Are You in a Pickle?: Lessons Learned Along the Way: Students’ Performance and Achievement Gaps

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Summary

Chapter Five

Final Thoughts

Key Terms, Definitions

and Concepts

Bibliography

About the Author

Are You in A Pickle? Lessons Learned Along The Way: Students’ Performance And Achievement Gaps

Patricia L. Pickles, Ph.D.

Reviewed by Christine Watson for Reader Views (3/12)

Educators serving in many different roles will find this book engaging and useful. Dr. Patricia L. Pickles has been around the education block and offers helpful insights that allow educators to learn from her vast experience. I found Are You in A Pickle? to be helpful in my role as a new private school owner.

Early on in the book, Dr. Pickles shares a few life lessons learned. While all of them were interesting, I found one to be particularly powerful. She says To prepare students for today’s workforce, learning must be relevant. This is very true because the needs of our society are constantly evolving, and education will also need to evolve to remain relevant. This one life lesson is the main reason I left public education and started my own school.

Dr. Pickles provides valuable data that shows the reality of education and offers suggestions and advice for improving our current status. In the book, there is a table showing the kindergarten readiness for different socioeconomic groups, and the importance of learning in the early years. Dr. Pickles also asks some great thought-provoking questions in the book. One in particular that struck me was At the elementary level, are multiple intelligences embraced to determine and identify the unique gifts in young people? What are we doing for our students that will help them not only learn the skills necessary for the future, but to support them in strengthening their personal talents and gifts?

Dr. Pickles said, A manager ensures that things are done right, but a leader does the right thing. As a school owner and leader, I found this statement to be one of the most powerful in the book. She goes on to talk a little about a variety of great leaders in our country and world, and I was incredibly inspired to improve my own leadership skills.

Throughout the book, Dr. Patricia L. Pickles gives heartfelt insight along with facts to make Are You in A Pickle? a must read for educators in general, and school leaders in particular. I plan to keep this book handy as a reference when I need a pick-me-up.

DEDICATION

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13, King James Version

To Mother, Flora Alexander-Payne: your love, friendship, trust, and guidance serve as a continual source of inspiration. You have been a rock in my life and your spirit, values, strength, and sense of community sustain me still. I pray that the family values instilled in me will be passed on to my children, Alex and Ina, and my grandchildren, Alequcis, Cortez, Imani, and Xavier. God bless the child who has his own, and please protect those who do not.

As I tell my stories and share my experiences, I hope there are thoughts or words that you can hold on to. Embrace your core values and beliefs, and learn from life’s lessons.

Thanks also go out to my extended family and friends. Thank you for rejoicing with me during the victories and being there for me during the storms; you know who you are. Let’s continue to laugh together, cry together, and be there for one another.

In my journey and purpose-driven life, I have had the awesome privilege of having role models such as Dr. Barbara Sizemore, Dr. Lois Harrison-Jones, Dr. Ruth Love, Dr. Arlene Ackerman, and others. Seeing others who look like me break the glass ceiling in public education is a fantastic and encouraging experience.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special appreciation and recognition goes out to reviewers and others who provided time, input, feedback, and editorial support:

Judy Bryant, School Turn Around, Consultant

Ina Conway, Assistant Principal, Kennemer Middle School

Sharon Cossey, Technical Advisor, Chicago Public Housing Authority

Dannellia Gladden-Green, founder, ASCEND

Carolyn Leonard, Compliance Officer, Portland Public Schools

Lavonne Mason, Program Director, Texas Education Agency

Gwendolyn D. McDade, CPA

James Strickland, Founder, Child Incorporated

Lorraine Yancy, Consultant, West & Associates, LLP

Special thanks to Alequcis P. Conway for her technical assistance

and Pastor A.W. Mays for support, prayers, and leadership.

Disclaimer: none of the individuals listed above saw the final draft of the manuscript.

At the end of the book is a glossary that can help translate any educational jargon or content. This resource may be of particular interest to non-educators who read Chapter Two. Some items on the glossary are taken from Educational Tools, Inc. (2008) and the Office of Educational Accountability (2002).

The official re-tech of Are You In A Pickle? was released in June, 2012. I appreciate those that I have had the opportunity to come into contact with; your input and feedback is invaluable. Changes were made, by the author, for the purpose of clarity and having a laser like focus on issues and solutions which can transform public school education. The original meaning, objectives, and content, for the most part, remain the same. However, unlike my dissertation written years ago, I realize that this reference book is written for you. The intangible benefits of helping others in the field of education make this effort worthwhile.

