Points of Practice

OPPROFAImNCaTTgaSIzCinEe Class Divide: Poverty, Segregation, and Teacher Quality Issue Two | October 2014

SolutionsRecruit and Educate New Teachers Framing the IssueMore Effectively Poverty matters, and extreme segregation by race and classJust 24 percent of NY programs fully screened teachers for leaves its mark regardless of theacademic caliber, only 5 percent fully trained candidates to distribution of quality teaching.teach reading, and 3 percent met the standard for math. That said, there’s no excuse for inequity and inadequacy of Page 8 instruction. Page 3Support Teachers with What TheyNeed to Grow The Arc of History: Where Are We Now?Overall teacher turnover has been declining, but teachers in “What we’ve seen is that, in somehigh-poverty schools transfer out “in large numbers.” states, the waivers have actually institutionalized disparities.” Page 14 Page 6Increase Incentives and Paths to ResourcesSuccess Page 30It’s a profound injustice that school districts often pay Creditsteachers more at prospering schools than at struggling ones. Page 32 Page 18Empower Principals and Their TeamsMichael Wiltshire arrived at a school with a 63 percentgraduation rate, a reputation for violence, and a cloud ofapathy hanging over students and teachers. Page 24 Create the Right Community Conditions “In the 30 years I have been researching schools, New York State has consistently been one of the most segregated states in the nation – no Southern state comes close to NY.” Page 282

How big a challenge is it students in urban public and some possible solutions.to deliver great teaching to schools an excellent Nationwide, teachingevery public school student– so that family income and education.” Doing so means excellence is distributedgeography don’t determinescholastic results? A very big understanding social quite unevenly. Despite aone, and at the heart of ourpractice. problems, not just education- long-standing mandate in theTeaching Matters is in the al ones. No Child Left Behind Act totrenches trying to combatthe impact of zip codes on equalize the quality ofopportunity. Our mission is“to develop and retain great We see the difficulties so teaching all childrenteachers, and measurablyincrease their ability to give many children bring with receive, a recent report by the them to school, and we help Department of Education’s their teachers overcome what Office of Civil Rights shows can be monumental odds. that there are still huge discrepancies in the This Points of Practice – issue distribution of what they number 2 – lays out the term “effective teachers.” educational equity problem 3

Poor and minority children incidental to any discussion they have unequal accessare three times more likely to about improving the lessons to effective teaching? Howbe taught by the teachers deliver, and the much is linked to a have-and-inexperienced. Black students education students receive. have-not reality for children,are more than four times as a pervasive opportunity gaplikely as white students to be How do we address the that goes far beyond schools?in a school where fewer than challenge? What ideas are on80 percent of faculty meet the table? Many, including a Poverty matters, andcertification or licensure new federal initiative, and in extreme segregation by racerequirements. the following pages we hear and class leaves its mark from experts and regardless of theStatistics show that New stakeholders across the distribution of qualityYork State has the most spectrum. teaching. That said, there’ssegregated schools in the no excuse for inequity andcountry. In New York City, Poor and minority children inadequacy of instruction. Allthe great majority of public lag behind their wealthier children who the publicschool students come from peers in academic and other educates deserve anlow-income homes. This well-being results. How much education that will help themcontext is more than of the discrepancy is because achieve their goals and4

potential. Making sure that Blasio administration is should, be scrutinized.teachers are qualified and investing in community However, as we work toequipped wherever they schools that will provide advance teaching excellence,serve? That’s non-negotiable. wraparound services as a nation we must also face addressing students’ myriad the complex roadblocks, suchAs we begin another school non-academic needs. On as concentrated poverty, thatyear, there are some every level of government, impair children’ssignificant developments in pre-K initiatives are being opportunities andour neighborhood. A new supported. These are all advancement.teacher contract in New York steps in the right direction.City has more flexiblecareer ladders for teachers Shrinking opportunity andand more time for achievement gaps will requirecollaboration among them, proper preparation for new Lynette Guastaferroand an initiative called PROSE teachers, support for Executive Directormeans school teams will have educator excellence, Teaching Mattersopportunities to innovate leadership, money,regarding how their schools community, and political will.are run and organized. The de Teaching quality will, and5

The Arc of For Dr. Pedro Noguera, a Poor students are more likelyHistory: professor of education at to be taught by teachers whoWhere Are New York University, are inexperienced orWe Now? construction of that bridge uncertified, and by teachers stopped long before paid less money than theirPresident Lyndon Johnson completion, a casualty of counterparts in moresigned the Elementary and indifference and a shift affluent schools. Poor schoolsSecondary Education Act on toward accountability rather are more likely to battleApril, 11, 1965, in Johnson than equity. “churn,” a never-endingCity, Texas, site of the rural exodus of good teachers whoschool where he received his Left adrift have been millions leave for other districts, oftenfirst lessons. He invited his of low-income students, who for more money and fewerfirst teacher to the ceremony. find themselves confined to challenges. schools with few resourcesThere was promise in the and a shortage of quality Federal policies requiring$1.3 billion piece of instruction. school districts to distributelegislation: $1 billion in aid to high-quality teachers morepublic schools, with a “That brought additional equitably have been stifledformula meant to ensure funds into schools serving by a willingness to grantmost of it would reach the poor children – but by no districts waivers from NCLBneediest students, $100 means equalized requirements, or by failing tomillion for textbooks and [resources],” Noguera said of enforce requirements. It’s anlibrary materials, and $100 ESEA, most recently approach that themillion for community reauthorized as the No Child Congressional Black Caucuseducation centers. Left Behind Act. has questioned.“By this act we bridge the gap “And what happened is over Noguera believes that reformbetween helplessness and time we’ve lost sight of that opportunities from thehope for more than five vision that President Johnson reauthorization of federalmillion educationally de- had, which is that in order to legislation have been missedprived children,” Johnson make education a pathway to and some things have beensaid. opportunity and mobility … made worse. “What we’ve you had to equalize learning done in No Child Left Behind opportunities.” has not moved the dial nearly far enough,” he said. Today’s inequity is evidenced in the gaps in teacher and “What we’ve seen is that, teaching quality that define in some states, the waivers the educational experiences have actually institutionalized of poor students versus disparities.” affluent ones, Noguera said. Money is seen as one way to6

Dr. Pedro Noguera. Click the image above to activate the video.attract good teachers to poor reward them; we should and experienced educators should aid new teachers, heschools and keep them there. make that work very said.Money-based solutions attractive,” he said. “I want colleges of education to send theirinclude tactics such as giving faculty into the schools with those...novice teachers toteachers financial incentives Improving the instruction work with them, to help them so that it’s not just the newfor teaching at poor schools, poor students receive could teacher trying to figure it out,” Noguera said.or eliminating the salary also be accomplished by “How do we engage thesedisparities that make good strengthening teachers students? How do we ad- dress their learning needs?teachers want to leave already there. Professional Those are big questions that novice teachers should notlow-income schools for development, increased time be expected to answer on their own.”affluent ones. for planning and reflection, 7 and partnerships withIncentives would make university-based educatorsteaching in poor schools and researchers are allmore attractive, Noguera policies and strategies forsaid. bolstering teachers, especially inexperienced“If we want to get teachers, ones, Noguera said.highly effective teachers, whoare going to commit to Teacher training shouldworking in high-poverty require a similar level of rigorcommunities, we should as the training of doctors,

Solution #1:Recruit andEducate NewTeachers MoreEffectivelyAccording to their instructor,here’s the good news for twoaspiring teachers and top-notch students at theUniversity of Maryland-Baltimore County: They’vemastered their content area –mathematics – and can teachat a “higher level” whileincorporating Common Corestandards.But both have struggled withclassroom management and“understanding thecharacteristics ... of urbanstudents,” said LandaMcLaurin, a former teacher,8

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principal, principal coach, and Those shortcomings stand 70 percent of elementaryBaltimore City Department out because first-year and programs were notof Education official who novice teachers are often adequately preparingnow teaches at University of assigned to students with the effective readingMaryland, Baltimore County’s highest needs, and because instructors;Education Department. teachers are key to the 78 percent of elementary success of the more-rigorous programs did notThe presence of such skills Common Core State adequately prepareand knowledge undergirds Standards. candidates to reacheffective teaching; their struggling readers;absence can compromise It starts with making sure 93 percent fail to ensurestudents’ learning and that teachers are being a high-quality studentfoment the kind of frustration well-prepared for the actual teaching experience;that drives young teachers demands of the classroom, 77 percent give little orfrom high-needs schools or including managing their no feedback on classroomout of the profession. classrooms and serving management strategies. a wide range of students,Few of the country’s among them students with For New York: Just 24teacher-preparation disabilities and English percent of New Yorkprograms give students a language learners, said Daria programs fully screened“high-quality” Hall, Director of K-12 teacher candidates forstudent-teaching experience Education Policy at the Edu- academic caliber, only 5rich with real-world lessons. cation Trust in Washington, percent fully trainedIt is one of a number of D.C. candidates to teach readingproblems common to the in accordance with statecollege and university “They’re figuring it out on the student learning standards,programs that graduate job when these students only and 3 percent met theabout 200,000 new teachers have one year in that standard for trainingeach year. classroom,” she said. candidates to teach math in line with state requirements.Despite progress in recent In June 2013 the Nationalyears, too many programs are Council for Teacher “A novice teacher … maycharacterized by low Quality released the results have gotten a lot ofacademic entrance of its review of 2,420 preparation on how tostandards; a failure to elementary and secondary develop a lesson plan, butincorporate research-based education she didn’t get preparation ofinstruction and certify that teacher-preparation how to differentiate thatgraduates have mastered programs at 1,130 colleges lesson plan when she hastheir content areas; and an and universities. Among its some students who areoverall inability to prepare findings: coming in above grade level,graduates for the some students who are onchallenges of classrooms. The most frequent GPA grade level and some for programs was 2.5;10

students who are far below separates scores by subject Florida earned the topgrade level,” Hall said. area, and more are requiring overall ranking, a B+. The an academic proficiency test state requires elementary“So, all of a sudden, this great for teacher-program teacher candidates to pass alesson plan is falling apart in applicants. content test that haspractice because she was not individually scored subtestswell prepared for the realities Efforts to ensure that teacher in core content areas and toof the classroom.” candidates are trained in pass a “science of reading science-based reading test,” which measuresIn January NCTQ released its instruction and demonstrate knowledge of effectiveseventh annual State Teacher mastery of mathematics reading instruction.Policy Yearbook, a biennial content are also on the rise, Secondary teacherreport assessing states’ according to NCTQ. candidates must pass aprogress in meeting policy content test to teach a coregoals. “There’s actually a body of subject. science and evidence that weThis year’s report found should be relying on, and it Florida also requires thatstates improving in terms does not need to stifle teaching programs addressof graduating well-prepared individual teacher creativity,” effective reading instructionteachers. More states are Hall said. “If we know and prohibits middle-schoolrequiring elementary something, we ought to be teachers from teaching withteachers to pass a using that.” a K-8 generalist license.multiple-subjects test that Instead they must pass a 11

Dr. Pedro Noguera. Click the image above to activate the video.single-subject content test. To be licensed in “When students … seeIn terms of delivering the Connecticut, all teacher teachers who are effectivebest teachers, Indiana was candidates must pass the and embody the instructionalnamed a “best-practice” state’s “Foundation of process, and show concern ...state for ensuring that Reading” test. In July 2013, they will respond to them andteachers licensed to teach Connecticut created a become active partners in thethe elementary grades professional development classroom.”demonstrate knowledge of program on science-basedsubject matter. Elementary reading instruction. It reliesteachers must also earn a on data from students’major or minor in a content reading assessments andarea. not only includes training for teachers – but also trainsConnecticut and principals to evaluate teacherMassachusetts earned performance in readingbest-practice recognition for instruction.making sure programs arepreparing teachers to be “Teacher preparation needseffective reading instructors. to be a priority,” former principal McLaurin said.12

Students from Medgar Evers College Preparatory School. Click the image above to activate the video.Who cares about great teaching? Kids do!Students are out there on the front lines, with plenty of reactions and stories. A group of 8th,11th, and 12th graders from Medgar Evers College Preparatory School shared theirperspectives with Teaching Matters in late spring.Among their thoughts: They note the growth and enthusiasm they’ve seen in new student teachers. They appreciate the full-bore support from teachers who come early or stay late to help them understand a subject. They believe their best teachers have opened new worlds and possibilities for them. They don’t think teaching should be a punch-the-clock-type of job. They believe they benefit when their teachers collaborate with each other – and have a strong principal’s support. 13

