iNACOL | May 14, 2014 | Webinar: Closing the "Advanced Achievement Gap" Nationally, many students of color and students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds perform among the top 25 percent of all students in reading and math at the beginning of high school. Many of them, however, leave high school with lower college success predictors than their high-achieving white and more advantaged peers. Schools can take action to better serve these students. To prepare students for college and career, high schools must balance their attention carefully, ensuring that low-achievers catch up and high-achievers don't lose ground. In this webinar, Christina Theokas and Marni Bromberg of the Education Trust will share research and insight into how to better serve this group. Personalized blended and online courses can provide powerful delivery systems to increase access and equity for underserved students. Educators and school leaders need to ensure students have access to high-quality new learning opportunities. The Education Trust's research has major implications for how to increase educational opportunities and provide equity. This webinar will include a real world example of how to use blended and online learning to close the achievement gap for high-achieving poor and minority students. Speakers: - Christina Theokas, Director of Research, Education Trust - Marni Bromberg, Research Associate, Education Trust - Debbie Vincent, Instructional Technology Curriculum Specialist, Alief ISD (Houston, TX)

1. Closing the “Advanced
Achievement Gap”:
How Educators Can Help High-
Achieving Low-Income and
Minority Youth Stay On Track
May 14, 2014

2. Webinar Format
• Feel free to type questions in the chat box
• The webinar is being recorded and
archived. Link will be emailed out to you
within 2 days after the webinar
• Also posted in iNACOL Member Forum

3. Presenters
• Christina Theokas, Director of Research, The
Education Trust
• Marni Bromberg, Research Associate, The
Education Trust
• Debbie Vincent, Instructional Technology
Curriculum Specialist, Alief ISD, Houston, TX
• Moderator: Susan Patrick, President & CEO,
iNACOL

4. Falling Out of the
Lead
Tracking High-Achievers Through High School and
Beyond
Marni Bromberg & Christina
Theokas,
The Education Trust

5. The Education Trust
Mission
The Education Trust works for the high
academic achievement of all students,
pre-kindergarten through college.
Our goal is to close the gaps in
opportunity and achievement that
consign far too many young people--
especially those from low-income
families or who are black, Latino, or
American Indian--to lives on the
margins of the American mainstream.

6. Agenda
• Examine new research exploring the trajectories of initially
high-achieving students as they progress through high
school and into adulthood.
• React to advice from students about how to best serve
high-achieving students.
• Explore the practices of a high school that is attaining
impressive outcomes with an academically diverse student
population.
• Reflect on current challenges and practice, and brainstorm
actions to help high-achieving students of color and low-
SES students stay on track.

7. Why high-achievers?
We will never close
the achievement gap
if we only pursue a
bring-the-bottom-up
strategy. We need to
focus on equity
across the
achievement
spectrum.

8. Who are we studying?
• Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)
• Students were first interviewed as sophomores in
2002 and have been followed periodically through
2012.
• Data are representative of roughly 2.5 million high
school students.
• Some Definitions:
• High-achieving students: Those who scored in the top
quartile on a math and reading assessment in 10th grade
• Socioeconomic status (SES): A Measure of multiple
background characteristics, including parental income,
parental education, and parental occupational status
• High-SES: Highest quartile of the SES distribution
• Low-SES: Lowest quartile of the SES distribution

9. At the Starting Gate

10. Poll 1
• In your school/district or a school/district you know
of, about what percent of students of color do you
think are high-achieving?
A. 0-10%
B. 11-30%
C. 31-50%
D. 51-100%
E. Not Sure
Choose an option from the
drop-down menu

11. If students were coming into high school with
identical preparation, we would see 25% of each
group performing in the top quartile of achievers. But
instead, we see this:
Represen
ts 18,760
students
Represe
nts
42,490
student
s
Represen
ts
538,370
studentsRepresen
ts 33,070
students
In number,
there are
more high-
achieving
Latino
students
than Asian
students.

12. There are similar inequities by
socioeconomic status.
Represe
nts
60,300
student
s
Represe
nts
119,820
student
s
Represe
nts
181,980
student
s
Represe
nts
292,320
student
s

13. Course-Taking in High
School

14. Initially High-Achieving Students of Color: Black, white,
and Hispanic students are about as likely to reach a
course beyond Algebra II and calculus.

15. Initially High-Achieving Low-SES Students: Low-SES
students are significantly less likely to reach calculus
than similarly performing high SES students.

16. Results are similar for science
course-taking, AP/IB course-
taking, and the percent of
students completing an academic
concentration.

17. AP Outcomes

18. High-achieving students of color and low-SES students
pass a smaller share of the AP tests they take than high-
achieving white and high-SES students.

19. Poll 2: Type a response in the chat
box:
Why do you think high-achieving students of color
are passing fewer of the AP exams they take
compared to white students?

20. What Lies Beneath the
Numbers: Student
Experiences

21. We interviewed 5 recent high school
graduates who participated in the
Young Scholars Program.
• The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation selects about 60
scholars annually who have demonstrated academic
excellence and a commitment to helping others.
• Scholars are selected in 8th grade
• Average family income of selected students is about $25,000
• Once accepted, scholars receive substantial guidance and
scholarship from the foundation
• The young adults we spoke to attended different
schools throughout the country, and their experiences
differed substantially. Reflecting on their high school
experiences, they offered advice for how educators can
support high-achieving low-income students like
themselves.

22. Course quality varied tremendously among the
students we spoke to, with some accessing
consistently high-quality courses and others rarely
experiencing the type of instruction that would push
them to grow academically.
“I took a lot of AP courses, but even my regular
courses were rigorous.”
“My calculus class wasn’t really calculus.”
“Crossword puzzles made up 60 percent of our
grade, and exams only made up 10.”

23. Some students felt that teachers were always
available to help them succeed, whereas others felt
their teachers were “there because they had to be.”
“I had so many teachers go above the call of
duty to help me.”
“Getting the support was great. From what I
hear, you don’t get that support in other
schools.”
“When teachers don’t take the initiative to
explain things to students or help them learn it,
students don’t feel like they can turn to their
teachers for that type of help.”

24. Despite their high level of incoming
preparation, the students received different
levels of support from their schools to realize
their college dreams.
“(The school) gave us a college counselor
who we start working with in 11th
grade…They make it a requirement that we
finish our applications in November, so that
we only have to worry about scholarships
and financial aid for the rest of the year.”
“My school didn’t really tell us what we
needed to do in order to apply (to college),
so a lot of students felt overwhelmed.”

25. So what can educators do?
• Columbus Alternative High School (CAHS),
Columbus, Ohio
• Grades 9-12, 606 students
CAHS Ohio
65% African
American
17% African
American
26% White 74% White
61% Low-
Income
45% Low-
Income
98% Graduation
Rate
80% Graduation
Rate
Source: Ohio Department of Education, 2011 data

26. “Start early:” Offer opportunities in high school that
expose students to college-level content and
expectations.
• How it looks at CAHS:
• Summer work prior to the freshmen year: Students must read three
novels and compose a draft essay in response to their reading.
• Rigorous freshmen-level humanities course, which is “really
intense,” according to a recent graduate.
• Commitment to acceleration in 9th grade
• “Our greatest struggle is 9th grade. By 11th grade, they’re ready.” –Principal
Wells
• Only honors courses, no remedial or general coursework
• 17 Advanced placement courses as well as the IB program. All
students have to take AP or IB English in their junior year to ensure
at least one authentic college-level experience

27. “My advisor was probably the single greatest resource
I had at the time:” Provide students with quality
mentorship, particularly during the college search and
application process.
• How it looks at CAHS:
• Intensive support during 9th grade year: All staff tend to
freshmen 1 day a week, while other students are at
internships. During this time, freshmen participate in
advisory and 2 academic assistance courses.
• “In AP Chemistry, I was struggling so much…I was able to
talk to my first year chemistry teacher from 9th grade. He
stayed after school multiple times and worked around
my complicated schedule and explained things to me in
a way I understood.” –CAHS graduate
• “My school counselor was priceless…She was so helpful
finding resources and helping with financial stuff.”

28. “What holds back a lot of students is people tell them ‘No:’”
Communicate positive messages to students about their
future possibilities, and help them identify solutions to
potential barriers that stand in the way of their postsecondary
dreams.
• How it looks at CAHS (according to a student):
• Talking to students about taking a chance and helping them
access resources:
• “A lot of high-achieving students shy away from applying for
opportunities because of the cost.”
• “I have a friend whose parents wanted her to stay in-state, but she
wanted to go to an out-of-state private school. (CAHS) told her to
apply even though she didn’t have the money, and (the college)
gave her a scholarship.”

29. Postsecondary
Outcomes

30. Initially high-achieving students of color: Black and
Hispanic students are less likely to attend a selective
4-year institution than white students.

31. Initially high-achieving low-SES students: Low-SES
students are less likely than high-SES students to
attend postsecondary school, enroll in a 4-year
institution, or attend a selective college.

32. Charting a Course
Forward

33. As educators, how can we ensure that students of
color and low-SES students aren’t falling out of the
lead?
• In an online context, what do you believe are the
challenges that lead to inequitable outcomes?
• In your position or role, what actions are you/can
you take to ensure that high-achieving students
receive challenging instruction and support?
• Does your school/district have a system to identify
high achieving students and monitor predictors of
postsecondary readiness and success for them?

34. Want to learn more?
• Check out the full report or educator brief:
http://www.edtrust.org/fallingoutofthelead
• Marni Bromberg : mbromberg@edtrust.org
• Christina Theokas: ctheokas@edtrust.org
• Visit www.edtrust.org
• Come to The Education Trust Conference. This year’s
conference is on November 13-14 in Baltimore at the
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel. Register now:
http://action.edtrust.org/content_item/2014conferenc
e

35. Debbie Vincent
Instructional Technology
Curriculum Specialist

36. Demographic Information
• Is a TEA Recognized school district
• Located in Southwest Houston
• Encompasses 36.6 square miles
• 45,000 student enrollment
• More than 80 languages and dialects are spoken
• 45 campuses, 6 High Schools
• 89% Economically Disadvantage student population

37. Alief’s Long Range Technology Plan
• Continue to provide campus level Distance Learning Site
Coordinators and Lab Facilitators to enroll and support students
in virtual courses.
• Continue to ensure rigorous content within distance learning
courses that support the development of career and college
ready skills.
• Utilize district funding to ensure that students have access to
distance learning courses.

38. # of Students Served through
Distance Learning
294
940
115
379
223**
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014
**2013-14 does not reflect summer enrollment

39. 83%
86%
92%
96%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Success Rate of Students Taking
Distance Learning Courses

40. # of Dual Credits Earned
29
146
343
269**
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14
**2013-14 does not reflect summer enrollment

41. Site Coordinators
• Advertise distance learning opportunities
• Identify prospective distance learning candidates
• Meet with DL candidates to review course syllabi
• Meet monthly with IT Curriculum Specialist
• Monitor student progress

42. Facilitators
• Complete an online facilitator training course
• Meet with DL student once a week
• Complete Distance Learning contact log
• Contact course instructors
• Connect students with resources
• Report student progress to IT Curriculum Specialist every
2 weeks

43. Distance Learning Candidate
• Demonstrates prior academic success
• Completes distance learning application
• Provides short essay why taking an online course
will help them reach their graduation goals
• Completes Texas Virtual School Network “ClueIn”
orientation program
• Completes Dual Credit registration process
• Meets with facilitator weekly

44. Blended Learning
• Developed blended CTE Principles of Information
Technology course
• Developing Business Information Management course
• Offered to 9th graders
• Exposes students to scaffold, rigorous digital environment

45. Resources & Contact
• Distance Learning @
http://tinyurl.com/aliefdistancelearning
• debbie.vincent@aliefisd.net

46. Q&A

47. • Palm Springs, CA
• Nov. 4-7, 2014
• Registration open now at
www.inacol.org
• Over 2,200 experts, educators and
thought leaders in the field of online
and blended learning and
competency based education

48. Upcoming Webinars
• Teacher Talk: How Do Teachers Implement
Blended Learning In The Classroom?
– Thursday, May 15 at 6pm EST
• Research In Review: Safe and Supportive
Online Learning Environments for K-12
LGBT Students
– Tuesday, May 20 at 3pm EST.
• Register at www.inacol.org

49. Thank you!