"We cannot waste our precious children.  Not another one, not another day."

Nelson Mandela & Graca Machel

There are apologists for this achievement gap who try to wish it away by saying we shouldn't expect as much from children who come to school with disadvantaged backgrounds. They would prefer that ‘poor’ schools be compared to only other ‘poor’ schools. Thus a school could be rated excellent if it is the best of the worst, even if 70% of its students can’t read. To rate such schools only amongst themselves would be to create ghettos of low-performing schools.

--Editorial, Guest Commentator Gov. Bill Owens, The Denver Post, 1/27/02

Strategic Plan Increase academic achievement for

all students Close student achievement gaps Attract, develop, and retain an

excellent multicultural workforce to provide students with successful role models.

Provide students with a healthy, safe, and secure learning environment

Strategic Plan (cont)

Provide stable and adequate funding to assure that students will receive a high quality and consistent education

Meet diverse student and parent needs to attract and retain students in our District G schools

Decrease the Digital Divide

We must let go of the Mantras

1. The first mantra we have to release is that there is something wrong with the children.

2. The second mantra we have to release is that there is something wrong with the parents

3. The third mantra we have to release is that there is not enough talent, money, time, etc

Janice E. Hale, Learning While Black

High Expectations

Clear expectations and regulations High levels of student participation Alternative resources Emphasis on core curriculum

(college core curriculum in HS) Resiliency

High Expectation & Resiliency

Is infused with multicultural content throughout curriculum –their own and others

Teaching to a broad range of learning styles

Values the unique strengths and intelligences of each individual

Standards1. What are they?

2. Where did they come from?

3. What is their purpose?

4. Are they challenging?

5. How are they changing education?

What needs to be evident

Standards and rubrics posted in classrooms & instruction aligned with identified standards

Activities and resources are developed as part of a long-range plan to ensure student attainment of standards over time

What needs to be evident Multiple opportunities to

demonstrate mastery of standards Students work with portfolios that

contain the Standards and rubrics

Students ability to describe the substance of what they are learning

Leadership

Leadership is about learning together toward

a shared purpose or aim.

Language can Hurt

1. How pervasive is the use of degrading Language?

2. What is the toll students suffer from their exposure to derogatory language?

Interrupt the Language

We must, in consistent, firm, but low-key ways, confront the use of these wordsSo students know that we do not

condone this languageSo we protect the known and unknown

targeted studentsSo students will begin to have the

strength and Courage to do the same

Open Court Reading

Full ImplementationFluency InstructionFluency PracticeFluency Assessment

Open Court Reading (cont) What should you see in classrooms?

Sound by Sound Blending Sound Spelling Cards in Students’ clear

viewDictation

Sound Spelling Cards in students’ clear view

Decodable Books Not used as an echo read Sound Spelling Cards in students’ clear

view

Open Court Reading (cont)

Grade Level MeetingsRegularly scheduledFocus on FluencyCoach provide demonstration

lessonTeachers Practice and Plan next

lessons

Open Court Reading (cont)

Reading First ExpertsValue their time and expertiseSupport their work with your grade level

team

Secondary Literacy

Periodic Assessments Inform InstructionReciprocal TeachingEffective use of Anchor

ClassroomsStandard based Textbooks

EmpowermentTakes More Than A MinuteKen Blanchard & others

3 Keys to Empowerment

1. Share Information with Everybody

2. Create Autonomy through Boundaries

3. Replace the Hierarchy with Teams