MARIN COUNTY – ELIMINATING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP – Resources and Information!
All students deserve and have the right to the best possible education. It is the responsibility of our schools and our entire community to make sure that this opportunity exists for all children, whatever their social, academic, or economic background. The reality is that an achievement gap exists in the schools of our community and state. The information and resources below provide more information about the achievement gap and about some of the answers to eliminating the gap, especially for students of color, English Learners and students with disabilities.
Community Resources and Programs
West Regional Equity Network (WREN)
This is a link to the website of the West Regional Equity Network (WREN). WREN is one of the ten regional equity assistance centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The centers provide assistance and information in the areas of race, gender and national origin equity to public school districts and to promote equal educational opportunities.
Professional Learning Communities
Learn about Professional Learning Communities and the focus on school wide collaboration to help us reach a point where each and every student enrolled in any school in our community becomes OUR student.
Marin County Early Childhood Education Partnership
This link will take you to information and resources regarding early childhood education programs and providers in Marin County.
Marin County School to Career Partnership
The Marin County School to Career Partnership (STC) provides career exploration and education opportunities for students. Serving as a bridge between Marin’s business and organizations and the schools, STC provides real-world experiences for students inspiring them to be better prepared for college, careers and life.
Using Your Data Resilience and Youth Development for School Improvement - Connectedness, WestEd
2008 Marin County Education Equity Initiative Strategic Plan
Marin County Race and Class Education Equity Initiative Council
March 26, 2009 - Alternatives to Suspension
Resources for Educators
Fair Housing of Marin - Community Education Programs
Fair Housing Of Marin offers community education programs that can assist educators in adding diversity studies to curriculum and class projects. The Story Teller Program offers stories and poems about human rights told by Master Story Tellers.
Achieving Success for All Students: A Statewide Initiative on Closing the Achievement Gap
This resource-rich website has been developed to support the work of educators and policymakers. It contains research, information, success stories and helpful information on efforts to close the achievement gap in California.
What Are Your Expectations? The Challenge of Keeping Classrooms Fair
This article, published in the February 2008 issue of Scholastic Administrator Magazine, discusses the challenges in maintaining bias-free classrooms and strategies to be considered by teachers and school administrators.
Bridging Cultures in Our Schools: New Approaches That Work
This brief provides a framework for understanding how teachers' culturally driven — and often unconsciously held — values influence classroom practice and expectations, and, when in conflict with the values of immigrant and other parents from more collectivistic societies, can interfere with parent-teacher communication. The brief looks at some specific sources of cross-culture conflicts and illustrates some strategies for resolving them.
Reports and Studies
Raising African American Student Achievement: California Goals, Local Outcomes - EdSource, May 2008
This report asks questions and provides information to raise broader public awareness and interest in better serving California's African American students.
Yes We Can – Telling Truths and Dispelling Myths About Race and Education in America
In this 2006 Report, the Education Trust provides compelling data about the “opportunity gap” that exists in schools for children of color. The report also provides examples of schools and districts that are using data, high standards and effective assessment to improve student outcomes.
This RAND Corporation report, part of the California Preschool Study, makes the strong case for the importance of quality preschool education as a key component in a strategy for closing the achievement gap.
David Kirp, The Sandbox Investment- The Preschool Movement and the Kids-First Politics
On January 23, 2008, David Kirp was in Marin County to speak to Mayors, Council members, School District Superintendents and Trustees about his book, The Sandbox Investment. Mr. Kirp discussed his research which indicates that high quality preschool experiences are a leading factor contributing the academic, social and emotional well-being of children. The first link below takes you to a National Public radio audio-interview with Mr. Kirp discussing his book. Other articles and interviews with David Kirp follow:
Focus on Early Childhood Education (R&D Alert® Vol. 7, No. 3)
While the importance of early childhood education has long been recognized, traditional ideas of "school readiness" may be outdated. The first years of life do not simply set the stage for school — they are uniquely important in their own right.
This report focuses on Early Childhood Education establishing a foundation for lifelong learning and for bridging cultures in early childhood.
Educating Children in a Diverse Society: Focus on Culture and Language
What We Must Do to Create a System That Prepares Students for College Success
An ever-increasing proportion of high school students in the United States aspire to graduate from college. However, far too many of these students are struggling once they enter college. This Policy Perspectives paper helps secondary and postsecondary educators create a more aligned education system that prepares students for college success. Topics include what policymakers, high school educators, postsecondary faculty and administrators, students, and parents can do to bring about a better-aligned educational system that leads to enhanced student success.
The Achievement Gap, School Well-Being, and Learning Supports Factsheet #8, WestEd
California Department of Education Achievement Gap Summit Presentation
Hosted by Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction
November 13 & 14, 2007
Sacramento
29 Achievement Gap Summit presentations are provided including The Student Perspective, Achievement Gap or Accessibility Gap, Courageous Conversation: An Essential Strategy for Eliminating Racial Achievement Disparity in California, The Great Debate: Internal vs. External Factors in Closing the Achievement Gap, and Teaching as the Opportunity: When Teachers Thrive, Students Achieve.
* The videos below require Apple QuickTime Player. Click HERE to get it.
01. A Civil Rights Perspective on Standards-Based Accountability Regimes (Chris Edley)
02. A Student Perspective (Nicolina Hernández/Mary Rascon-Corral)
03. Achievement Gap or Accessibility Gap? (Sal Castro)
04. Assessment and Accommodations for English Learners (Jamal Abedi)
06. Closing the Achievement Gap by Addressing the Opportunity Gap in California (Linda Darling-Hammond)
07. Closing the Achievement Gap with High Quality Instruction (Ronald Ferguson)
08. Closing the Expectations Gap: Lessons from the American Diploma Project Network (Michael Cohen)
09. Closing the Systemic Gap Between the Highest and Lowest Performing Students (Douglas Reeves)
12. Ensuring Success for English Learners: What’s Language Got to Do With It? (Susana Dutro)
13. High School Transformation: Results Achieved and Lessons Learned (Kevin Johnson)
14. Making Schools Work (William Ouchi)
19. Resillence Factors for At-Risk Students (Amy Colcord Stuht, Janie Yuguchi Gates)
20. Schools That Work Panel (Jorge Lopez, David Silver, Karen Williams)
21. Seven Steps to Improving Student Achievement in Subgroup Populations (Charity Fleming Smith)
22. Students with Disabilities and the Achievement Gap: Just What Do You Expect? (Rachel Quenemoen)
24. Teaching as the Opportunity: When Teachers Thrive, Students Achieve (Lowell Milken)
27. The Village Nation: How are the Children? (Andre Chevalier, Fluke Fluker, William Paden)
29. What California Can Do to Close Achievement and Opportunity Gaps (Russlyn Ali)
Additional 2007 Achievement Gap Summit Resources:
Achieving Success for ALL Students Website:
Achieving Success for All students: A Statewide Initiative on Closing the Achievement Gap – Summit 2007 / Conference Presentations and Materials
http://www.closingtheachievementgap.org/cs/ctag/print/htdocs/summit_2007.htm