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Allison Elementary SchoolLeadership Development School
Austin Independent School District
FEA Project Report
University of TexasPrincipalship Program
Cohort 2006
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Laura Louticia Allison was aschoolteacher in Austin for fifty years atBickler and Winn elementary schools.She worked tirelessly for students as aclassroom teacher and librarian. As aleader among teachers she wasinstrumental in developing the TexasTeacher Retirement System. She wasalso an active member and President ofthe Austin Classroom TeachersAssociation.
She was honored for her effortsposthumously in 1955 with a new EastAustin elementary school built in hername. Many local educators at the timewith familiar names like Odom, Cook,and Anderson nominated Allison for thishonor. The ACTA created a scholarshipin her name as well. Laura L. AllisonElementary opened its doors in the fallof that year and has been a cornerstoneof the Montopolis neighborhood eversince.
This brings us to the present. Duringour research project we took a detailedlook at the demographics and history ofAllison Elementary over a nearly 20-year period. Many academic, economic,and cultural trends pointed to acommon
A BRIEF HISTORY:CELEBRATING A LEGACY destination. All roads led to the
classroom and the students, teachers,parents, and administrators whosustain that rich learning environment.The charts detailing these trends canbe found in the Appendix, but the storythat follows breathes life into thosenumbers. Allison Elementary remainsan integral part of the Montopoliscommunity today. Situated on thecorner of Vargas and MontopolisRoads, the school serves as a focalpoint in the community.
A careful analysis of state dataindicates that the student backgroundat Allison Elementary has not changeddramatically since the late 1980s.Demographically, the studentpopulation at Allison Elementaryparallels most small schools in EastAustin that are predominately minorityand economically disadvantaged. Ithas a predominately Hispanic studentpopulation at 85% and 90% of itsstudents are recognized asEconomically disadvantaged. Allisonreceived Recognized status from thestate of Texas in 2002 and in 2004-2005 the campus was acknowledgedby the Texas Education Agency with a
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AN INTRODUCTION: FINDINGTRUTH IN LANGUAGEToo often, the rhetoric of educational policyremains rhetoric. The issue—as everyteacher in America would surely agree—isthat politicians know nothing of the reality ofteaching children in classrooms, and so, areleft with what they have—empty wordsdisconnected from reality. We offer thisobservation not as political soapboxing, butrather to prove a point: If you want to knowabout a school, the only words that matterare those uttered by the stakeholders at thatschool. Therefore, we offer the followingreport as a gesture of respect to the TRUEexperts of education at Laura L. AllisonElementary—you. Your words are real, yourwords have substance, your words haveprompted thirteen future principals to rethinkwhat it means to be a principal. For this, wethank you.
Each section of the following report sproutsfrom your language for the purpose ofempowering Allison stakeholders to havecritical conversations, to build positivecommunity involvement, and to inspirereflection and inquiry. We have sought toconstruct a solid, useful and relevantresearch base stemming from the richinsights and information we have receivedfrom you, the Allison Family. It is our hopethat this body of work will “live” beyond thismoment - that it will move beyond languageinto action.
Comparable Improvement award forReading/English Language Arts and aCommended Performance Award forWriting.
The following study is grounded in honestreflection that focuses on studentachievement and finds its voice fromdedicated individuals, just like Laura Allison.
Thus, we offer the following report not asindifferent critique from academia, butrather, as thoughtful observations from agroup of human beings who—likeyou—are working tirelessly towardsjustice for all. Thank you for allowing usto join in your quest.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:A JOURNEY TOWARDSIMPROVEMENT
Remaining loyal to the words and historyof the Allison Family has required ourcohort to revise how we think about whatwe see and hear. You see, we arethirteen individuals with thirteen differenthistories from thirteen differenteducational contexts in Central Texas.Quickly we understood that realizing ourvision of conducting “solid, useful andrelevant” research with Allison Elementarywould require constant reflection uponwhether or not our histories in educationwere distorting what we were hearing andseeing at Allison. Several theoreticalframeworks have served as lighthouses,guiding our way towards our goal ofremaining true to your words while helpingus to answer the following questions:What do we believe about schools? Whatare we doing? And how do we makesense of what we’ve done? It is our hopethat in sharing the following frameworks,the Allison family might better understandour perspective as we seek to betterunderstand yours.
What do we believe about schools?Our journey begins with the premise thatall schools can improve. Elmore (2004)defines improvement as “… change withdirection, sustained over time, that movesentire systems, raising the average levelof
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quality and performance while at the sametime decreasing the variation among units,and engaging people in analysis andunderstanding of why some actions seem towork and others don’t.” (p. 13) Couplingimprovement with “decreasing variationamong units” suggests that a communitythat is constantly improving is a communitythat is constantly more equitable. DuFourand Eaker (1998) assert that one of themain reasons U.S. public schools have notimproved is that they have failed to create acritical mass around the change(improvement) process. Fostering criticalmass requires not only the widespreadunderstanding of a vision for improvement,but also a widespread understanding of themechanisms that make said changepossible. Too often, these mechanisms forschool improvement are handed down asfederal or state mandates that classroomteachers are expected to scramble towardsunderstanding. In this scenario, the impetusfor change does not come in. DuFour andEaker offer an alternative to this top downapproach, which we have embraced.
The engine of improvement, growth, andrenewal…is collective inquiry. People insuch a community are relentless inquestioning the status quo, seeking newmethods, testing those methods, and thenreflecting on the results. Not only do theyhave an acute sense of curiosity andopenness to new possibilities, they alsorecognize that the process of searchingfor answers is more important than havingan answer. (p. 25)
What are we doing?The ideal of improvement via collaborativeinquiry sounds appealing in the abstract,but as teachers and students we wantedto know, how do we actually docollaborative inquiry? Until recently, ourcohort and instructors have referred thework with Allison as a “case study”—atype of qualitative research. What wehave discovered is that a communityengaged in collaborative inquiry isessentially a group of researchers workingtogether. For our purposes at Allisonthen, we have followed Merriam’s (1998)explanation that, “A case study design isemployed to gain an in-depthunderstanding of the situation andmeaning for those involved. The interestis in process rather than outcomes, incontext rather than a specific variable, indiscovery rather than confirmation.” (p.19) Our challenge then has been toapproach the Allison case study not asfinished products, but as empty vessels tobe filled, because, “The key concern isunderstanding the phenomenon of interestfrom the participants’ perspective, not theresearcher’s” (p. 6).
How we make sense of this process?In order to make sense of the hugeamounts of data we have collected overthe past several weeks, we needed a wayto organize the material. Bolman andDeal (2002) suggest that public schoolphenomenon can be understood throughfour frames, which we have adopted forthis collaborative inquiry project• The political frame focuses ongovernance and distribution of finiteresources and the inevitable resultingtensions (e.g. Riverside & Montopolis busstop controversy).
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• The human resource frame focuses on theimportance of human interactions and theneed for human beings to feel valued anduseful in relation to other human beings.(e.g. The multitude of references to theAllison faculty as a “family”)• The structural frame focuses through theassertion that organizations work best whentheir efforts are coordinated horizontally andvertically. (e.g. IMPACT, LRE, etc.)• The symbolic frame focuses on detailsand the multiple meanings people ascribe totheir worlds. (e.g. Butterfly gardens,courtyards, etc.)
The themes—both positive and lesspositive—emerging from organizing our datain this manner makes up the body of thefollowing report. The report itself is not thepoint. Rather, it is our hope that you will findreason to join along in our celebration ofyour many, many strengths while engagingin collaborative inquiry process forgingforever towards improvement.
COLLABORATIVE INQUIRYPROCESS: THE MECHANICSQualitative research, including interviews,observations, climate surveys andassessment data, was used to gatherinformation about Laura L. AllisonElementary. Personal interviews wereconducted with the staff, former and currentadministration, parents and communitymembers. Interview protocols weredeveloped for each group to be interviewedusing open-ended questions, which can befound in Appendix A. When respondentsgave their written consent, interviews wereaudio taped and transcribed for accuracy.These will remain confidential. Communitywalks were used to inform stakeholders
about the new principal, and thepartnership between Allison and theUniversity of Texas Principalship Program,but the primary purpose for the walks wasto gather additional information about thesurrounding community. Personalinterviews were conducted wheneverpermission was granted. In addition to thecommunity walk, a thorough walk wasconducted of the actual campus. Photoswere taken to document observations ofthe physical structure of Allison and havebeen preserved on a compact discaccompanying this document.Assessment data, including the TexasAssessment of Knowledge and Skills.Developmental Reading Assessment andthe Texas Primary Reading Instrument,was used to gather information aboutinstruction for primary and intermediatedgrades. Parent, teacher and studentclimate surveys were used to gatherinformation about instruction andcommunication.
With the previously mentioned frameworksin mind, i.e. political, human resource,structural, and symbolic, the data wascollected and thoroughly examined toidentify themes. One overarching andrecurring theme was a lack of structure, interms of school-wide systems, which wouldallow Allison to function as one cohesiveunit. In the chapters that follow we firstaddress validations of the strongfoundation which Allison rests upon inorder to affirm what has already beensuccessful on the campus. We will thenexamine three themes that perhapsaddress this apparent lack of systems.These three themes are academic focusand alignment, communication, and thephysical structure of the school.
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A School That Puts School CommunityFirst.Allison elementary has many reasons to beproud. The most frequently recurring themewithin the human resource framework is theprofoundly supportive and positiverelationship among staff members. In oneinterview, a teacher compares the school toa family: “Everybody is friendly; if you needhelp from whoever, it’s like open arms.”This family dynamic is created by the staffwhom, as many teachers noted, spendvaluable time with each other beyond thewalls of the classroom.
A School That Has Great Respect forStudents.The “safe haven” established by the familialrelations is rooted in a common love ofchildren. One faculty member states, “Thekids are just...they’re so genuine.” Thisfinding validates what community membersstated on the neighborhood communitywalk. Several parents commented on manydifferent teachers in the school that hadgone the extra mile to put their children first.The story of a recent Allison second gradeenrollee comes to mind. The student andher family had come from anotherelementary school where one of herbrothers was passed onto second gradewithout basic reading skills, and not reallyeven able to write his name on his paper.The student’s current Allison second gradeteacher was the one who helped her brotherovercome his reading difficulties, and eveninvolved in the parent in classroom literacyactivities.
Another example shared by a foster parentwho had three foster children attend AllisonElementary reflects on one teacher whocalled every day to give a report on how hischild was performing in school. Thisroutine occurred before the child returnedhome on the bus, which the foster parentviewed as very helpful. This respect forstudents is summed up by the followingstatement, “We have some amazingteachers here who really stand up forwhat’s right and for what’s good for kids,not just what the district is telling us.”
