and

responsibility

Student voice and choice

Inclusiveness

Classroom Collaboration


Collaborative Activities

• Numbered Heads TogetherStudents with mixed abilities are place in groups of four and randomly assigned numbers. While in groups students are given problems or questions to solve or answer. They are given time to “put their heads together” to reach a correct response. By randomly calling out numbers each group member is prompted to insure that all members are knowledgeable of the appropriate response. When certain numbered group members respond correctly, the whole group receives positive recognition.


Meaningful Learning Relevance

Personal Connections

World Connections

Subject Matter Connections

Importance

Prior Knowledge, Competences and Understanding


Percent of Motivational Strategies Observed

27.05

7.49 7.11

58.31

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Attention Relevance Confidence Satisfaction

Type of Strategy


PERSONALIZATION EXAMPLE

• There are 3 objects. Each is cut in one-half. In all, how many pieces would there be? ABSTRACT

• Billy had 3 candy bars. He cut each one of them in half. In all, how many pieces of candy bar did Billy have? CONCRETE

• Joseph's teacher, Mrs, Williams, surprised him on December 15 when she presented Joseph with 3 Hershey Bars, Joseph cut each one of them in one-half so that he could share the birthday gift with his friends. In all, how many pieces of Hershey Bars did Joseph have for his friends? PERSONALIZED


STIPEK (2004)

Constructivist Teaching Phonics Instruction

Embeddedin Meaningful Text Modeling & Guided Useof Explicit Comprehension Strategies Multiple Methods of Reading Instruction Connection to Children’s

Personal Experiences Encouragement of Self

Expression

Didactic Teaching Isolated Phonics

Instruction Rote Memorization Teachers Read to

Students Without Engaging in Conversation

Correctness Emphasis in Children’s Writing


% Below Grade Level .18

% Eligible Lunch .04

% African American .42*

% Latino in School .06

P < .001

Entries are regression coefficientsStipek (2004)

Prediction of Didactic Teaching


Cultural Resources

Family, peer, community socialization

Traditions, rituals and practices

Fundamental core values

Culturally salient learning structures

Popular culture


Cultural Modeling (Carol Lee, Northwestern

University)

This entails bringing examples from students’ popular

cultural interests into the classroom in ways that require

students to use interpretive or critical thinking skills to

express these popular culture examples. Then, students are

made fully conscious and reflective of their deployment of

these skills. Students are then shown how these same skills

that they display underlie tasks in the formal curriculum.

Students then are lead to apply these skills to tasks in the

formal curriculum.


Communal Learning Prompt

[Instructions should be given to the students while they are holding hands and standing in a circle around the tutor/teacher].

I would like you to help each other by working together. It is important that you feel

connected with the students that you are working with in your group. You should also try

to do everything that you can to share, help and work well together for the good of the

group so that everyone will [learn/compete the story/task/project]. Your group is counting

on you to do the best you can so that everyone will succeed and not just for one of you to do

well. Since all of you live in the same neighborhood, have similar friends, and go to the

same school, then you are very important to each other. You should feel close to each other

and you should support one another. Remember also, that you and your group are working

together to make the most of this time that you are spending here together. Therefore, you

and your group should be helpful, kind, and giving for the good of everything in your

group. You can do better if you all take part in [learning/completing the story/task/project].


6.41

8.469.6310.19

76.72

0123456789

1011

C G I

African American European AmericanC= Communal study conditionG= Inter-Group Competition study condition I = Interpersonal Competition study condition

Posttest Performance -Learning Condition by Ethnicity Interaction

Hurley, Allen, & Boykin (2009)


Professional Development Regimen

• Pre-Workshop Activity• Workshop• Follow Up Support

• Feedback• Coaching• Demonstrations

• Learning Community/Planning Time


Shifting the Paradigm with Some Policy Implications

• Let Evidence Be Our Guide• Pay Particular Attention to Classroom

Dynamics• School Organization to Support

Achievement of Classroom Goals• Focus on Assets• Educate the Whole Student• Broadly Build Stakeholder Capacity• Seek Multiple Success Pathways


Talent Development Context

Assessment &

EvaluationAcademic Support

Programs

Family &

Community Engagement

Support Services

Central Reform Program

Organizational Development

3-D Leadership Managing the Change Process

Teacher ProfessionalDevelopment

Focus on Continuous ImprovementProfessional Learning CommunitiesModules/Transactions