Solution #2: SupportTeachers with WhatThey Need to GrowThe old English proverb, “In according to a report high-poverty schools withunity there is strength,” is released in May by the city’s a disproportionate share offully applicable to the task of Independent Budget Office. novice teachers.great teaching. “That is absolutely a central “So then it becomes thisCollaboration, community, issue to closing the critical mass of folks whoand collective effort promote achievement gap,” said Daria may become greatgrowth in a school’s faculty, Hall, director of K-12 policy teachers, but they’re notand achievement by its development for Education there yet,” Hall said. “And ifstudents. But such a Trust. “We’re not going to they’re all clustered in asupportive structure that close the achievement gap particular school, then thatfuels teacher excellence is … until we get serious about really disadvantages thebuilt upon experience, ensuring that those students student.”continuity, and peer who need the strongestleadership. teachers have them.” Strengthening Teachers Professional development isBoth the need and challenge Looking at teachers critical to reversing this trend,are particularly great in considered “new” as of Oct. whether it takes the form ofdisadvantaged school 1, 2006, the IBO found that ongoing learning,districts where teaching is 44 percent of those teachers mentoring by experiencedoften most difficult, turnover who started at high-poverty teachers, or peer feedback.is high, and students are schools had left by the end of All three are staples ofmore likely to be taught by two years and 55 percent had high-achieving educationnovice teachers or teachers left by the end of three years. systems like those inconsidered ineffective. After five years, more than Singapore and Shanghai. two-thirds of new teachersIn New York City, overall in high-poverty schools had Teaching Matters’teacher turnover has been left compared with roughly Teaching for Impact modeldeclining, but teachers in half of those in low-poverty hinges upon Professionalhigh-poverty schools transfer schools. Such turnover Learning Communitiesout “in large numbers,” constantly leaves (PLCs) that use a team14

Adjunct professor and former teacher Bisola Neil Click the image above to activate the video.approach to improve Just this summer, Jodie leadership coach for Newteaching practice. This Cohen, a first-year principal, Leaders for New Schools,process means that teams was awarded the Elizabeth and as a director of supportdevelop a common set of Rohatyn Prize for Schools services for Baltimore City’sexpectations and analyze Where Teaching Matters. school system. “I think therestudent data results on What was this rookie should be a permanenteverything from homework principal’s secret for success? infrastructure support modelto tests – together, modifying She’s instituted a deeply in place for every single newtheir methods as needed. By collaborative model at her teacher and, to be honestbringing together groups of school, with regular group with you, I think ... it shouldteachers and identifying peer sessions, visiting each other’s be in place for first- andleaders, the isolation and classrooms, and the second-year teachers,” sheuncertainty that plagues establishment of model said.many teachers is alleviated. practices.What are essentials: a Climate and Resourcesprincipal’s commitment, clear Beginning and experienced What else is necessary?learning goals, a student- teachers clamor for support, Order and a decent climatecentered learning focus, and says Landa McLaurin, within the building. Safety isthe allocation of sufficient former principal of a a perennial issue.time for group work. Baltimore magnet school who has also served as a Some teachers cite 15

tangible differences amongthe reasons they changeschools. Brokencopiers, barren libraries, alack of key pieces oftechnology such as SmartBoards and laptops: thoseare the realities that can spurteachers to flee to schoolswith more resources andfewer challenges.School leaders at high-needsschools can set the right toneby supporting teachers withthe material items they needto educate students and byminimizing out-of-classroomdistractions, said Bisola Neil,who taught for eight and ahalf years in New York Cityschools. And, fundamentally,they can create a culture thatvalues instruction,family involvement, learning,and teachers.“When school leaders care,students care,” she said.“I think the student feels [it]when teachers are taken careof,” Neil said. “If teachers arenot taken care of, then no oneis.”What is the message for thefuture? A multi-frontapproach, with all thebenefits of communalstrength.16

Minority Educators: Keep DoorsOpen, Not RevolvingIf the challenge of keeping new teacher recruits isgreat across the board, it’s even greater forminority educators. The rate at which theseteachers leave the profession was 25 percent higherthan that of their non-minority peers in 2009,according to a recent study. One of the possiblereasons is that these educators are more likely tostaff high-needs schools. The churn deprives studentsof color the very role models who might be especiallyinspiring, particularly in STEM subjects.The Martinez Foundation has been focusing on thisissue, and the Center for American Progress has justreleased a new report offering suggestions on how tostem the tide of exits. Many of the ideas are simplygood management practices – and include effectiveprofessional development, attention to schoolclimate, and individualized support. 17

Solution #3: IncreaseIncentives and Pathsto SuccessThere’s a debate about how model teacher or teacher am- – let alone the disparities thatmuch money matters inattracting and retaining the bassador, or $20,000 more exist between poorer andbest teachers andadministrators. The federal to be a master teacher. more affluent districts. Shegovernment has stepped inwith a variety of programs, and Paul Hill have explainedincluding the TeacherIncentive Fund (TIF), to help Teaching children from how averaging teacherdraw teachers to the moststruggling schools and wealthy backgrounds in a salaries within districtscommunities. New YorkCity’s new teacher contract posh setting is greatly disguises the often hugeallots $5000 more toteachers who go to hard different from wading into a discrepancies between theto staff schools. Qualifiedteachers can apply to take school dominated by most and least affluent –on additional duties, and get$7,500 more if selected as a children who live in and most and least white – concentrated poverty. schools. Marguerite Roza, head of the Edunomics Lab at So what’s Roza’s formula to Georgetown University, ensure that effective teaching thinks it’s a profound injustice is fairly distributed, and that that school districts often pay no child falls behind? teachers more at prospering schools than the struggling One proposal she and Hill ones within their own borders made about 10 years ago–It’s a profound injustice that school districtsoften pay teachers more at prospering schoolsthan the struggling ones within their ownborders, let alone the disparities that existbetween poorer and more affluent districts.18

Percentage of students enrolled in schools with more than 20 percent of teachers not yet certified876543210 Black/African Latino Two or more races White Asian AmericanSOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2011–12. From the U.S. Department ofEducation Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, Data Snapshot: Teacher Equity Issue Brief No. 4 (March 2014).was to build school budgets or use fewer staff overall to he considered most capablebased on student numbers, maintain their higher salaries. more money for eachrather than staff numbers, so Their savings would then be additional struggling studentthat expenditures would be redirected to other district he or she was willing todirectly comparable, without schools with higher needs. accept. The amount? $5,000regard to discrepant staff pay. But despite initial agreement, per child. So if a teacher wereAs it was phased in, the more that idea foundered. to accept four more studentsadvantaged schools with a into a class of 24, that woulddisproportionate amount of Another suggestion Roza mean a $20,000 bounce insalary money wouldn’t be offers is to let principals in income.able to afford their mix of challenged schoolsteachers. Over the course of determine how to reward Roza notes that sometime and through attrition, their best teachers so as to parents would rather havethose more affluent schools keep them. She cites the their child in a larger classmight need to seek less example of a principal who of 28 students taught by aexpensive, newer teachers decided to give the educators great teacher than a smaller 19

one (say, with 24) taught by services children receive, holistic – and include smallersomeone with less skill. rather than focus on class sizes, early education purported teacher from zero to five, high-But Richard Rothstein, senior inadequacies or elevating quality after-school andresearcher at the Economic star teachers. summer programs, andPolicy Institute and formerly full-service health clinics inchief education writer at the He also contests the idea schools. Why health clinics?New York Times, sees things that loading classrooms with A multitude of reasons,differently. more students is of little including this: consequence, since smaller “Disadvantaged childrenHe agrees that teaching in an class sizes are notably don’t get screened for visionoverwhelmingly minority and important to teachers – and problems. They can’t read iflow-income urban school is are correlated with better they can’t see.”different from teaching in outcomes. Citing thewealthy suburbs, and that Tennessee class size study, Although Title I funding givesteachers in challenging urban he said, “There’s no dispute more funding to schoolsschools deserve more money. about the benefit of small educating children from low-But he believes it’s more classes for highly income families, Rothsteinimportant to end those disadvantaged students in explains that the amount isschools’ economic and racial the early grades.” Rothstein not adequate, even when it isisolation and increase the says the approach must be 50 percent more than what20

Making a Big Leap: Charlotte-MecklenbergWhen the federal government created the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF), North Carolina’sCharlotte-Mecklenberg school district threw its hat in the ring, and won a five-year awardthat started in 2007.Among other things, the district promised to create a measurement system that wouldenable performance-based pay incentives, and to deploy more highly rated teachers in 20high-need district schools. It named its program “Leadership for Educators’ AdvancedPerformance” (LEAP), and got $12,398,464 from Washington, with a local match of$8,641,327.LEAP developed Student Learning Objectives to help guide data analysis and instructionalimprovement. It piloted a value-added growth measure and compensation system in 2009–2010, and then implemented it in 2010–2011. It partnered with the national nonprofitCommunity Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) on its initial proposal andimplementation.What’s the result? Generally positive, but not overwhelmingly so.A CTAC report last year, “It’s More than Money,” explained the challenges and interimsuccesses. While the program has been associated with beneficial staffing changes andbetter student outcomes, North Carolina hit economic difficulties that had dramaticconsequences for schools across the state. Teachers and administrators were laid off, andprogress slowed. The number of schools in the program dropped to 11.But CTAC emphasizes that outcomes in the TIF-LEAP schools still bested those in othernon-TIF-LEAP schools. One of the most important conclusions from a study of multiple sitesis that incentive pay alone, or “merit pay” based on student test scores alone, shouldn’t beconfused with an effective, integrated approach.“While performance-based compensation is a key element of each TIF grant, anyone whoconfuses the initiatives in these nine sites with failed merit pay schemes would be mistaken.… Teaching is a complex task that cannot be improved simply by paying teachers forimprovements in student test scores. Improving teaching practice requires accurate andfair assessment of performance, support for improvement, the spread of teaching expertisethrough career advancement, recruitment and retention of high performers, and an educationsystem that aligns compensation with performance goals.” 21

would otherwise be allocatedfor typical middle-classchildren.Adequate money can be seenas a necessary but notsufficient condition to recruitand retain educators instruggling schools, helpimprove school climates,reduce educationaldisparities, and attack theachievement gap.There’s no dearth ofproductive places to putfunds. In his report,“Revisiting that Age-OldQuestion: Does MoneyMatter in Education?,”Professor Bruce Baker givesthe query a resounding yes,summing it up: “In short,money matters, resourcesthat cost money matter, andmore equitable distribution ofschool funding can improveoutcomes.”22

A Note About MeasurementOne of the key stress points in any discussion about how toeliminate achievement gaps is how to determine fairly theimpact of teachers on results.Is the apparent inequitable distribution of quality teachingbeing fairly assessed? There’s resistance to the idea ofcredentials alone being determinative – and resistance tothe notion that student test scores should be a primary markof teacher effectiveness. Yet value-added measures are anintegral part of determining which teachers should be givenincentive pay.Says Richard Rothstein: “I don’t know that anybody hasfigured out how to evaluate quality teaching. I suspect that aquality teacher in a school serving well-prepared, middle-class students looks different from a quality teacher in aschool serving students with severe disadvantages. Thoseteachers require different skills.”There’s just been a rollback in the use of student test scoresfor teacher evaluations. But research shows when clear goalsare set for both students and teachers, students do better.Accountability matters.What’s the right blend of observation and test scores? Thejury is still out. Charlotte Danielson’s measurement system,which was originally intended to improve teaching ratherthan separate teachers, is well regarded.In the meantime, an increasing number of school districtshave jumped on the performance-pay bandwagon, with heftyeconomic incentives fueling the growth. In the District ofColumbia, incentives coupled with targeted professionaldevelopment have been linked to significant teacherimprovement, especially among those assessed as teeteringon the edge of effectiveness. 23

Solution #4:EmpowerPrincipals andTheir TeamsMichael Wiltshire arrived at aschool with a 63 percentgraduation rate, a reputation forviolence, and a cloud ofapathy hanging over studentsand teachers when he becameprincipal of Medgar EversCollege Preparatory Schoolnearly 15 years ago.One of his first reforms:making daily visits to a nearbystore and rounding up kidsskipping school. Initially someresisted, but Wiltshirepersisted. That persistenceeventually convinced studentsthat he cared, and they alsobegan caring.“We first have to have that24