INTRODUCTION

When you learn, teach. When you get, give.

—Maya Angelou

Like most first-year teachers, I was given a mentor and assigned to a team of teachers who had more experience than I did. I was persuaded into making a decision that year that caused unrest in my spirit. As I remember, there were twin boys, and one of the two was in my middle school language arts class. Though the student in my class—I will call him Dennis—was clearly passing, because his twin brother was being retained or held back, I was persuaded into recommending that my student also be retained in the same grade.

I left that particular school after the first year. However, as I continued to gain experience and pursue graduate studies and research, I never forgot about Dennis. What impact did my decision and recommendation have on his life?

As a teacher, that was my first real political experience in education. Although I was embraced by my colleagues, I decided that, even if I had to stand alone, my future decisions would be based on what was best for students and families. Experience is a powerful teacher.

Students who are retained in the same grade are more likely to drop out of school. While I was serving as principal of Mary McCloud Bethune Early Childhood Center (K-3), a policy was put in place, by the district, that would not allow teachers to hold students back if their scores in the major subject areas averaged 70 or above. The subject areas measured were reading, math, science and social studies. Before the policy was instituted, students were being held back due to discipline problems or because they were cited as immature.

Mary McCloud School is located in the inner city, and the student demographics are mainly African American and Hispanic. Approximately 95 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. In the United States, nearly 50 million children attend our public schools, and around 11 million of these students attend urban schools like Mary McCloud Bethune. Assessment instruments across the country consistently indicate a gap between:

• the performance of students of color and that of white students;

• students who come from poor families and those who come from wealthy backgrounds; and

• students from the inner city and students from the suburbs.

The achievement gap between the rich and the poor, over the last three decades, has grown and is now twice as large as the gap between black and white subgroups (Sean Reardon, Professor of Education at Stanford University). The achievement gap, sometimes referred to as the racial gap, has been hidden in our education system for years. Throughout the United States, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 exposed the racial and socioeconomic gap in achievement. We have been provided with the evidence we need; now is the time to turn our education system around. But how do we do it?

According to an analysis by the Foundation for Child Development (2010), the rate of children living in poverty, in the United States, was predicted to climb by nearly 22 percent, the highest rate in two decades; nearly one in four children in the U.S. go hungry. Our choice is clear. Either we commit to making big changes in our public schools, starting today, or we continue to offer mediocre opportunities for some of the students.

For some time now, there has been a push to move away from the sort and select model, making these models irrelevant and outdated institutions of learning. For example, in many instances, we still allow a label to set our expectations for students. At Mary McCloud Bethune Early Childhood Center, at the end of the twentieth century, I recall a teacher being alarmed at the fact that she had made what she believed was a huge mistake. A special education student had also qualified for the gifted and talented program. Therefore, she immediately removed him from the gifted and talented list.

In the twenty first century, what action is likely to be taken in the above scenario? What belief system did the teacher’s actions demonstrate? What message do you think her actions sent to other educators, the student, and his family? What is an alternative action that could have been taken? Some examples would include flexible grouping, flexible scheduling, and inclusion. The issue also could have been addressed at a grade-level team meeting or through local policy. Don’t just work with a broken system, learn how to fix the system and be a problem solver. By the way, it wasn’t until 2004 that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act first noticed that learning disabled students could also be gifted.

Of the nation’s 98,000 public schools and 14,000 school districts, one in three American schools are labeled as failing (Sam Dillion, New York Times: 2010). Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students free after-school tutoring and the opportunity to transfer to other schools.

Currently, there are four major options for low-performing or failing schools. These models were included in the US Department of Education’s blueprint for revisions to No Child Left Behind (Nick Anderson, Washington Post, July 29, 2010). First, schools may close and send students elsewhere. Second, management may be turned over to a charter school or private concern. Third, the district can get rid of at least half the staff, then implement the turnaround option and other strategies for school improvement. Fourth, they can choose the transformational option, which calls on schools to provide extended learning time, try new instructional approaches, and implement flexibility in the governance structure. The fourth model is the one least likely to result in the dismissal of staff. However, in all four options, the principal is typically removed. As a result of such sanctions, education is a field that is constantly looking for solutions, what is working, and new talent.

