high school math and reading readiness
TRANSCRIPT
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High School Math and Reading Readiness
Monica Evans, Mathematics Instructor, Belleville Township High School 201Marci Reeves, Reading Instructor, Belleville Township High School 201
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“Approximately six million of the nation’s secondary school students are performing well below grade level.”
“More than 3000 students drop out of high school every day.”
“One of the most commonly cited reasons for the dropout rate is that students do not have the literacy skills to keep up with the curriculum.”
Alliance for Excellent Education.(2002) Every child a graduate. Washington, DC.
Alliance for Excellent Education.(2003) Left out and left behind: NCLB and the American high school. Washington, DC.
Kamil, M.L. (2003). Adolescents and literacy: Reading for the 21st century. Washington, DC. Alliance for Excellent Education.
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“Based on 2005 ACT-tested high school graduates, it appears that only about half of our nation’s ACT-tested high school students are ready for college-level reading.”
ACT, Inc. (2006) Reading Between the Lines. Iowa City, IA: Author.
What the ACT Reveals
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What the ACT Reveals
2005 ACT Reading Readiness
0
20
40
60
80
Perc
ent
Percent
Percent 21 54 33 59 33 70
Afr Amer Asian Hispanic White Income 30K
Income 100K
ACT, Inc. (2006) Reading Between the Lines. Iowa City, IA: Author.
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PSAE Reading Grade 11
2005 PSAE Reading
0
20
40
60
80
Perc
ent
Percent
Percent 35 71 40 68 37 67
Afr Amer Asian Hispanic White Low Income
Not Low Income
ISBE (2005). Illinois School Report Card. Illinois State Board of Education
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What the ACT Reveals
“It is also recognized today that the knowledge and skills needed for college are equivalent to those needed in the workplace.”
American Diploma Project. (2004). Ready or not: Creating a high school diploma that counts. Washington, DC: Achieve, Inc.
Barth, P. (2003). A common core curriculum for the new century. Thinking K-16, 7, 3-25.
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Why the Gap Persists
Birthweight
Lead poisoning
Hunger and nutrition
Reading to young children
Television watching
Parent availability
Student mobility
Parent participation
Beyond School In School
Rigor of curriculum
Teacher experience
Teacher preparation
Class size
Technology-assistance
School safety
Barton, Paul (2004). Why the Gap Persists. Ed. Leadership, ASCD
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Belleville Township High School District 201
Two large high schools
Student population of 5000
10 public feeder districts and a variety of private and parochial schools in the communities of Belleville, Fairview Heights, Swansea, and Millstadt
Belleville
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Student DiversityBTHS-East
Student Diversity
020406080
Year
Perc
ent White
BlackOther
White 71.6 70.2 69.4 67.9 64.8Black 25 26.4 25.2 26.1 28.1Other 3.4 3.4 5.4 6 7.1
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
10
Low-IncomeBTHS-East
Low Income
0
20
40
60
Year
Perc
ent East
State
East 19.1 18.1 20.2 24.4 25.6State 37.5 37.9 39 40 40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
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Graduation RateBTHS-East
Graduation Rate
050
100150
Year
Perc
ent 2004
20052006
2004 89 90.2 87.8 90.8 82 81.3 78.42005 92.8 91.6 94 98 89.7 70.4 84.12006 94.4 91.9 96.6 96.6 93.7 86.2 83.8
All Male Female White Black IEP Low
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PSAE ResultsPSAE - East
020406080
100
Assessment
% M
eets/
Exce
eds
2003200420052006
2003 57.2 54.1 63.7 53.8 64.42004 66.8 63.9 66.2 58 72.92005 73.6 66.6 0 62 02006 76.4 72.5 0 65.5 0
Reading Math Writing Science SocSc
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PSAE Math ResultsPSAE Math - East
0
50
100
Group
%Me
ets/E
xcee
ds
2003200420052006
2003 52.7 55.5 28.4 61.5 31.6 42004 58.7 66.1 39.2 72.8 45.5 22.22005 62.8 70.2 40.4 75.5 40 21.22006 64.5 75.7 51.2 79.4 51.6 17.5
Female Male Black White Low IEP
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PSAE Reading ResultsPSAE Reading - East
0
50
100
Group
%M
eets
/Exc
eeds
2003200420052006
2003 61.5 53.1 30.3 65 34.2 82004 67.7 63.6 44.6 75.5 50 25.92005 75.8 72 60.6 78.9 50.5 32.72006 76.4 73.1 58.8 81.6 63.9 15
Female Male Black White Low IEP
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How To Close the Gap
“educators seeking to promote adolescent literacy might consider how well their current programs implement key strategies and identify areas where they want to focus improvement efforts.”
Biancarosa, Gina. (2005). After Third Grade. Educational Leadership, Volume 63, Number 2. ASCD
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How To Close the Gap
“each successive year in school, students need to gain an exponentially greater proportion of new knowledge by reading… especially in the grades where demands increase: 4th through 12th grade.”
Biancarosa, Gina. (2005). After Third Grade. Educational Leadership, Volume 63, Number 2. ASCD
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Three Big Questions
What should we teach?
How do we know if they have learned?
What do we do when they don’t learn?
The following strategies were derived from a variety of sources for school improvement and educational research
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What should we teach?
Curriculum Audit
Alignment to State Standards and Test Framework
Test Preparation
Instructional Teams
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Curriculum Audit
Review course offerings – Scope and Sequence
Graduation Requirements
4 units of English beginning Class of 2012
3 units of math beginning Class of 2009
1 unit in area of geometry required
State Graduation Requirements (P.A.-0676)(2005). Illinois State Board of Education
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Alignment to Standards and Test Framework
70% of the ACT Reading Assessment focuses on State Goal 1 - Reading
Standard 1a: Vocabulary Development
Standard 1b: Reading Strategies
Standard 1c: Reading Comprehension
30% of the ACT Assessment focuses on State Goal 2 – Literature
Standard 2a: Literary Elements and TechniquesIllinois Reading Assessment Framework Grade 11 (2005). Illinois State Board of Education
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Alignment to Standards and Test Framework
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Test Preparation
Reading Across the Curriculum
Once weekly in ALL classes
Test prep weekly in Junior classesPractice reading comprehension, test strategies
Practice mathematical concepts, test strategies
Math in the Class
Once weekly in Junior math courses
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Instructional Teams
Content area specialists meet regularly
Discuss instructional strategies
Prepare common assessments
Strategies to assist learners
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How do we know if they have learned?
School-wide Assessment system
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School-wide Assessment System
EXPLORE for grade 9
STAR Reading Assessment for grade 9
Shaw Heile math assessment for targeted grade 9 students
Local math assessment for grade 9
PLAN for grade 10
Local Reading and Math Assessment for grade 11
Common assessments developed by Instructional Teams
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What do we do when they don’t learn?
Remedial classes
Targeted Assistance
Summer Reading and Math Academy
Technology Tools
Professional Development
Parent Involvement
Mathematics Tutoring
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Remedial classes
Curriculum that focuses on reading instruction
Shared reading to teach concepts and functions of print
Phonics and phonemic awareness
Instruction in reading comprehension
Increasing vocabulary size
Reading practice to develop fluency
Writing to enhance comprehension of text
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Targeted Assistance
Developing Strategies Seminar
Intensive test preparation
Practice WorkKeys Reading and math
Triumph Learning Coach Reading and Math Series
Coach series texts
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Extended Learning Time Math Tutoring
Tutoring conducted by Mathematics instructors and Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society).
Students assigned by teachers/ and voluntary attendance.
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Summer Academy
Incoming students in Grade 9
Identify students from EXPLORE and teacher recommendation
Tuition Free
Small classes
30 days/2 hours daily of remedial help
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Technology Tools
KeyTrainThe curriculum elements in KeyTrain were derived directly from ACT's Targets for Instruction for WorkKeys Assessments http://keytrain.com
Triumph Learning Coach SoftwareThe curriculum elements in Coach were derived directly from ACT's Targets for Instruction for the College Readiness and Workplace Readiness Assessments.
AutoSkill Academy of READING and MATH® An intervention software solution that helps at-risk students achieve rapid, permanent gains in reading http://autoskill.com
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Professional Development
Reading Across the Curriculum
Reading and Writing Improvement
Princeton Review
Teacher Mentoring
Classroom Strategies for Underachieving Students
Co-teaching
PSAE Workshops through IPA
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Parent Involvement
Trimester grade reports
Progress reports mid-way during grade period
Parent/Teacher conferences each semester
Internet access to grades
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“First, change your mind…”
“…the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust
