The Achievement Gap

Way to Grow

Carolyn Smallwood, Executive Director of Way to Grow, described its work.  In 1989 Way to Grow began as a program of the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board.  Its founders envisioned an organization that would strive to eliminate the daily barriers affecting families so parents could prepare their children for success in kindergarten and life.

The agency is approaching its 20th anniversary, continuing its mission to prepare children for academic success by supporting families with culturally appropriate, community-based services for school readiness. Currently visiting 1,400 Minneapolis families, its Family Educators build trusting relationships with parents and their children and  focus on ensuring that young children are physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively ready to start kindergarten.

Twin Cities Rise - empowerment training

Friday, March 13

Several weeks ago Father Michael O'Connell told us that with the first group of women admitted to Jeremiah, nearly everyone washed out.  They needed a better way to prepare women to enter the program.

They looked to Twin Cities Rise that had developed this empowerment training program. This training helps people change the way they view themselves in relation to the world. It helps them start to understand that everyone is born with the core value that they are important.  Women go through the empowerment training as part of the pre-admission process. Twin Cities Rise has also trained all of the Jeremiah staff in empowerment.

Twin Cities Rise views this training as central to their success in upgrading the employment skills of men and women they work with.     So we will hear more about this powerful tool from Cy Yusten, executive director of Twin Cities Rise, and consider how this training might be extended to more families with small children.

They looked to Twin Cities Rise that had developed this empowerment training program. This training helps people change the way they view themselves in relation to the world. It helps them start to understand that everyone is born with the core value that they are important.  Women go through the empowerment training as part of the pre-admission process. Twin Cities Rise has also trained all of the Jeremiah staff in empowerment.

Twin Cities Rise views this training as central to their success in upgrading the employment skills of men and women they work with.     So we will hear more about this powerful tool from Cy Yusten, executive director of Twin Cities Rise, and consider how this training might be extended to more families with small children.

New Schools proposal

Ted Kolderie and Curt Johnson describe a major reform – a "New Schools" proposal - now being considered by the Minnesota Legislature. 

By empowering teachers, parents and the community (a) to decide the kind of school and (b) to operate the school, district school boards could create new and different models of schools.These "site-governed" schools would select staff, determine the leadership model, and control the budget.   They would be "charter-like" schools, but be within the district framework. 

The legislation would also create a new state-level leadership entity called " New Schools Minnesota ."  A non-profit organization, its board would be appointed by the Governor, the House and the Senate, and be chaired by the Commissioner of Education. 

Summary: Jeremiah Program - helping single moms to help their kids

Feb. 13, 2009 

Presenters: Father Michael O'Connell and CEO Gloria Perez of the Jeremiah Program
 

Fr. Michael

(A brief history) 

A committee at St. Mark’s was putting together a childcare program for low-income moms who were going to MCTC. During the day, St. Marks thought they could use their school to do childcare. I was on this early board. We were feeling good that we could provide this really good childcare while the mother was going to school. It seemed like if we could just solve that, the mother could do four semesters and get her career job. The problem was, so many women would starve and drop out of school.

Commentary: A New Title I

From a 'Hodgepodge of Efforts' to a Targeted K-3 Program
By Edward Zigler

Long before his inauguration, President Barack Obama was signaling his intention to attack government waste and inefficiency. On “Meet the Press” in December, he talked about “pork coming out of Congress,” declaring: “Those days are over.” He has been clear and consistent in saying that he wants the federal government to stop funding programs able to produce little evidence that they succeed.

In the spirit of these messages of change, I offer the new president a recommendation about the federal role in education. In involves the nation’s largest investment aimed at improving the educational trajectory of poor children: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known currently as the No Child Left Behind Act.

Summary: Les Fujitake on Demographic Changes, the Economic Crisis and the Achievement Gap

Jan. 30, 2009

Les Fujitake, Bloomington Schools Superintendent:

Minnesota has one of the largest achievement gaps in the country. You can have a great school system, but if the playing field isn’t level because of poverty—when basic needs aren’t met—children can’t perform in school. Children aren’t ready because of the lack of early childhood programs, because of language differences at home, environment, segregation and mobility. These are challenges that all communities face.

Summary: Minnesota Reading Corps and Early Literacy

January 16, 2009

Presentation by: Minnesota Reading Corps (MRC)

Christina Sheran, former literacy coordinator for MRC
Steve Struthers (MRC Vice President of Strategy & Results Management)

Christina Sheran:
Worked for MRC for 6 years, before returning to work as a school psychologist. 

Start early and be intentional about building pre-reading skills: We started 6 years ago with the idea we had to start early. By 3rd grade you have to be reading proficiently. That’s not a lot of time. Under the old model, kids would come to kindergarten, learn to be part of a group and learn to follow directions, and maybe learn something about the letters in your name. We never thought about how children learn to read...

Summary: A New Minnesota (Education) Miracle

State Representative Mindy Greiling shared some key points in the New Minnesota Miracle draft bill:

• Increases basic formula allowance from $5,124 per pupil to $7,500.
• Fully funds the state’s share of special education.
• Provides all day kindergarten for everybody on a voluntary basis.
• Has built-in inflation adjustment.
• Expands funding for compensatory aid and Limited English Proficiency.
• Creates Innovation Revenue, 5 percent of the basic revenue.
• Uses state aid to offset $500 per pupil of each district’s referendum revenue.
• Authorizes school boards to levy to pay for deferred maintenance.

Angie Eilers observed that data shows that when Minnesota invests in education it correlates with higher incomes. Data further shows that students of color are less likely to have post-secondary degrees than white students, and the state’s students are increasingly diverse. If nothing changes, a shrinking percentage of Minnesota’s workforce will have a post-secondary education. Growth & Justice’s singular education target is: By 2020, to increase student’s post-secondary graduation rates by 50 percent.

To look at the full report click here.

Teach for America

Matthew Kramer, President of Teach for America, told us that Teach for America teachers:

• Come from a highly selective pool of talent, about one it 10 are accepted.
• Work 90 hours a week and are expected to have a no excuses approach.
• Are union members. They earn the same as any beginning teacher. 

Closing the gap: next steps

The ad hoc committee on the Achievement Gap began meeting in January 2007 and has heard from a wide range of speakers. More than 50 people attended the Oct. 31, 2008 meeting to discuss what next steps the committee might consider. The questions were asked: Are we adding value and should we continue? And if we continue, what form should it take? The group did not reach a conclusion. Comments fell in five broad categories.....

For minutes of the meeting, see below: