Minority Student Achievement Network Annual Conference Youth Culture, Parenting, School Quality, and...

Minority Student Achievement Network Annual Conference

Youth Culture, Parenting, School Quality, and the Achievement Gap:

Toward Excellence with EquityJune 26, 2008

Ronald F. Ferguson, PhDFaculty Co-Chair & Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at

Harvard University & Founder, Tripod Project for School Improvement

The Achievement Gap InitiativeAt Harvard University

Web Addresses: www.AGI.Harvard.edu and www.tripodproject.org

Contact: AGI@Harvard.edu, Erin Hardy 617-496-9154

Some Context

US Population Shares in 2000

Black13% Hispanic

Asian4%

Other2%

White68%

US Population SharesProjected for 2050

Black14%

Hispanic24%

Asian8%Other

White49%

U.S. B

Turkey

U.S. H

Portugal

United

Hungar

Poland

Norway

Austria

U.S. A

France

U.S. W

Austra

Belgiu

Nether

Program for International Student Assessment, 15-Year Olds, 2003, Math Literacy in OECD Nations (Dark Blue = U.S. Students)

Turkey

U.S. B

U.S. H

Portugal

United

Poland

Norway

Hungar

U.S. A

Austria

U.S. W

France

Nether

Belgiu

Austra

Program for International Student Assessment, 15-Year Olds, 2003, Math Problem Solving in OECD Nations (Dark Blue = U.S. Students)

The Goal:With regard to race, ethnicity,

and nationality, the goal should be

group proportional equality.

Movement

Strategies

Policies

Programs

Projects

A Social, Cultural and Political Movement for Excellence with Equity

There is an urgent need for:

Youth cultures that more consistently support behaviors consistent with academic learning and the pursuit of excellence;

Parenting that nurtures intellectual growth and balances warmth and responsiveness with structure and demandingness;

Teaching that engages and challenges students to achieve at higher levels;

Community supports to supplement parents and teachers;

Leadership to organize, guide and motivate others in a 21st Century Social Movement for Excellence with Equity.

Urgency AND Possibility.

They Need to Change! (This may seem to deny own

responsibility.)

We Need to Change!

(Admitting this may seem to let the other

side off the hook)

Society at Large

Narrative A

[Group’s behaviors, lifestyles, etc]

Narrative B

[e.g., public policy, humanity, etc]

Group Members

Narrative C

[e.g., public policy, humanity, etc]

Narrative D

[Group’s behaviors, lifestyles, etc]

Risks Associated with Blame and Mistrust as Impediments to Open, Honest, On-Target Discourse

For Closing Achievement Gaps

Reasons to be Hopeful that Progress is Possible

•Minimal between-group differences among infants—it appears we start from the same place.

•Black-White IQ gaps are smaller than in the past.

•NAEP trends showed dramatic gap narrowing between 1970 and 1990, showing that rapid progress is possible.

•Recent NAEP trends for 9-year olds show movement toward group-proportional equality (i.e., all rising but lowest groups rising faster)

But, Some Sobering RealitiesProgress for teenagers mostly stopped around 1990.

Most high poverty, high minority schools score very poorly.

Racial gaps are often largest among children of the college educated.

15 percent of high schools produce half of our dropouts and children of color are heavily concentrated in these schools.

There are large disparities between states, with poor states tending to score lower and receive least federal aid on a per student cost-adjusted basis.

Schools where progress causes scores to rise for all groups while gaps get narrower are not as common as we might like (though recent NAEP Trends for 9-year olds is encouraging).