Curriculum Enhancement

s & Framework

Language ArtsMath Classroom ManagementSocial & Emotional DevelopmentSubject Matter

All Students (Stakeholders) Can Learn With Multiple Stakeholder InputEvidence Based Framework Guiding Functions & Engagement

Complemental Activities

Focus on Assets: Asset Focus Strategies

Continuous Improvement

Multiple Outcomes (Whole Person)


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04/11/23 34


04/11/23 35

Kasper Elementary School Correlations of Classroom Instructional Practices

with District Statewide Assessment

Asset Focused Strategies Reading Math

Meaningful Learning .300** .223**

Strategic Instruction .311** .306**

Learning Community .150 .182

Cultural Resources .279** .152

Constructive Social Relationships (TSRQ Plus Mastery Goals)

.293** .326**


04/11/23 36

Goodwork Elementary SchoolCorrelations between teacher variables and

performance on the District Statewide Assessment

Asset Focused Instructional PracticesMay-Sept Reading Score

Difference

Meaningful Learning .429*

Strategic Learning .312*

Cultural Resources .471*

Learning Community .322*

TSRQ Plus Mastery Goals .557*

Sustained Task Engagement .484*

Student Motivation .309*


04/11/23 37

Covington Elementary/Middle SchoolCorrelations between teacher observations and reading and math performance on the District

Statewide Assessment

Asset Focused Strategies Reading NCE Math NCE

Meaningful Learning .297** .341**

Strategic Learning .524** .522**

Cultural Resources .233* .285**

Learning Community .361** .368**

TSRQ and Mastery Goals .265** .292**



FOR MORE INFORMATION

ADDRESS: CAPSTONE InstituteHoward UniversityHoly Cross Hall, Room 4272900 Van Ness Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20008

PHONE: 202/806-8484 FAX: 202/806-8498 EMAIL: [email protected]

WEBSITE: www. capstoneinstitute.org


SUPER SCHOOLS!!

Low Student and Staff Turnover

Multidimensional Leadership

Continuous Commitment to Improvement

Multiple Stakeholder Involvement

Education of the Whole Child


Asset Finding Questions

• What are the things that you (your students) like to do in school?

• What gets you (your students) to try hard or work hard in school?

• In what ways do you (your students) like to learn in school?

• What do you (your students) like to learn about in school?

• What have you learned outside of school that would (might) help you to learn in school?

• What have you learned from your family members that would (might) help you to learn in school?


Creating A Climate To Sustain High Levels Of Attainment

1. Meaningful, Universally Understood Goals

2. Close Monitoring of Academic Functioning

3. Collaboration on & Coordination of Curriculum & Instruction

4. Recruitment & Development of Staff5. School Organization to Support

Goals Achievement


Ways to Impact Self-Efficacy, Self Regulation & Belief Change

Self-Efficacy• Competence Experiences (optimal challenge)• Modeling• Social Persuasion • Asset Focused Factors

Self Regulated Learning• Modeling• Strategy Value Feedback• Fading• Asset Focused Factors

Belief Change• Competence Experiences (act into thinking differently)• Data Driven Information tied to Prior Experiences • Asset Focused Factors


Process Praise

PROCESS PRAISE SOUNDS LIKE THIS:

• You really studied for your English test, and your improvement shows it. You read the material over several times, outlined it, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!

• I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies on that math problem until you finally got it.

• It was a long, hard assignment, but you stuck to it and got it done. You stayed at your desk, kept up your concentration, and kept working. That's great!

Classroom-based Communalism Study: Comparison of Fractions

Posttest Performance

9.32

10.72

12.08

9

9.5

10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

Pos

ttes

t P

erfo

rman

ce

Individualistic LearningContext with Traditional

Pedagogy

Individualistic LearningContext with Constructivist

Pedagogy

Communalistic LearningContext with Constructivist

Pedagogy

Coleman, 2003


Evidence-Based Approach to School Improvement

• Programs based on research literature

• Programs based on on-site data

• On-site data based on sound methods and instruments

• Enabling conditions are provided and documented

• Implementation quality is assessed & adjustments are

made

• Instruction is guided by assessment

• Outcomes are evaluated and linked to conditions and implementation

Documents

Going Broader and Deeper in Understanding How to Close the Achievement Gap(s) A. Wade Boykin, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Executive Director Capstone