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Assistant principals at Medgar Evers. Click the image above to activate the video.vision, and that vision comes the high school had a six-year school year; ineffectivefrom our leader,” said Delroy 98.1 percent graduation rate. principals lower achievementBurnett, assistant principal by the same amount.”for science at Medgar Evers “We generally don’t havePrep. “The principal of the problems with students The Greenhouse Schoolschool has to set the stage fighting, running in the hall, concept coined by TNTPand say this is what we want. knocking on doors,” said notes the force of puttingThis is what we expect.” Marcia Stuart, assistant instruction at the center, andTeaching matters, but so principal for social studies at valuing a culture of learning,does leadership. the school. “That, to me, is with the result that teachers a major element in keeping want to stay in these schoolsThere’s plenty of agreement teachers and enabling them much more than they do inthat a principal’s role is to do their job in terms of schools with comparableabsolutely vital. In fact, educating children.” demographics.greater principal turnoverhas been correlated to lower Studies have attempted to Principals can inspire withstudent graduation rates. quantify the impact. clear instructional Researchers at Stanford leadership and goals, and canThe assistant principals at University have concluded help raise the collective senseMedgar Evers make it clear that “highly effective of efficacy, the belief in theirthat they view their school’s principals raise the ability to affect studentprincipal as the key factor achievement of a typical outcomes, that the facultyin creating a desirable work student in their schools by has. Such changes areenvironment and positive between two and seven positively correlated witheffects on students. In 2013 months of learning in a single significantly better results.26

What, then, is necessary to personnel, and social minimum of two years ofattract these linchpins of workers; more autonomy, as support. It’s like the firstsuccess to high-poverty and envisioned by programs such year you’re guiding themhigh-need schools? as New York’s and you’re coaching them, Progressive Redesign and then the second year isWould forking over an extra Opportunity Schools for about them becoming really$100,000 per year in salary Excellence (PROSE); and reflective of ... how they’refor principals help solve the professional development doing the work,” says Landaleadership needs of and more effective McLaurin, former principal atAmerica’s most struggling supervision, not only for Baltimore’s prestigiousschools? That’s what a new teachers but also for Western High School whostudy by the Fordham principals themselves, coached for New LeadersInstitute suggests. especially in the early years. for New Schools, and is now head of their institute for firstBarring that hefty a raise, Teaching Matters has found, year principals in Baltimore.there are other elements that after nearly 20 years in “Then they might want acould make the job more operation, that leadership thought partner ... becauseattractive. They coaches are an important they’re beginning to processinclude an excellent support element to ensure that and analyze what it is thatteam of assistant principals everyone in the building is they’re doing, and they havein the building; other best served. If a principal is questions, and so you can besupplementary personnel, struggling, so is everyone that ear for them,” she added.such as special education else in the school.liaisons, academic contentspecialists, human resource “New principals need ... a 27

Solution #5:Create the RightCommunity ConditionsBoosting teacher and dollars has been allocated assuring that no studentsprincipal performance in to serve 40 schools. At each attend schools with a morehigh-needs schools is a location, there will be a than 40 percentsolution to the achievement resource coordinator. impoverished population.gap that’s hard to fault. But Support will span a variety He said, “The major problemmany urge a broader view of services that include early with American schools is notand more resources to childhood education, health teachers or their unions – butattack the stresses that care, free meals, and truancy poverty and economiccontribute to unequal prevention. segregation. That’s what theeducation, and not research suggests. It’s whatincidentally make it harder to In gentrifying Park Slope, 80 school districts [aroundrecruit and retain educators. lessening racial and the country] have come to economic segregation is the realize.”There are at least two explicit goal at one districtapproaches. One is to make school. Nearly 75 percent of In jurisdictions where asure that high-needs schools Brooklyn Academy of Arts & direct assault has been madeand their high-needs Letters students came from on economic isolation,students get more of their low-income families seven student performance hasneeds met with a wraparound years ago, but that risen dramatically. Forarray of services. Or one can percentage has shrunk to example, in Wake County,break up the kind of below 40 percent today. North Carolina, e orts toconcentrated poverty that disrupt segregation by wealthmakes it so much harder to According to Richard yielded even better resultseducate in a building. Kahlenberg, who has been than the positive results researching the issue of found in Charlotte-Both methods are being tried. high-poverty schools for over Mecklenberg after their 20 years, student success is school-based programs.New funding has just been simply too compromised in Montgomery County,announced for community “apartheid” environments. Maryland, o ers anotherschools in New York City that He was an early proponent of example, where studentswill tackle a host of issues teasing out race from class, who were sent to schoolsclosely associated with and he urges that education with peers from higher-poverty. Fifty-two million policy move forward by income families substantially28

increased their academic comes close to New York.” come to school ready toachievement. And Oldfield thinks a new learn, and are in buildings path is necessary. “Decades with equal resources, and aHowever, just a half-hour of reforms ignoring this feeling of safety and order.north in Baltimore, eight issue produced strategies Investing in all children is key.“opportunity” schools have that have not succeeded in It’s costly to meet specialbeen beating the odds with making segregated schools education and ELL students’excellent student equal. It is time to adopt needs. But so is ignoring allachievement in their over- creative school choice but those easiest to teach.whelmingly minority and strategies to give more New The open question – whetherpoor settings. Why? York children an opportunity maintaining economicTeachers and administrators to prepare to live and work segregation makes failuresay it’s the high expectations e ectively in a highly inevitable for most students,and substantial support. multiracial state.” despite exceptions like the selective Medgar EversIn New York, the economic It’s vital that we provide College Prep.and racial divide is especially services so that childrennotable. Gary Orfield, theco-director of UCLA’s Civil If it takes a village to raise a child, it may takeRights Project, said recently, a resolute community to create healthy“In the 30 years I have been ”villages” for children. Poverty is one very bigresearching schools, New elephant in the room, and another is racialYork State has consistently segregation.been one of the mostsegregated states in thenation. No Southern state 29

Resources!Statistics and Snapshots loss of minority teachers The NEA weighs in aboutAbout the Distribution of This chart prepared by the why there’s internationalExcellent Teaching National Center on Education disparity. Statistics shows specificThis publication from the salary incentives broken The Desegregation StrategyOffice of Civil Rights details down by category and state.disparities in teachereffectiveness. The Charlotte-Mecklenberg, Brooklyn’s Arts and Letters study, “More than Money.” has taken aim at racial andEducation Week on the economic segregation.distribution of experienced Lessons learned from TFIteachers. sites. AttendanceUCLA’s Civil Rights Project on Principals Attendance Works documents the pernicioussegregation in NY schools. effects of chronic absences on student achievement in a Leadership and student new report.Reactions to Federal Waiver learning. Books:Policies In “The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Should we compensate Embattled Profession,” Dana Goldstein reviews 200 yearsThe Coalition for Teacher principals like CEOs? of American education.Quality weighs in on waivers Elizabeth Green sheds light on the challenging task ofand school segregation. The impact of effective teaching, in “Building a Better Teacher.” principals. Amanda Ripley looks toThe Congressional Black international examples for a U.S. education prescriptionCaucus voices doubt about The Wallace Foundation in “The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Gotwaivers. allocating $30 million to help That Way.” strengthen principalTeacher Preparation supervision in 14 urban school districts.This op-ed laments thequality of teacher International Examplespreparation in the US. International comparisons ofIncentives for Teachers student achievement.The Center for American EPI claims the internationalProgress offers retention data is unreliable, and notsuggestions to combat the comparable.30

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Points of Practice Credits:We thank Don Duet, managing director at Goldman Sachs & Co. and vice-chair of theTeaching Matters board, for his vision and support in the launch of this publication.Editors/Writers: Sharon Rubinstein and Leonard SparksDesigner: Evan O’DonnellIllustrator: Carl PottsVideographers and Photographers:Randy Andujar; Evan O’Donnell; Sharon Rubinstein; Steven Wu; Alejandro BarraganWe appreciate the contributions of our staff, board, Advisory Group, and Chairman’s Councilas well.Many thanks to all those who shared their insights for this issue, and a special thank you toPrincipal Michael Wiltshire of Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, his staff, andstudents.32

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