A School With Strong Leaders.Allison elementary has a wealth of verystrong staff leaders, and so, is notdependant on district mandates forguidance As one teacher puts it, “She[another teacher] can tell us aboutgrandparents and the whole genealogy ofsomeone. You know, everything you wantto know about a kid. That’s just anamazing resource.” Another intervieweestates, “We have a couple of teachers herewho are amazing and have been here fortwenty or forty years.” Leaders arereported as being “very relational”,understanding their roles and helpful. “Ithink we have some teachers…who haveso much wealth of experience and love forthis community and school. That needs tobe preserved.”
A School That Has Made Gains inInstruction. The preceding attributes of theAllison family have resulted in severalareas of excellence in instruction. Allisoncontinues to be a commended school forwriting for years 2005, and 2004. A goldperformance rating in Reading/ELA for2005, exemplifies yet another instructionalfeat. In third grade, scores for malestudents are rising steadily for both readingand mathematics, and females
VALIDATIONS: A STRONGFOUNDATION“The one thing that has remainedconstant has been the feeling ofcommunity here that is real prevalentjust walking the halls.”
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taking the Spanish version of the test aregaining significantly in passing rate. Infourth grade, the gender gap betweenmales and females in math is closing.Fourth grade males are improving inmath, while female reading scores remainon the rise. All fifth grade students arenarrowing the reading gap, while the risein reading scores for fifth grade femalesare contributing to the overall readingscore increase. Sixth grade studentshave shined in the area of reading, too.These students average score was veryclose to the district average in 2005.Both fourth and sixth grades have led theway in increasing commended scores formath and reading, respectively. InKindergarten, nearly a quarter of allstudents are above grade level. Theabove facts highlight just a handful of theacademic achievements over the pastthree years.
Questions for further reflection:What additional validations could beadded to this strong foundation? Howdoes the Allison family define success? Is“academically acceptable”, acceptable?What strengths are underutilized oncampus?STRUCTURAL THEME 1STUDENT LEARNING:ACADEMIC FOCUS & ALIGNMENT
“The school has the potential toget to another level.”-Allison Elementary Teacher
Speaking of Data. Quantitative Data isabundant on most campuses. It spills out ofbinders and often fills recycling tubs. TAKS,DRA, TPRI, SDAA, and a host of other testresults flood campuses with a wave of.
numbers. Analyzing those numbers andbringing them to life was a key focus duringthis study.
When beginning to examine Allison’squantitative data the cohort first took intoaccount the qualitative research performedthrough interviews and observation. Acommon theme among Allison teachers wasa desire for academic alignment and astrong instructional focus. As one teachersaid, “As a school community we need tohave more dialogues about our clients andwork horizontally as well as vertically.”
A further look at alignment. With theseaspirations in mind the cohort focused thequantitative search on hard data that mightshed a light on how academic alignment andinstructional focus affects student learning.Academic alignment is a collaborative effortboth vertically and horizontally that focuseson aligning curriculum and instructionaldelivery throughout the school. One way toassess academic alignment is to analyzedata across grade levels.
Figures 1.1 and 1.2 show percentages ofEnglish-speaking students who passed theReading and Math TAKS tests respectivelyat third through sixth grades. There is adisparity from one grade to another, yet thatgap in Reading scores narrows from 2005 to2006 while there continues to be gaps inmath scores. There are two ways to analyzethis line graph. First, a researcher maysimply compare grade levels from year toyear. Then, he or she might follow a cohortgroup as it travels through its years atAllison Elementary. There is a story behindthese numbers. What further questionsabout student learning are generated from
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these graphs? Why might some ofthese gaps in student learning be takingplace? Does the data surprise you ordoes it affirm your perceptions?
Figure 1.1 Allison Percentage of StudentsPassing Reading TAKS 2003-2006
Figure 1.2 Allison Percentage of StudentsPassing Math TAKS —2003-2006
Let’s next look at Figure 1.3. It representsthe percentage of students taking TAKStests in English who passed all tests. Itlooks at a three-year period. Are thereinconsistencies from one grade toanother? It appears that there are. Howcould academic alignment andcollaboration between grade levels help toclose these gaps?
Figures 1.4-1.6 show DRA scores inKindergarten through 2nd grade from2005-2006. Keeping student learning inmind, what questions arise from this data?What is the story behind these numbers?Why has there been no significant gain inthe percentage of students reading belowgrade level? More importantly, whatcritical conversations must take placeafter examining this data?
Dialoguing on the data. One importantpurpose of presenting this quantitativedata is to stimulate meaningful dialogueconcerning student learning. A great dealof educational research has been done onthe importance of these dialogues thatfollow the analysis of data. According toJohnson (2002), “Creating cultures totransform beliefs and practices will bringricher analysis, interpretations, andimplications for data. Becoming skilled indialogue and using guiding questionsbring meaningful problem solving andsolutions.”
During these dialogues certain questionshelp facilitate conversations concerningdata. Johnson (2002) goes on to say that“Using frameworks can help to structuredialogue; minimize or eliminate finger-pointing; and focus educators and otherson issues, conditions, policies, andpractices.”
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Figure 1.3 Allison Percentage of studentspassing all tests from 2003-2006
Figure 1.4 Allison 2006Kindergarten DRA Results
Figure 1.5 Allison 2nd grade DRA results
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school community. “I think that there aresome things that probably should be caughtthat teachers are doing that aren’tnecessarily the best,” one teacher said.However, there was optimism concerningthe academic future of Allison students. “I goto workshops and what I learn I put into usein my classroom and I think changes aregood and I think there are people stuck inone way. Times change and we havedifferent kids in our classrooms, we have tochange too. I am excited.” Time and timeagain a strong desire from teachers forenhanced academic focus on the campuswas apparent, “I’m hoping that the schoolwill be a blue ribbon school and we will seea banner in the front that says it.”
Further reflection on the data. In lookingback at the data presented above, as well asthe further quantitative graphs included inthe Appendix, what are the overallimplications for student learning from Pre-Kthrough 6th grade at Allison? As a campus,how do these numbers reflect the missionand vision of Allison Elementary? Doesthere need to be further discussionregarding the
The cohort’s study began with interviews ofstakeholders. The quantitative datarepresented on these pages validates manyof the comments heard during thoseinterviews. Many teachers spoke offrustration with the academic focus of the
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Figure 1.6 Allison 1sd grade DRA results
common vision and mission? Finally, howcan Allison Elementary effectively use thisdeluge of data to live up to the potential thatso many of its teachers are seeking?
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RESOURCES FOR FURTHER INQUIRY
• Dearman, Carla C., and Sheila R.Alber. “The Changing Face ofEducation: Teachers Cope WithChallenges Through Collaboration andReflective Study.” The ReadingTeacher Apr. 2005: 634-40. Part of aspecial section on high-stakesaccountability.The writers present a three-pronged planfor coping with the changing face ofeducation. Education must change tomeet the challenges of serving a diversepopulation of students and fulfillinglegislative mandates for increased teacheraccountability. The three-pronged planinvolves educators facing the process ofchange, finding the time to study together,and reflectively reviewing student work instudy teams and adjusting research-based instructional practices to improveboth teaching and learning.
• Friend, Marilyn, and Kimberly L.Pope. “Creating Schools in Which AllStudents Can Succeed.” Kappa DeltaPi Record 41.2 (Winter 2005): 56-61.Part of a special issue on meeting diverseneeds. Teachers can ensure that allstudents achieve success. They mustconsider their beliefs about theirresponsibilities for teaching and studentlearning, the key role of collaboration incontemporary schools that areaccomplishing their goals, and efficientstrategies for differentiating instruction.
• Cudeiro, Amalia, Joe Palumbo, andJan Leight. “6 Schools That Make aDifference.” Leadership 35.2 (Nov.-Dec.2005): 18-19.The common sense strategies employedby six California schools to improve studentachievement are outlined. The strategiesinclude developing a school-wide focus onliteracy, supporting teacher collaborationon issues of teaching and learning,providing targeted professionaldevelopment for staff, reallocatingresources around the improvement ofteaching and learning, involving families insupporting the focus on literacy,establishing measurable goals for studentlearning and using regular assessmentmeasures to monitor and adjust instruction,and providing ongoing leadership toimprove instruction and learning.
STRUCTURAL THEME 2STUDENT LEARNING:COMMUNICATIONIf you don’t have goodcommunication with the parents,you’re not going to have goodcommunication with the students.-Laura L. Allison Elementary Parent
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Research shows successful school systemsincorporate cooperative learningenvironments that foster open and regularcommunication, support, respect and trustamong all stakeholders into their dailyoperations. In these accomplishededucational settings, teachers communicateon a daily basis, both horizontally andvertically, to reflect on teaching practices,share new ideas, and assess student work.Additionally, parents and teacherscorrespond consistently with each other, todiscuss their children’s progress, concernsthey may have, and possible solutions toensure their children achieve their ultimatepotential. Administrators and teachersengage in open dialogue to solve problemsand create working solutions to ensureschool success. Stakeholders engage inopportunities to dialogue, to give andreceive feedback and to be a part of thedecision making process. As a result,communication is seen as a necessary andvital component of a school’s success.(McRel, 2003)
Communication was of utmost concern tothe Laura L. Allison community asevidenced by interviews and climatesurveys. Examination of the qualitative datareflected poor professional communicationamong all stakeholders. One teachershared the following sentiment: “I want tosee our relationship with the communitygrow because I think that that’s not alwaysthe best. Another shared frustration whencommenting, “The lack of communication isunbelievable!” Still another summed it up bysaying, “Sometimes I feel like I’m part of adysfunctional family, which is good and bad.We do communicate good and bad. We docommunicate with each other, but otheraspects of communication, such as withparents, community, and business partnersseem very dysfunctional.”
Staff & Administration. Nearly everyteacher conveyed a deep concern about thelack of communication between staff and theoutgoing administration. The staff expressedfeelings of unfairness.
“I hope the principal is fair in that[what] he expects from me heexpects from everybody else. He isnot going to say, ‘Oh, it’s okay thatyou didn’t do it’. I hope he is fair,because that has happened a lotand that’s not fair. I think thateveryone should have the sameexpectations in our school and thatthe principal makes sure of thatand not choose favorites.”Allison teachers also expressed disappoint-ment with the administration’s failure tomake them feel appreciated. Many agreedwith the opinion of this teacher: “Theadministration doesn’t understand what akind word means. We just want someoneto appreciate us.” The Staff ClimateSurvey (figure 2.1) supports the teachers’remarks about fairness and appreciation.
Staff Climate SurveyResults
Figure 2.1 2006 Staff Climate SurveyResults
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Staff & Parents. A prevailing commentamong the Allison staff was the need forimproved communication between teachersand parents. “We need better communicat-ion with parents,” explained one teacher.While teachers agree about the need forbetter communication with parents, there aredifferent views as to the reason for theapparent disconnect. One teacher stated,“A lot of our parents see us as the enemyand not that we’re here most of the time tohelp their children. That’s a battle that wehave to fight a lot of the time. Teacherscome into Allison having to fight thatbecause parents are immediately wary ofpeople and teachers that they don’t know.”
