APS Data

December 2008

The Achievement Gap in the Arlington Public Schools

• Addressing the Achievement Gap • Requirements for Eliminating the Gap• Measuring and Reporting Progress• Sharing the Goal of Eliminating Gaps• Interventions Focused on Key Variables

Year Asian Black Hispanic White Total% 2008 95 74 82 96 90Passed 2007 93 73 79 96 88Passed 2006 90 72 78 95 87

2005 93 73 82 96 892004 90 70 75 96 872003 89 67 74 95 852002 87 63 69 93 822001 82 57 66 91 782000 79 50 57 89 751999 73 46 52 86 711998 69 37 47 82 65

% 2008 1 22 14Point 2007 3 23 17Gap 2006 5 23 17

2005 3 23 142004 6 26 212003 6 28 212002 6 30 242001 9 34 252000 10 39 321999 13 40 341998 13 45 35

Eliminating Gaps

SOL Passing Ratesby Race/Ethnicity

0

20

40

60

80

100%

Pas

sing

SO

L

AsianBlackHispanicWhiteTotal

GAPS

1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

• SOL passing rates increased– for all (38%)– White (17%) – Asian (38%)– Hispanic (74%) – African-American (100%)

• SOL score gap decreased for students who are Hispanic (60%) & Black (51%)

Virginia Standards of Learning Results Summarized: 1998-2008

Students in Grades 6-12 Enrolled in at Least One Advanced Course

40 41 43 45 43

21 22 23 26 26

5965 64

6764

2023 23 25 25

3943 43

46 45

0

20

40

60

80

100

'04 '05 '06 '07 '08

% E

nrol

led

Asian Black WhiteHispanic Total

Advanced courses are rigorous and includeAdvanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses along with all courses identified as intensified.In addition, Algebra I and Geometry I are considered advanced when taken by students in middle school.Note: Students are counted one time, regardless of how many advanced courses they were enrolled in.

Advanced Class EnrollmentsGaps in percentage passing advanced courses in grades 6-12

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08%

passGap %

passGap %

passGap %

passGap

White 98 98 97 99

Asian 98 0 98 0 95 2 98 1

Black 96 2 95 3 89 8 91 8

Hispanic 95 3 95 3 91 6 93 6

Advanced Class EnrollmentsGaps in percentage passing advanced courses in grades 6-12

• % of White students passing has risen to 99%.

• % of Black students passing has decreased from 96% in 2004-05 to 91% in 2007-08.

• % of Asian students passing returned to 98% in 2007-08 after falling to 95% a year earlier.

• % of Hispanic students passing has decreased from 95% in 2004-05 and 2005-06 to 91% in 2006-07 and 93% in 2007-08.

From 1999-2000 to 2007-08, the gap in percentage of students needing remediation in reading in Grade 3 decreased from:

– 29 to 14 percentage points for Black students

– 13 to 6 percentage points for Hispanic students.

Reading Remediation

LEP Student Progress

% of LEP students increasing one or more proficiency levels on language proficiency test rose 181%:

• 21% in 2003-04 • 59% in 2007-08

21

4048

55 59

010203040506070

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

% LEP students increasing at least one level

Increase in DRP Grade 6 At-Level Rate

77

8383

54

61

53

64

76 8084

545550

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

2003-04 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

APSAsianBlackHispanic

• Algebra I successful completion by Grade 8 increased by 136% 22% in 97-98 52% in 07-08

• From 2000-01 to 2007-08, although minority enrollments in Algebra I increased significantly, the gap also increased:

from 38 percentage points to 51 percentage points for Black students

from 42 to 48 percentage points for Hispanic students• Black students successfully completing Algebra I in middle school

increased by 92% (12% to 23%)• Hispanic students successfully completing Algebra I in middle school

increased by 160% (10% to 26%)• White students successfully completing Algebra I in middle school

increased by 42% (52% to 74%)

Middle School Algebra:The Dilemma for Closing the Achievement Gap

Foreign Language Participation

Percent of Grade 6-12 Students Participating in Foreign Language Classes at Various Levels

0

20

40

60

80

100

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

WhiteAsianBlackHispanicDisadvan.LEPSWD

Foreign Language Participation

Percent of Students Completing Level 3 of a Foreign Language by the End of Grade 11

0

20

40

60

80

100

2004-05 2005-06 2006-07

WhiteAsianBlackHispanicDisadvan.LEPSWD

Gap in Diplomas Earned

Percent of Students Earning a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma

0

20

40

60

80

100

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

WhiteAsianBlackHispanicDisadvan.LEPSWD

Student Site-Based Survey2007-2008

I like to go to school.• 60.5% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 61.3% of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

I feel valued at school• 61.8% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 60.8% of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

When including the response “neither” the percent for high school students is 90.6% while the response for middle school students is 87%.

Student Site-Based Survey2007-2008

My teachers expect all students in their classes to do well, no matter who the students are.• 70.7% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 74.7 of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

My teachers expect me to do well at school.• 89.7% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 90.3 of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

My counselor is accessible to me.• 73.4% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 72.2% of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

I saw someone else bullied at school this year.• 48.3% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 38.3% of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

There is at least one adult in my school with whom I can talk with about almost anything.• 52.5% of middle school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”• 58% of high school students “agree” or “strongly agree.”

Student Site-Based Survey2007-2008

How do you feel about the number of extracurricular activities at my school.•72.4% of middle school students responded “good” or “excellent.”•75.1% of high school students responded “good” or “excellent.”

Student Site-Based Survey2007-2008

How do you feel about the type of extracurricular activities at my school.• 68.5% of middle school students responded “good” or “excellent.”• 69.3% of high school students responded “good” or “excellent.”

Elective Course Enrollment

APS Data

December 2008