IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE 1 The executive director of Academic Programs meets with

principals, assistant principals, department heads and lead teachers to discuss issues associated with the adopted curriculum and consistent delivery of that curriculum.

September- October 2000

2. Based upon the meetings, the executive director prepares a list of issues to be addressed, necessary modifications to existing curricula, staff development requirements and any other issues.

November- December 2000

3. The executive director reviews this information with principals, assistant principals, department heads and lead teachers. The group develops a plan to address them and performance measures to gauge progress.

January-

February 2001

4. The executive director presents the plan to the superintendent for review, modification and approval.

March 2001

5. The superintendent approves the plan, with necessary

modifications and presents it to the board for information and input.

April 2001

implement the plan and establish the necessary monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms to support it.

7. The executive director implements the plan and conducts an in-service session for all principals, assistant principals and teachers at the beginning of the school year.

August 2001

8. The executive director and principals meet monthly to monitor progress and address any problems.

Ongoing

FISCAL IMPACT

This recommendation can be accomplished with existing resources. FINDING

EISD has had difficulty closing the performance gap between Anglo students and minority and economically disadvantaged students. Exhibit 2-33 shows that while the performance gap in Elgin has narrowed between Anglo students and minority and economically disadvantaged students on the TAAS reading test, the gap began to widen again in 1999-2000 among Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students.

Exhibit 2-33

Gap in Percent Passing TAAS Reading Test, Anglo Students vs. Minority and Economically Disadvantaged Students

1995-96 through 1999-2000

Percentage Point Difference from Anglo Student Performance

Category 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 African American students -37.5 -24.7 -25.8 -15.6 -14.2 Hispanic students -25.0 -19.1 -18.1 -13.5 -16.8 Economically

disadvantaged students -21.8 -18.7 -18.9 -13.7 -16.0

Source: TEA, AEIS 1994-95 through 1998-99 and preliminary TAAS results, May 2000.

Exhibit 2-34 shows that while the performance gap has narrowed between Anglo students and minority and economically disadvantaged students on the TAAS math test, the gap began to widen again in 1999-2000 among African American students.

Exhibit 2-34

Gap in Percent Passing TAAS Math Test, Anglo Students vs. Minority and Economically Disadvantaged Students

1995-96 through 1999-2000

Percentage Point Difference from Anglo Student Performance

Category 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 African American students -33.8 -27.6 -28.1 -21.2 -25.0 Hispanic students -23.2 -17.6 -15.7 -12.9 -9.3 Economically

disadvantaged students -21.5 -17.7 -17.8 -14.2 -12.2

Source: TEA, AEIS 1994-95 through 1998-99 and preliminary TAAS results, May 2000.

Exhibit 2-35 shows that while the performance gap has narrowed between Anglo students and minority students on the TAAS writing test, for

economically disadvantaged students the gap is greater now than it was in 1995-96. In 1999-2000, the performance gap between Anglo students and Hispanic students widened by 5.3 percentage points.

Exhibit 2-35

Gap in Percent Passing TAAS Writing Test, Anglo Students vs. Minority and Economically Disadvantaged Students

1995-96 through 1999-2000

Percentage Point Difference from Anglo Student Performance

Category 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 African American students -21.6 -11.5 -21.8 -19.8 -18.2 Hispanic students -26.5 -19.7 -15.4 -12.8 -18.1 Economically

disadvantaged students -20.6 -17.7 -20.0 -22.6 -21.1

Source: TEA, AEIS 1994-95 through 1998-99 and preliminary TAAS results, May 2000.

In the needs assessment study conducted by Texas Educational Consultative Services, Inc., and completed in January 2000, the final report notes the following at EISD schools:

• Elgin Elementary School. "One other need cited by the [site-based decision making] committee was closing the achievement gap between 'white' and other disaggregated groups on the TAAS."

• Booker T. Washington Middle School. "...staff members mentioned the need for more increased writing instruction and smaller class size to provide skill-building activities and target weak academic areas. They also felt students need more individual tutoring assistance in core subjects..."

• Elgin High School. TECS made the following recommendation: "Explore strategies for reducing the achievement gap in minority TAAS results."

Among the reasons cited by EISD staff for the continuing performance gap were:

• The African American student comprises only about 11 percent of test takers on the elementary school campus. The small group size contributes to greater variability in results;

• Vertical teaming and curriculum alignment are needed, especially among the primary, elementary and middle schools;

• Inability of counselors to spend enough staff time on student- related issues versus administrative duties such as TAAS

coordination, class scheduling, grade reporting and attendance at ARD meetings;

• A high mobility rate, approximately 23 percent;

• Lack of study skills;

• Large class sizes; and

• Few minority role models among EISD teachers.

Over half of the teachers responding to the TSPR survey did not support the statement, "Education is the main priority in our school district," and 40 percent disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, "Teachers are given an opportunity to suggest programs and materials that they believe are most effective."

Only 36 percent of the teachers responding to the TSPR survey felt that EISD had effective programs for students at risk of dropping out of school. Eight-two percent also cited teacher turnover as a factor

contributing to inconsistent student performance. Since 1995-96, teacher turnover in EISD averaged 17.3 percent, steadily increasing to 23 percent in 1998-99.

Principals and teachers also said that the superintendent was not a "hands- on leader" and relied on the principals to correct problems and address student achievement issues. The superintendent would provide broad guidelines but was never closely involved in working with principals to address specific performance problems, either staff- or student-related. Galveston ISD, a district where a majority of the students are minorities, addressed the performance gap between Anglo and minority and

economically disadvantaged students through the use of several districtwide strategies, including:

• A standardized reading program in grades K-6 that stresses prevention and intensive early intervention to ensure all children can read at grade level by the end of the third grade;

• Increasing students' conceptual understanding of mathematics through rewriting the math curriculum for grades K-8,

incorporating the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Math and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills with emphasis in the area of oral and written communication of math concepts;

• Implementing a benchmark testing program using academic

coordinators responsible for coordinating the program and working with schools and teachers to implement necessary teaching and learning strategies. The academic coordinators coordinate the benchmark testing, evaluate test results by school and teacher, provide information and learning strategies to principals and teachers and conduct staff development as requested; and

• Providing staff development focusing on TAAS.

Also, at specific campuses with high percentages of minority and economically disadvantaged students, Galveston ISD principals said the keys to successes are a clear focus on instructional improvement with high expectations for all students, a clearly defined curriculum of study

designed to meet the needs of students, clear and constant accountability of teachers and students for progress, a school-wide set of test-taking strategies taught by teachers, and a campus focus on teaching and practicing necessary skills in reading and writing across content areas. At one Galveston elementary school, the percent of minority students is 91 percent and the percent of economically disadvantaged students is 79 percent. The school has been open only three years but has already achieved Recognized status.

Recommendation 8:

Implement programs designed to narrow the performance gap between Anglo, minority and economically disadvantaged students.

EISD staff should identify districts and schools with similar percentages of minority and economically disadvantaged student populations that have also achieved Recognized or Exemplary status or acknowledgments for reading or math. EISD staff should visit these districts and schools and identify strategies that could work in Elgin ISD.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE