The Achievement Gap

Youth Engaged in Service

The YES in "YES Prep" stands for "Youth Engaged in Service". Students each month complete a service project in the local community. Most students are Hispanic with 78% eligible for free or reduced lunch. To graduate a student must successfully enroll in a four-year college. They report a 100% graduation rate. They acknowledge that because of their tough standards some self-selection may take place. The YES Prep founder Chris Barbic and teacher Melanie Singleton were brought to Minneapolis by the Hope Collaborative. 

Achievement Plus

Achievement Plus - An effort to close the achievement gap in St. Paul Public Schools

Speakers: Lynnell Thiel, director of student and family support for Achievement Plus
Dan Mueller, Associate Director of Wilder Research

The Achievement Plus schools in St. Paul were supported by Wilder Foundation, St. Paul Public Schools, city of St. Paul, Ramsey County, and at the beginning, the state of Minnesota was a major funder. Schools involved were Dayton’s Bluff, John A. Johnson and Cleveland Junior High. (Cleveland was added in the last few years.)

Monroe (K-8) was part of Achievement Plus for most of its history but is no longer an Achievement Plus school. (For whatever reason, the Achievement Plus model did not get implemented strongly at Monroe. Academically, although the school performed better at the beginning and had fewer low-income students and students of color, its academic performance didn’t really change.) Among the outcomes:

• From 1997-2001, Achievement Plus only provided the social supports; it did not address classroom issues. The program showed no clear, consistent patterns of school success. It pointed to the need for a stronger curriculum and instructional program. “We have learned that it is very difficult for support services alone to have substantial school-wide effect on student achievement.”
• The following 3-4 years, a standards-based instructional program was implemented by then-Superintendent Harvey, .. America’s Choice … adapted by SPPS, now called Project for Academic Excellence.
• Daytons’ Bluff has most improved test results, outperforming statewide peer group on math and reading. Dayton’s Bluff showed improved attendance rates. (In the 2001-02 school year, at the time that Achievement Plus added the academic piece, the school was reconstituted). The school had a big change in administration and staff, with a focus on academic outcomes.
• Johnson and Cleveland students lagged behind peers in reading and were above average in math. Johnson in particular had low reading scores.
• Teacher ratings suggest improvements in order and discipline and a growing belief that Achievement Plus makes a difference.

Head Start helps close the gap

On April 4th the Hennepin County Head Start program was described by Alyce Dillon and her staff. She is the executive director of Parents in Community Action (PICA) that has operated the Hennepin County Head Start program since 1969. The Head Start program serves about 2500 children in 11 locations. Families who qualify ($17,600 for a family of 3) include the homeless and families with diverse language and ethnicity. These families are very mobile. The children receive dental, medical and mental health services. Recently several Head Start classes participated along with Mpls School Dt. students in a federally funded Early Reading First program. These students showed substantial gains over other students measured by the Beginning Kindergarten Assessment (BKA).