256 256

271 274270 267

280 279

Blacks Hispanics Whites

Parents are HS Dropouts Parents are HS Grads

Parents have Some College Parents College Grads

READING: Black 12th graders whose parents are college graduates have average reading scores below those of white 12th graders whose parents are high school graduates and have never attended college. (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005)

Compare

267 267

276282

277 279

290294

306317

MATH: Black 12th graders whose parents are college graduates have average math scores almost as low as those of white 12th graders whose parents are high school dropouts. (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2000)

Compare

110 107

124 127123 123

136 138133

156163

SCIENCE: Black 12th graders whose parents are college graduates have average science scores no higher than those of white 12th graders whose parents are high school dropouts. (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2005)

Compare

Parenting Practices and Home Life StylesMother-child interactions during infancy help predict test scores in early elementary years and help explain achievement gaps.Parenting practices (warmth and demandingness) during early school years help predict test scores during early adolescence and help explain achievement gaps.Compared to Whites and Asians, Black and Hispanic children in elementary school report less leisure reading at home, fewer books at home, more television watching, more televisions in bedrooms, and get sleepier at school.

Home Learning Conditions

65 62 63 64 62 62

Asian Black Hispanic White

Advantaged Disadvantaged

My parents want me to tell them what I learned in school. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

Source: Calculations by Ron Ferguson, using Tripod Project data for 1st to 6th graders collected spring 2005 & ‘06 from 45 elementary schools in NJ, CT, OH, NM, IA, MA, MI and CA. “Advantaged” students have (by our definition) at least one computer in the home AND are not from single parent households; others are labeled “Disadvantaged.” Advantaged: Asian, N=687; Black, N=1355; Hispanic, N=561; White, N=2647. Disadvantaged: Asian, N=100; Black=936; Hispanic=281; White=337.

7874 75

At home, someone is always thereto help me with my homework if I need it.

(“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

45 42 44 44

I read almost everyday at home. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

01020304050607080

Grade1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

White males White Females

Percentages who agree, “I read almost everyday at home.”(“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

01020304050607080

Black Males Black Females

01020304050607080

Hispanic Males Hispanic Females

12 orFewer

13 to 15 16 ormore

12 orFewer

13 to 15 16 ormore

Mother’s Years of Schooling

Source: Presenter’s calculations using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, a US Dept of Education national survey.

Within-race median parental responses in 1998 to: How many children’s books does your [kindergarten] child have in your home

now, including library books? By mother’s years of schooling.Blacks Whites

At home, I watch television more than I do anything else. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

No Computer One Computer More than One

Percentages who agree, “At home, I watch TV more than I do anything else.” White students, by number of computers at home. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-5)

Percentages who agree, “At home, I watch TV more than I do anything else.” Black students, by number of computers at home. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-5)

Percentages who agree, “At home, I watch TV more than I do anything else.” Hispanic students, by number of computers at home. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-5)

Percentages with computers in their bedrooms. (Grades 1-6)

Source: Calculations by Ron Ferguson, using Tripod Project data for 1st to 6th graders collected spring 2005 & ‘06 from 45 elementary schools in NJ, CT, OH, NM, IA, MA, MI and MO. “Advantaged” students have (by our definition) at least one computer in the home AND are not from single parent households; others are labeled “Disadvantaged.” Advantaged: Asian, N=690; Black, N=1362; Hispanic, N=568; White, N=2649. Disadvantaged: Asian, N=103; Black=939; Hispanic=286; White=339.

82 8377 78

0102030405060708090

Percentages with televisions in their bedrooms. (Grades 1-6)

2124 23

On many days, I get very sleepy at school. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

1015202530354045

Sometimes my teacher says that I don’tpay attention like I should.

Sometimes I get into trouble at school. (“Yes,” instead of “Maybe” or “No.”) (Grades 1-6)

61 6370

I have done my best quality work in schoolall year long.

6672 72 74

When I work hard,it is because my teacher tells me I can do well.

6468 70

When I work hard,it is because my parents tell me I can do well.

3330 30

When I work hard,it is because my teacher makes me do it.

When I work hard,it is because my parents make me do it.

Racial differences in Parenting Styles, re:

Warmth/Responsiveness/NurturanceCognitive stimulationOutings with parents

Time with motherParental monitoring

Strictness/DemandingnessLimited say in rules

No arguing about rulesParental involvement/rules re schoolwork

Limited adolescent decision making

Warm &Strict

Strict Warm Neither

Black Hispanic White

Reading ScoresNational Longitudinal Survey of Youth, by Parenting Style

From work by Jelani Mandara, Northwestern University.

Percentages in each categoryNational Longitudinal Survey of Youth, by Parenting Style

From work by Jelani Mandara, Northwestern University.

Race Strict & Warm

Strict Warm Neither Row

Black 10% 37% 14% 39% 100%

Hispanic 19% 24% 26% 31% 100%

White 45% 17% 29% 10% 100%

Black and Hispanic students who get the highest grades may suffer a popularity penalty, with fewer peers listing them as friends.

There is some evidence that the popularity penalty may be associated more with the ”racial authenticity” of personal styles among some high achievers (speech styles, music preferences, trusting attitudes) than with their achievement levels or aspirations, per se.

There is opposition to hard work and “nerdy” behavior even among white students and racial differences in this domain appear to be minimal.

34 35 34

Never Usually Not Sometimes Usually Always

White Black Hisp Asian

“My friends think it’s important to work hard to get high grades.”Males, percentages giving each response, 117 secondary schools across 15 states.

Source: Tripod Project surveys of secondary school students. N: Schools=117; Students: White=10184; Black=4114; Hispanic=3871; Asian= 1258. States: AZ, CA, CT, IA, IL, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, VA, WI

Never Usually Not Sometimes Usually Always

White Black Hisp Asian

“My friends think it’s important to work hard to get high grades.”Females, percentages giving each response, 117 secondary schools across 15 states.

Source: Tripod Project surveys of secondary school students. N: Schools=117; Students: White=10229; Black=4534; Hispanic=4205; Asian=1244. States: AZ, CA, CT, IA, IL, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, VA, WI.

White=10229; Black=4534; Hispanic=4205; Asian=1244

D-Range C-Range B-Range A-Range

Never or usually not accused

Sometimes, usually or always accused

Combined

Levels of agreement among black high school students with the statement, “I feel out of place in this class, like I don’t really fit in.” Lines distinguish students for whom people like themselves are “never or usually not accused” of acting white versus “sometimes, usually or always” accused. (z-values)

-0.4-0.3-0.2-0.1

00.10.20.30.40.50.6

Combined

Levels of agreement among Hispanic high school students with the statement, “I feel out of place in this class, like I don’t really fit in.” Lines show distinguish students for whom people like themselves are “never or usually not accused” of acting white versus “sometimes, usually or always” accused. (z-values)

Combined

Levels of agreement among white high school students with the statement, “I feel out of place in this class, like I don’t really fit in.” Lines show distinguish students for whom people like themselves are “never or usually not accused” of acting white versus “sometimes, usually or always” accused. (z-values)

Males, seldom accused Males, sometimes accusedFemales, seldom accused Females, sometimes accused

Levels of agreement among black male and female high school students with the statement, “I feel out of place in this class, like I don’t really fit in.” Lines distinguish students for whom people like themselves are “never or usually not accused” of acting white versus “sometimes, usually or always” accused. (z-values)

Chats on Computer

Trusts Peers, Even if

Strangers23%

Leisure Reading5%

Has Other-Race Friends

GPA (not signif.)

2%Speaks Proper

English6%

Listens to Rock Music50%

Considering all black high school students, why some respond that people like themselves “usually” or “always” get accused of acting white, while others say “usually not” or “never.” Percentages attributable to each listed factor.

D C B A

Grade Point Average

Students NOT responding "never." Students who responded "never."

Percentages of black female high school students agreeing that it is at least somewhat true that, "I sometimes hold back from doing my best in this class, because of what others might say or think." Shown by GPA and by whether students responded "never" to the statement, "At this school, students like me get accused of acting white."

D C B A

Grade Point Average

Students NOT responding "never." Students who responded "never."

Percentages of black male high school students agreeing that it is at least somewhat true that, "I sometimes hold back from doing my best in this class, because of what others might say or think." Shown by GPA and by whether students responded "never" to the statement, "At this school, students like me get accused of acting white."

9 12 14 16 18 9 12 14 16 18

Male Female

Blacks Whites

Male Female

Mother’s Years of Schooling

Percent responding, “somewhat true,” “mostly true,” or “totally true,” that, “My behavior is a problem for the teacher in this class.”

1 2 3 4 5

<25% White & Asian 25-50% White & Asian >50% White & Asian

Exhibit 2: The percentage who agree: "Some classmates tease kids who make mistakes," for three classroom racial mixes and five grade levels. (n=15344 elementary students, fall semester 2003.)

1015202530354045

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

LT 25% White 25-49% White Majority White

Percentages responding “Somewhat,” “Mostly,” or “Totally True,” that, “Students in this class tease people who get wrong answers.” By grade and classroom racial composition. (N=65,051)

Class to Class Variation in the Quality of

Instruction

RESEARCH-INSPIRED TIPS FOR HIGH-ACHIEVEMENT PARENTING

1. Promote daily leisure reading at home.2. Try to ensure that your child gets enough sleep not to be

sleepy at school. Consult local experts about how much sleep a child needs at your child’s age.

3. Make sure your child eats a nutritious breakfast.4. Express warmth regularly. This means (for example):

a. Spend time togetherb. Listen carefully to what your child has to sayc. Respond thoughtfully and sensitively to what they sayd. Hug your childe. Tell them you are proud that they are good peoplef. Tell them you are proud when they try to do their bestg. Tell them that you love themh. Allow the child to help set rules, when appropriate

5. Balance warmth (#4, above) with structure and demandingness. This means have clear and firm rules about (for example):

a. Doing homework (and seeking help when needed)

b. Television watching (not “all the time”)

c. Friends (children who respect your values)

d. Time to be home

e. Chores and responsibilities

f. Treatment of siblings

g. Respect for adults

h. Bedtime on school nights (early enough to avoid being sleepy in school)

6. Discuss reading materials with children in ways that encourage them to enjoy learning

7. During bedtime reading, ask both easy (build confidence) and more difficult (but not stressful) questions about the story (the more difficult questions help with comprehension). Do it lovingly.

8. Have a variety of reading materials for children, especially materials that are related to your child’s special interests. (For younger children, the variety is important because it is difficult to have thoughtful bedtime discussions over and over about the same story. There need to be new stories that raise new questions.)

9. Try constantly to reinforce the idea that learning can be enjoyable/fun/stimulating/fascinating.

10. Don’t overemphasize getting things correct; emphasize effort and comprehension instead.

11. Seek opportunities at home to discuss and apply what your child is learning at school. For example, having them help with cooking and recipes is a good way to reinforce elementary school math lessons (adding, multiplying, fractions, dividing). Discussion of current events in the newspaper may connect to what your child is doing in social studies. Ask teachers for ideas that you can use in connecting home life to school life.

12. Actively seek out-of-school time opportunities for:a. Tutoring and reinforcing school lessonsb. Extra-curricular opportunities with freedom to

explore and be creativec. Extra-curricular opportunities to develop special

talents

13. Know your child’s close friends and try to know their parents.

14. When it seems necessary, be a role model and caring adult for your child’s friends.

15. Encourage your child to think about his or her future and to set goals. Help your children develop the habit of planning for both near-term and longer-term goals.

16. Try to limit television watching by substituting other constructive and interesting activities.

17. Build up you child’s sense of being a valued person. Avoid using negative nicknames such as “dummy” or “knucklehead” or “lazybones” or “good-for-nothing.” Instead, use names like “sweetheart” or “honey” or “my bright boy” or “love of my life.”

18. Try to end every reprimand with a positive statement that lets your child know you have separated your disappointment about their behavior from your pride about what a good person they really are.

Class to class variationIn the quality of instruction

Teachers Use Multiple ExplanationsEach vertical bar is percentage agreement in an individual classroom

Measured by:If you don’t understand something, my teacher explains it another way.My teacher has several good ways to explain each topic that we cover.

