I just wanted to make sure you knew about the outstanding materials developed by NYC's Office of Multiple Pathways on how to replicate their GED Access Program, the Young Adult Borough Centers, and how to implement the professional development model that integrates higher order thinking skills with an approach to build language and literacy for students who are struggling. I think they did an extraordinary job at describing their approaches, providing enough tools to start the replication process, and clarifying the high expectations and competencies built into their design.
Please pass on to your networks that this information is available as appropriate....
See http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/OMPG/Resources/default.htm
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Supporting Youth In Transition: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
As much as I love the topic, rarely do I find that a paper on youth transitions to adulthood is a page turner. Yet the new paper from Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and Casey Youth Opportunities,
Supporting Youth in Transition to Adulthood: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice is exactly that.
The authors do a marvelous job as juxtapositioning the two systems while also highlighting how each of the juggles competing goals. The final set of recommendations are clearly organized and concise. The systems are put into historical context with anecdotes and markers when the large policy shifts took place.
I was left thinking that we really need legislation that requires education systems to participate with child welfare and juvenile justice so that the state can fully fulfill its obligations once it takes responsibility for a child. Furthermore, we need as thoughtful a piece written about the education system's response to children and how we juggle the same values of punishment, safety, and well-being within the education system itself. Yet, the education system brings another element which is the constant decision-making that directs resources to some children and not to others.
Supporting Youth in Transition to Adulthood: Lessons Learned from Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice is exactly that.
The authors do a marvelous job as juxtapositioning the two systems while also highlighting how each of the juggles competing goals. The final set of recommendations are clearly organized and concise. The systems are put into historical context with anecdotes and markers when the large policy shifts took place.
I was left thinking that we really need legislation that requires education systems to participate with child welfare and juvenile justice so that the state can fully fulfill its obligations once it takes responsibility for a child. Furthermore, we need as thoughtful a piece written about the education system's response to children and how we juggle the same values of punishment, safety, and well-being within the education system itself. Yet, the education system brings another element which is the constant decision-making that directs resources to some children and not to others.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Help for Kids Struggling with Basic Literacy
I just found out that Scholastic has released System 44. It uses adaptive technology to help kids get a grip on decoding and phonics. As in Read 180, there is background knowledge delivered through videos that engages young people.
I haven't seen it in action. But given the cost and limited resources in literacy across the country, this will be a critical component of any effort to accelerate learning of struggling students.
I haven't seen it in action. But given the cost and limited resources in literacy across the country, this will be a critical component of any effort to accelerate learning of struggling students.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Response to Early Indicators: Portland Public Schools Case Study
We've seen a number of cities starting to use on-track indicators to try to make sure that students make a successful transition into high school, without failing any core academic courses. This is great, but it takes more than monitoring and reports to make a difference. Districts and schools have to start responding differently.
Portland Public Schools developed a full district-wide strategy focused on Ninth Grade Counts. Bridgespan did an excellent case study based on the excellent and honest leadership from the folks at PPS.
This is definitely worth reading and using for conversation with constituencies within districts. Chicago has also done a full districtwide strategy but it hasn't been documented for public consumption. We need a few different examples to help districts think out their options.
I hope this all finds you well. I thought that you might be interested in the attached case study that we recently prepared on an initiative that Bridgespan helped the Portland (OR) Public Schools carry out. The initiative focused on the 9th grade transition as a strategic intervention point for reducing dropout rates. The case study shows how Portland moved from data and decisions to implementation and discernable interim results in a year's time. I thought there might be elements of this effort that would be relevant and useful for you.
We would of course welcome any feedback, comments, or questions about this study. I would like to ask one favor -- could you please consider if there is anyone in your network who might be interested in this white paper and forward it on to them? While this initiative is still being developed in Portland, and it will take 1-2 more years to come to full fruition, we believe there are powerful lessons and early results that warrant sharing it broadly to inform the field.
You can find the case study at Bridgespan's webiste
Portland Public Schools developed a full district-wide strategy focused on Ninth Grade Counts. Bridgespan did an excellent case study based on the excellent and honest leadership from the folks at PPS.
This is definitely worth reading and using for conversation with constituencies within districts. Chicago has also done a full districtwide strategy but it hasn't been documented for public consumption. We need a few different examples to help districts think out their options.
I hope this all finds you well. I thought that you might be interested in the attached case study that we recently prepared on an initiative that Bridgespan helped the Portland (OR) Public Schools carry out. The initiative focused on the 9th grade transition as a strategic intervention point for reducing dropout rates. The case study shows how Portland moved from data and decisions to implementation and discernable interim results in a year's time. I thought there might be elements of this effort that would be relevant and useful for you.
We would of course welcome any feedback, comments, or questions about this study. I would like to ask one favor -- could you please consider if there is anyone in your network who might be interested in this white paper and forward it on to them? While this initiative is still being developed in Portland, and it will take 1-2 more years to come to full fruition, we believe there are powerful lessons and early results that warrant sharing it broadly to inform the field.
You can find the case study at Bridgespan's webiste
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Finally, Some Resources on Multiple Pathways to Graduation
In addition to the materials you can find at Youth Transition Funders Group you can now get the materials from the US Department of Labor's Learning Exchange.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Is MPG paying enough attention to ELL?