Furthermore, several teachers believeparents are relying on the school to meettheir needs. “We have a bunch of parentswho have gotten accustomed to being takencare of and they don’t necessarily take careof themselves. They have the notion thattheir kid is going to be educated and it is theresponsibility of the teacher. A few teachersspoke in defense of parents. “Listening to
The staff has spoken clearly about what itdesires from administrators, but this is onlythe beginning. McRel (2003) tells us thatconsiderable time must be given to reflectfurther on communication. If the goal wereopen and clear communication in asupportive learning environment, whatwould need to take place on the part ofadministrators for it to come to fruition?What would need to occur on the part ofthe staff? How might teachers supportadministrators as they endeavor to improvecommunication with the staff? What is theeffect this communication disconnect onstudent learning?
parents, I don’t think they have alwaysfelt respected or listened to or givenmeaningful roles or even taught how tohave meaningful roles.” What are somecauses of this inconsistency in the wayAllison parents are viewed? What roledoes communication play in thisdisconnect?
What do Allison teachers know forcertain about parents? The dataindicates that parents do not feel valuedon campus. Many parents commentedon the fact that they feel unwelcome atthe school and others felt that staffmembers were unapproachable. Oneparent stated that teachers seem afraidto tell them their children are acting upand misbehaving. Another parent said,“Mothers don’t want to come [to theschool] because they don’t feelwelcome.” In addition, parents often feltthey were not given a place to participateor that they did not know the best waysto help. All parents said they desired toknow how their children were performingboth academically and behaviorally. Thefollowing graph from the parent climatesurvey (figure 2.2) represents some ofwhat the parents are feeling. Thepercentages are for “strongly agree” andthe goal is to get 100 percent.
How can Allison take what it knowsabout its parents to help improvecommunicat- ion? Which teachers havepositive and full parent participation?How have they achieved such success?Who are the key parents in thecommunity who can influence otherparents? What campuses in East Austinhave better parent participation and whatdo they do? These questions and more
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can aid the staff in its efforts to communicatemore effectively with parents. After all,“Schools can not meet the challenges ofreform without first doing a better job ofconnecting with parents and the public,”Brandt (1998).
Staff & Staff. It was apparent throughinterviews that the Allison staff cares deeplyfor one another. Teachers and support staffconsider themselves a family and all trulyenjoy working together. One teachercaptured this family spirit well, “Everybody isfriendly. If you need help from whomever, it’slike open…open arms.” Many teachers atAllison have been on the campus their entirecareers and many who come do not want toleave. Although there is agreement thatpositive communication is occurring on apersonal level, there is also agreement thatcommunication is lacking at the academiclevel. Teachers spoke overwhelmingly abouta desire for an alignment throughout gradelevels and for the opportunity to plantogether. Teachers also mentioned that therewere stronger grade level teams whom theywished would share their expertise.
Who are these stronger teams and how dothey work together? What grade level teamsare planning together? Are any teachersplanning alone? Elmore writes aboutexemplary practices never taking root inisolation. Exemplary practices arewidespread when successful. (2002) What isor should be taking place in planningmeetings? Is the time spent focused oninstruction with a concentration on thoughtful,explicit examination of practices and studentwork? Based on these conversations, is thestaff reflecting on what to do to improvestudent learning? What resources are beingused to encourage reflection of practice?How is this information shared withadministration, parents and other gradelevels?
Figure 2.2 2006 Parent Climate SurveyResults
Community Members & Allison staff.Many of the leaders of the communityhave expressed great interest in helpingAllison. One community leader stated,“This is a community that’s willing tohelp him [the principal] make the schoolbetter if he builds the relationships.”How might the Allison staff recruitcommunity members to join in theirefforts to make the school a success?How might they strengthen and/orrenew old partnerships? How mightthey regain the trust of the community?
Staff & Students. Consistency was acommon theme among teachers, andwhile there were no student interviewsconducted, the cohort did examine theStudent Climate Survey. The surveyasked students many questions,however one particular inconsistencystuck out to the cohort.
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Figure 2.3 shows student responses tofour questions. While a vast majority ofstudents know what the rules are, thatthey will be enforced, and that aconsequence will follow, it appears amuch smaller percentage believe that theirclassmates are choosing to follow theserules. Since students know what the rulesand consequences are, it appears thateffective communication is taking place,but how is the breakdown in actual studentbehavior affecting the learningenvironment in the classroom?
Further reflection on communication.While improving communication with allstakeholders may seem a daunting task,according to Dufour (1998) it is crucialwhen creating a Professional LearningCommunity. Time must be set aside todiscuss the above questions as well astime to generate additional questions.What steps must be taken periodically toensure that all stakeholders feel positiveabout the communication efforts oncampus? What efforts should be made toencourage a community of inquiry? Whatquestions should Allison communitymembers be asking? Finally, how dothese questions relate to the mission,vision and goals for Allison?
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Figure 2..3 Student Climate Survey Results tospecific questions
Everyone knows what the schoolrules are.
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Sanders, M. G. (1997,May). Building Effective School-Family-Community Partnerships In A LargeUrban School District (Rep. No. 13).Center for Research on the Educationof Students Placed At Risk.
This report focuses on howthese Action Teams used the types ofinvolvement in J. Epstein's framework todevelop more effective school-family-community partnerships. The original fivetypes of involvement--parenting,communicating, volunteering, learning athome, and decision making--weresupplemented by a sixth form ofinvolvement, collaborating withcommunity.
SmreKar, C., & Cohen-Vogel, L. (2001). The Voices of Parents:Rethinking the Intersection of Familyand School . Peabody Journal ofEducation, 76(2), 75-100.
E x p l o r e d l o w - i n c o m e ,minority parents' ideas and attitudes abouteducation, investigating their interactionpatterns with schools. Parent interviewsindicated that low instances of parentinvolvement did not reflect lack of interestin their children's education. Instead,parent-school interactions were controlledby highly defined, socially constructedscripts that institutionalized therelationships among parents, teachers,and school administrators.
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER INQUIRY •Sosa, A. S. (1997, Spring). InvolvingHispanic Parents In EducationalActivities Through CollaborativeRelationships. Bilingual ResearchJournal, 2:2 & 3.
•A literature review of effective strategiesfor involving Hispanic families exploressome basic misunderstandings; discusseslogistical, attitudinal, and expectationsbarriers to involving Hispanic parents,particularly those who are migrants orimmigrants; and presents strategies thatresulted in successful experiences withthese parents.
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STRUCTURAL THEME 3: PHYSICALSETTING & STUDENT LEARNING
“When I first came to the school Ithought, ‘This is ghetto’.”
- Allison parent
Does the physical structure of schoolaffect student learning? “The relationshipof school infrastructure to student behaviourand learning outcomes,” according to Fisher(1997) “pertains to general conditions andaspects such as lighting, acoustics andtemperature control. To the extent thatimpact on behaviour and outcomes is takeninto account in designing school buildings, itis largely theoretical rather than provenrelationships which influence design trendsand specifications. This is not to say that thesolutions adopted have not been correct. Itis clear, however, that further research intothe contribution of design factors to studentbehaviour and outcomes may assistarchitects, educators and policy makers tobetter understand the real impact ofinvestment in school infrastructure.” Howthen, does the physical structure of Allisonaffect its students?
Through the use of qualitative data collectedfrom Allison Elementary parents,community, and staff interviews andobservations as conducted by the cohort,identified a common area of concern for allstakeholders - the physical plant of AllisonElementary School. There is overwhelmingqualitative data that supports the criticalneed for structural changes in and aroundthe school, including major building andfurniture maintenance and renovations,beautification of the physical space, andtesting for potentially harmful bodies.Although, the relationship between school
buildings and student achievement is notproven to be quantitatively substantial, thecohort found that the language andperceptions of school stakeholders, Allisonstakeholders, have given the most insightinto the symbolic nature of the school’sphysical environment, and its potentialeffects on learning outcomes.
A first impression may often serve as alasting one. Many stakeholderscommented on their impressions of Allison,upon arrival to the school, and how it hashad an impact on their thoughts andfeelings about the school as an acceptablesetting for student learning.
“…it’s like if you’re coming into aninterview, the way you’re dressedand that’s how you see it…that’show they are going to see you.That’s the same thing with theschool. When I first came to theschool I thoughtthis is ghetto”.
– Allison parent
“It makes it look like a prison.A lot of parents are incarcerat -ed. The kids must think thatthis is just like school. I don’teven like to take pictures of mykids to send their parents ifthere are bars in thebackground.” (on the razor-wirefence)
– Allison teacher
17
“Oh no, I won’t go there. Assoon as you walk in the frontdoor you cansmell the mold.”
– Community healthcare worker
“How do you think I felt as aparent of children at Allison, thatoutsidepeople won’t even considercoming to our campus?”
- Allisonparent
From these interview quotes it is evidentthat the Allison stakeholders have higheraspirations for their school. On theoutside, there is hope for a morebeautiful, inviting, healthy, presentableschool and a reclaiming of the structureand its space as a place of pride. Howdoes the initial presentation of Allisonaffect student attitudes towards school?
Qualitative evidence continues tosuggest that inside the school, deeplyrooted within the systems surroundingthe school, and in the hearts and minds
“If schools in other parts of townscan have new tables and furniture,why can’t Allison?”
– Allison parent
“Antes nomas venian y pintaban lapuerta de enfrente y se iban!”[Translation: “Before they wouldjust come and paint the front doorand leave.”
– Allison parent
“Me and my little boy talked aboutthe painting last year. He said‘ Mom they didn’t paint’ … It wouldbe nice to have the whole wallsorange, red, etc. and it would beneat to have artwork and murals.If a 2nd grader notices this, then afirst or pre-k will notice becausethey are learning their colors.”
- Allison parent
“ I was hoping that two yearsfrom now that the school wouldappear different, on the websitewe wouldn’t see dead grass.”
– Allison parent
of the Allison stakeholders, that there isinequity among schools in the district.The equity between East side and Westside schools is seemingly an importantissue for stakeholders with regards toAllison not receiving necessary structuralattention.
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“If schools in other parts oftowns can have new tables andfurniture, why can’t Allison?”
– Allison parent
“Antes nomas venian y pintabanla puerta de enfrente y se iban!”[Translation: “Before theywould just come and paint thefront door and leave.”
– Allison parent
“I don’t want to say east sideschool, but we are an east sideschool. Parents don’t holler loudenough. It takes money to repairand upkeepolder schools. “
- Allison teacher
“I loved comparing otherbuildings and seeing what theyhad and what we did not have,imagining what it would be like tohave cabinets and a well-maintained building. We waited alot for improvements andfurniture.I think I have had the same kitchenset for 15 or 20 years.”