School A School B School C

Teachers Use Multiple ExplanationsEach vertical bar is percentage agreement in an individual classroom

Measured by:My teacher has several good ways to explain each topic that we cover.

Sch A (MSAN) Sch C (MSAN)Sch B (MSAN)

0 0.02 0.05 0.06 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.15 0.19 0.23 0.3 0.31 0.33 0.37 0.43 0.44 0.5 0.54 0.55 0.57 0.59 0.61 0.64 0.66 0.68

Whites Blacks Hispanics

Percentages of Whites, Blacks and Hispanics responding “mostly true” or “totally true” to the statement, “My teacher in this class makes me feel that he or she really cares about me.” The X-axis is the percentage white students in the school.

0.09 0.

44 0.5

0.58 0.

Percentages of Whites, Blacks and Hispanics who did not respond “never” to the statement, “Because of race, some teachers think I’m less smart than I am.” The X-axis is the percentage white students in the school.

-0.3-0.2-0.1

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.7

0.17 0.

44 0.5

0.59 0.

Agreement (std. units) by Whites, Blacks and Hispanics with the statement, “Sometimes in this class, I worry about not looking smart.” The X-axis is the percentage white students in the school.

Toward Excellence with Equity: An Emerging Vision for Closing the Achievement Gap

Ronald F. Ferguson(Harvard Education Press, Dec. 2007)

From a comment in the publication Education Next, Summer 2008:

Ferguson ranges well beyond schools into economic factors teacher attitudes, parenting practices, cultural constructs, community views, and some interventions (such as his own “Tripod Project”) designed to narrow the achievement gap. The volume provides an illuminating and alarming tour of today’s racial gaps (white-black, mainly, but also white-Hispanic) and the many factors that feed them. Along with revealing data, perceptive analysis, and welcome candor, however, comes a certain skittishness in sensitive areas such as African American parenting practices, a bit of folly (encouragement of dialect and street language in English class), and some sky-pie about “collective action” and national leadership to solve problems for which there are no easy solutions.

Goals of the Movement:

Youth cultures that more consistently support behaviors consistent with academic learning and the pursuit of excellence;

Parenting that nurtures intellectual growth and balances warmth and responsiveness with structure and demandingness;

Teaching that engages and challenges students to achieve at higher levels;

Community supports to supplement parents and teachers;

Leadership to organize, guide and motivate others in a 21st Century Social Movement for Excellence with Equity.

Urgency AND Possibility.

Which part of our vision is the “sky pie”?

Strategic Components of a Data Rich, Aligned, Coherent, Ambitiously Goal-Oriented Movement for Excellence with Equity in [A Particular School District]

(Boxes under each strategy are aligned with one another for coherence and, where appropriate, linked to other strategies.)

Strategy 1,Instruction:

A. Ambitious Goals B. Quality Curr. &MaterialsC. DifferentiationD. Assessment for Learning E. Thematic Focus

Strategy 2,Climate:A. Improve BehaviorsB. Respect DiversityC. Be Culturally CompetentD. Incorporate Newcomers

Strategy 3,Parental:A. School InvolvementB. Home-based PracticesC. Supplemental Supports(e.g., out-of-school time programming)

Strategy 4,Technology:A. . . .B. . . .

Strategy 5,Leadership:A. District (Bd., Supt, Union)B. School (Adults)C. School (Students)D. ClassroomE. Community

Key ActionSteps:

Beliefs andNorms:

OrganizationalStructures:

Capacities For Implementation:

Stakeholders And Participants:

Key ActionSteps:

Beliefs andNorms:

Key ActionSteps:

Beliefs andNorms:

Key ActionSteps:

Beliefs andNorms:

AccountabilityMechanisms

Key ActionSteps:

Beliefs andNorms:

OrganizationalStructures, including“named programs”

AccountabilityMechanisms

Ronald F. Ferguson, Harvard Univ.

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