The article below that indicates NYC one of the cities taking graduation rate increases really seriously not making progress with students that are english language learners. If this trend is the same for other cities we need to pay attention to it by:
a) increasing a focus on language and literacy in high schools, especially those efforts to help students stay on-track thru the transition to 9th grade
b) develop more international high schools designed to help ELL students graduate in the mix of the portfolio of schools
c) ensure that there are adequate number of transfer/alternative schools that have expertise in language and literacy to help ELL students pass exit exams and graduate.
ENGLISH-ONLY RISE IN NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
BY Meredith Kolodner
Daily News
February 23, 2009
Exclusive - High school graduation rates have increased under Mayor Bloomberg - except for students not fluent in English.
While the general graduation rate climbed to 52.2% in 2007 from 46.5% in 2005, the rate for students learning English (called English language learners, or ELLs) dropped from 28.5% to 23.5% over the same period.
Advocates say some city efforts that have improved achievement in general missed the mark when it comes to English language learners.
"We support high standards," said Deycy Avitia, education advocacy coordinator at the New York Immigration Coalition, "but what we need is the increased resources and strategies to make sure they can meet the higher standards."
As an example, she noted that for one of the mayor's biggest initiatives, the creation of new, small schools, the city allowed the exclusion of nonfluent students.
English language learners are also overrepresented in some of the system's worst schools, accounting for one in five students at the 15 failing schools that were shuttered this year. ELLs made up more than a quarter of the student body at the two high schools that were closed.
Two years ago, advocates successfully fought for increased funding for these students, but say more is needed. Among their suggestions are a longer school day, reduced class size and access to full-day pre-K and kindergarten. They warn that the coming change in graduation standards, requiring all students to pass all five Regents exams, will only make things worse. Currently, only about 10% of English language learners meet that standard.
But there are programs that work, the advocates say.
Flushing International High School in Queens, where students speak 18 languages, boasts a 2% dropout rate and a 92% college attendance rate.
Bronx International High School, which has 40 languages spoken in its hallways, has a similar record.
An Education Department spokeswoman acknowledged that four-year graduation rates remain a concern, but said overall academic performance had improved.
Progress is easier when students are younger, say experts, and, by some measures, there has been improvement.
The percentage of English language learners in the third through eighth grades able to read English at grade level jumped to 22.6% in 2008 from 11% in 2006, according to state tests. Those who were proficient in math grew to 59% from 36% over the same period.
On national achievement tests, however, there was no progress in reading shown by the system's fourth- or eighth-graders. The same was true for eighth-graders in math, though the fourth-graders made some improvement.
"These are problems that have been accruing for some time," said Maria Torres-Guzman, professor of bilingual studies at Columbia University's Teachers College.
"It's too easy to ignore, because it's a population that's not going to make a lot of noise in the political world."
a) increasing a focus on language and literacy in high schools, especially those efforts to help students stay on-track thru the transition to 9th grade
b) develop more international high schools designed to help ELL students graduate in the mix of the portfolio of schools
c) ensure that there are adequate number of transfer/alternative schools that have expertise in language and literacy to help ELL students pass exit exams and graduate.
ENGLISH-ONLY RISE IN NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
BY Meredith Kolodner
Daily News
February 23, 2009
Exclusive - High school graduation rates have increased under Mayor Bloomberg - except for students not fluent in English.
While the general graduation rate climbed to 52.2% in 2007 from 46.5% in 2005, the rate for students learning English (called English language learners, or ELLs) dropped from 28.5% to 23.5% over the same period.
Advocates say some city efforts that have improved achievement in general missed the mark when it comes to English language learners.
"We support high standards," said Deycy Avitia, education advocacy coordinator at the New York Immigration Coalition, "but what we need is the increased resources and strategies to make sure they can meet the higher standards."
As an example, she noted that for one of the mayor's biggest initiatives, the creation of new, small schools, the city allowed the exclusion of nonfluent students.
English language learners are also overrepresented in some of the system's worst schools, accounting for one in five students at the 15 failing schools that were shuttered this year. ELLs made up more than a quarter of the student body at the two high schools that were closed.
Two years ago, advocates successfully fought for increased funding for these students, but say more is needed. Among their suggestions are a longer school day, reduced class size and access to full-day pre-K and kindergarten. They warn that the coming change in graduation standards, requiring all students to pass all five Regents exams, will only make things worse. Currently, only about 10% of English language learners meet that standard.
But there are programs that work, the advocates say.
Flushing International High School in Queens, where students speak 18 languages, boasts a 2% dropout rate and a 92% college attendance rate.
Bronx International High School, which has 40 languages spoken in its hallways, has a similar record.
An Education Department spokeswoman acknowledged that four-year graduation rates remain a concern, but said overall academic performance had improved.
Progress is easier when students are younger, say experts, and, by some measures, there has been improvement.
The percentage of English language learners in the third through eighth grades able to read English at grade level jumped to 22.6% in 2008 from 11% in 2006, according to state tests. Those who were proficient in math grew to 59% from 36% over the same period.
On national achievement tests, however, there was no progress in reading shown by the system's fourth- or eighth-graders. The same was true for eighth-graders in math, though the fourth-graders made some improvement.
"These are problems that have been accruing for some time," said Maria Torres-Guzman, professor of bilingual studies at Columbia University's Teachers College.
"It's too easy to ignore, because it's a population that's not going to make a lot of noise in the political world."
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