– Allison teacher
“Allison could be a school in themiddle of West Austin orsomewhere that the area and theneighborhood isn’t necessarilythe same as the quality of the school.”
– Allison teacher
“It is hard to get repairs. I had ahole in my dry erase board formonths. After some parentscalled I got a new “used” board.I have no bulletin boards,termites ate it, The sinks and theFormica need to be replaced. Ifyou brush up against it, youcould get a splinter.”
– Allison teacher
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It is the voices of many Allison parentsand teachers that were heard whenreviewing the data pertaining to equity.These voices emphatically called forrecognition of a campus laden withphysical issues that somewhere along theway seem to have been neglected. By notattending to repairs and renovations, wasthe Allison student population overlooked?What is the role of administrators inensuring recognition of the campus? Thisnotion of imbalance among resources toimprove upon the physical space atAllison, leads to the question of why thiscampus, these kids. In the book SavageInequalities, Jonathon Kozol comments onthe issue of equity in schools and the partthat racial and class stratification play.Kozol’s research affirms the views ofAllison stakeholders with regards tocampus inequality across social classes.He goes on to point out that social classstatus is often synonymous with attendinga school that is dilapidated, over-crowded,unsafe, and unhealthy (Roscigno &Condron, 2003). Why has the exterior andinterior building been forgotten? Has theeducation of Allison students sufferedbecause of this?
There is numerical, written, and visualdocumentation, other than interview andobservation quotations, that reiterate theperceptions gathered from the mouths ofstakeholders. Minimal empirical evidenceis present to corroborate the qualitativefindings reflected thus far. However, thequalitative data presented is varied andabundant providing a strongrepresentation of the stakeholder’s beliefs.The data that follows includes furtherqualitative as well as quantitative analysisof the physical setting and the affect onstudent achievement. As found in fourrecent studies conducted in the
Schooling Issues Digest (2006) arelationship was identified between cosmeticfactors (related to age, maintenance andcondition) and student performance andbehavior, with student achievement scoresimproving by as much as 5% in schools ofhigher condition ratings.
The Allison Community Improvement Plan(CIP) from 2005-2006 identified interiorconcerns that school staff and administrationbelieved threatened the safety of students(See Appendix ). Requests have been madeon several accounts with regards to theseneeded repairs and renovations, (e.g.buckling of the gym floor, loose handrails,rusted and corroded exterior doorways, nostall doors on boy’s bathroom). The matterof campus safety is also examined in theAllison Parent Climate Survey (2005 - 2006).When asked if the school were a safelearning environment, the 2005 resultsexhibit that less than half of the Allisonparents who completed the survey thoughtthe school to be a safe learning environmentfor their children. In 2006 this rating grew afew percentage points, indicating a slightlyhigher number of parents who agreed withthe statement. Where students learn has agreat deal of influence on how they learn,(The School Building Association ).
Photographs have been taken around theAllison campus that capture the diversestructural issues of which the Allisonstakeholders address in their comments, theCIP document, and the analysis of specificresponses to the Parent Climate Survey thatrelate to the physical setting. The picturesrepresent a concrete view of the learningenvironment in which students are expectedto succeed. Does the existing data indicatea learning environment that promotessuccess?
20
How does the data presented affectstakeholder initiative? The Allison familyhas already begun the process ofphysical improvement. Over the pastfew years, members of the Allison staffparticipated in beautification projectsfocusing on the courtyards adjacent tothe 300 and Pre-Kindergarten wings.Courtyards were transformed into happyand nurturing places for student learningand engagement, one serving as aButterfly Garden, landscaped beds withvarious flowering plants, yard art, andcreative ornamentation, includingstepping stones and benches provide aplace for people to enjoy the space.
Presently, Allison Elementary isundergoing more changes. Bothinternally and externally, the structure ofAllison is experiencing a metamorphosis.This is largely in part due to the wordsexpressed by stakeholders and theactions of those who heard them. Cohortmembers, district personnel, privatecontractors, and local philanthropists arediligently and optimistically, working toprovide Allison with supports andresources for physical change. Thepurpose of these projects is to set thetone for continued efforts school-wide.
“ I would like for the changes tobe school-wide, to create aclean, pretty, nice place for ourstudents… We want ourstudents to have a nice place tocome everyday.”
-Allisonparent
Stakeholders have asserted their desire towitness changes. Research points to thehope that stakeholders claim the desire tobe part of the changes, to get involved insustaining what has already been occurring,to maintain the processes underway, and tohelp erase the perceived inequity.
Children spend the majority of theirwaking hours in a school. Whereour children learn takes on agreater significance when weunderstand how well designed,healthy, high performing, safe andsustainable buildings affectstudent achievement and success,revitalizing the communities theyserve.
-The School Building Association
What crucial conversations must take placebetween stakeholders to ensure continuedsuccess? Is the detected injustice facingAllison’s physical environment affectingstudent learning? What will Allison’s nextsteps be to improve upon the “structure” ofthe school for the sake of studentachievement? How can all Allisonstakeholders contribute to the sustainabilityof the changes being made to the physicalplant?
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER INQUIRY• Lawrence, B. K. (2003). Save aPenny, Lose a School: The Real Costof Deferred Maintenance (Rep. No.070). Washington, DC: Rural School andCommunity Trust.