Under NCLB, by the year 2014, all U.S. students will be proficient in reading and math. However, students haven’t shown adequately yearly progress at the rate hoped for. Education Secretary Duncan communicated to Congress that unless No Child Left Behind was changed, 82% of public schools could soon be labeled failing. He proposes replacing the 2014 goal with one of making all students college and career ready by 2020. Nevertheless, the gaps that exist in our country can never be swept under the rug again.

The purpose of this book is to share factors within schools that have a strong correlation with improving student performance and closing achievement gaps. As expectations and standards rise or change, education continues to increase in complexity and remains a challenge for all of us. Due to the rapid demands and polarization of our educational system, we often find ourselves in a predicament or a pickle. In other words, reaching audacious goals can, in many situations and circumstances, seem impossible. Nevertheless, educators face the mission of making schools effective for all students. Are You in A Pickle? is designed to help the reader get the results desired.

Shared within these bound pages are a systematic plan and process for achieving at high levels and eliminating the gap among subgroups and across socioeconomic lines. What makes these recommendations unique is that they go beyond theory and lofty rhetoric and are actually based on real-life experiences, case studies, research, and results. What makes this book unique is that it is from the heart and the stories and circumstances shared are from my life journey. As a life-long educator, classroom practice is addressed, educational leadership, and policy.

To keep the critical conversation of today’s education grounded, I cover the past, the present, and future possibilities. I take you into various classrooms, districts, states, and countries. I want anyone interested in public education to understand both the good and the bad, and what we can collectively do to create better schools for students. After all, we are talking about the future of our nation.

This publication, in part, is an extension of my doctoral dissertation written twenty years ago. However, the original dissertation was focused on conditions which impact reading achievement in schools with similar demographics. The focus of this book is more on systemic and whole school change. I thank my major professor, Dr. Rose Spicola (Texas Woman’s University), and other committee members for insisting that I select a valid research topic. While the research base is still relevant today, the experience and leadership piece in obtaining significant results makes this book unique. Putting theory into practice and obtaining desired results make this information particularly significant to practitioners in the field and future educational leaders.

Are You In A Pickle? is divided into chapters that provide a takeaway for anyone interested in the plight of education, leadership, and self-preservation. The primary focus is on prekindergarten through twelfth-grade education (P-12). Whether at the classroom, school, or district level, I have never served in a position where student performance did not significantly improve, and increased support through partnerships, resources, and grants did not flourish. I share strategies on how I obtained results, however, if you are looking for the latest snake oil or silver bullet, this book is not for you. This reference guide focuses not so much on the latest programs or initiatives but on systemic thinking, attitude, building capacity, and organizational cultures.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released results of a 2009 study. Fifteen-year olds were tested in reading, math, and science in 65 of the world’s industrialized economies. Results indicate that the United States (US) ranks seventeenth in reading, 31st in math, and 23rd in science. Is there an achievement gap between U.S. students and students from other countries? Is the education system in other countries superior to America’s? This study led to a great debate for some and provoked speculation among others that the Sputnik era has returned (see Chapter 1).

Are You In A Pickle? is provided as a contribution to the field of education and the move toward transforming schools. I have sought to determine and to share the characteristics that were present in schools and districts when significant improvement occurred. At a glance, below are descriptors of a traditional school compared to characteristics of a school of excellence:

Traditional Schools

1. Fragmented educational program

2. Decisions based on something other than data

3. Rigor, relevance, relationships

4. Schools/classrooms are independent

5. Language conveys low expectations

6. Silos

7. Finger pointing

8. Standardized Test(s)

Schools Built For Excellence

1. Continuous learning model

2. Data-driven decision making

3. Foundations for school Redesign (5 Rs)

4. Standards for excellence unify

5. Use of power language

6. Professional relationships

7. Partnerships

8. Standardized test plus performance measures to drive curriculum and instruction

Said another way, schools of excellence and equity demonstrate these characteristics:

1. Put kids first.

2. Provide students with a quality education, not by choice and not by chance, but by right.

3. Support teachers through professional development and feedback.

4. Provide a rigorous and relevant curriculum.

5. Create a culture and support system that eliminates barriers to achievement.

6. Cultivate leadership abilities at multiple levels.

Are You In A Pickle? is divided into five chapters.

Chapter One: History

This chapter is intended to

• Look at landmark studies related to student performance and achievement gaps.

• Help put current conditions, challenges and opportunities into perspective.

• Reflect on education policy from the past as a reference for making recommendations for the future.

In order to act in the present and fully embrace the future, it is best to reflect on the past. Be cognizant of what has worked in the past,