21
Deferring maintenance in small schoolscreates poor conditions that affect thehealth and safety of everyone who usesthe facility, damage the morale ofstudents and teachers, impair their abilityto teach and learn, and threaten thefacility itself.
• The School Building Association.(n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2006, fromhttp://www.cefpi.org/This is the official website for the Councilfor Educator Facility Planners,organization that advocates forexcellence in student learningenvironments. Research has proven thatthere is an integral relationship betweenthe quality of educational facilities andthe level of student achievement.
• The Impact of School Infrastructureon Student Outcomes and Behaviour.(n.d.). Schooling Issues Digest.Retrieved July 18, 2006 ,fromhttp://www.dest.gov.au/ sectors/ school_education/ publications_resources/ schooling_issues_digest/ schooling_issues_digest_building.htmThis Digest reviews a range of researchstudies which examine the possiblecausal linkages between building designand student outcomes. It sets out thosefindings that are agreed and those areaswhere research to date is relativelyinconclusive. Considerable rigorous andacademically sound empiricalquantitative research work has beencarried out in the United States.
• Disparities within: UnequalSpending and Achievement in anUrban School District, by Dennis J.Condron and Vincent J. Rescigno.2003 Sociology of Education TheAmerican Sociological Association
REINTRODUCTION: THERE IS NO ENDTO THIS WORK
The previous pages addressed commonthemes the cohort found while combingthrough both qualitative and quantitativedata. In addition, other themes surfacedthat may require further research on thepart of the Allison family. Several teachersexpressed opinions on specific programslike Special Education, Impact, BilingualEducation, Reading First, behaviormanagement, and the library.
Campus research often begins with anobservation from within. Merriam (2001)simply says “look for something thatperplexes and challenges the mind. Lookaround. What is interesting to you that youdo not quite understand? What are youcurious about?” ?” Included in the Appendixyou will find supplementary graphs thatmay foster additional observation aboutAllison Elementary.
During an interview one Allison teacherreflected that, “The library needs changes.That library is not exciting. I have been to alot of libraries and they are fun places andthere is nothing happening in ours.” Aculture of inquiry and progress takes holdwhen that observation is followed with onesimple yet generative question: Why?
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APPENDIX
RESEARCH PROCESS
The purpose of the following few pages isto show the step by step process we as acohort of 13 individual educators took inresearching the ins and outs of AllisonElementary school. By all accounts wewere a diverse group from all gradelevels, different districts, and varying beliefsystems. However, we entered thiscollaborative inquiry with a common visionof what we were trying to accomplish. Andthat vision was to tell the story of aneighborhood elementary school.
It was an epic tale to tell that started in thelate 1800s. Allison is deeply embedded inboth the community and the hearts of theteachers who call it home. We grappledwith our personal beliefs and how toapproach certain touchy subjects thatarise when studying any school. Wedecided to let quotes from interviews andhard data tell the story for us.
This brings us to the beginning of ourstudy. As a cohort we first established aset of guidelines that we as a groupagreed to abide by. It was a democraticprocedure that established equalityamong the group members and served asa starting line for the endeavor we wereabout to undertake. When embarking on aqualitative research project with any sizegroup this is a crucial first step. Itproactively addresses any possible pitfallsdown the road and sets a framework forhow the data is going to be perceived.Before we began we had a commonmission, vision, values, and goals. If youlook in the Resource section of the
Appendix under the Professional LearningCommunity section you will find muchinformation on establishing these essentialnorms.
But, a quick note to the future collaborativeresearcher, even after establishing ournorms it was not all roses and smiles.When looking deeply at student learningserious conversations must take place.Essential conversations that get at theheart of one’s personal beliefs often lead toconflict within a group. In order to use thisconflict to our advantage we built in a timefor group reflection at the end of every worksection. I know what you’re thinking –Group Reflection? Did you all sit in a circleand clasp hands while espousing yourfeelings and filling each other with insincereplatitudes?
No. It was a serious time that was honest,professional, and essential. As one cohortmember reminded us on a particularlytrying day, “You can’t see your reflection inmoving water.” If we did not slow down toreflect each day we would have been lost.
The next step was conducting the datacollection. This process involvedinterviewing many teachers, the outgoingand incoming principal, head custodian,parents, community members, districtpersonnel, and anyone willing to give usthe time. The interview questions werepurposefully open-ended to foster reflectionand openness on the part of theinterviewee. All involved were remarkablyopen with their answers and optimistic
23
about the changes that this study might helpenact.
We also spent many hours observing Allisonitself. We walked the grounds, peeled backloose tiles in the gym, and pondered everycrack in every wall. We were thoroughbecause we were performing qualitativeresearch on every aspect of the school. Mostin-house collaborative inquiry would focus ona specific program or observation apparent inthe quantitative data.
A collaborative inquiry project is often bornfrom quantitative data. Perhaps a gapbetween male and female TAKS achievementlevels is seen, or a lack of parentinvolvement, these two issues can beinvestigated through qualitative research.Qualitative research mainly consists ofquestioning those individuals involved in thearea under focus, researching what expertssay about that area, analyzing the dataavailable, and applying the findings to theparticular phenomena you are studying. Wewere careful to keep our personal views awayfrom our analysis of the research.
After creating our common vision we split intoteams to begin analyzing the data andaddressing the theoretical framework of ourstudy. We also did an in-depth study of thehistory of Allison. The term, “TheoreticalFramework” is a fancy way of saying the lensthe researcher uses to look at his or herfindings. A teacher’s discipline or professionalbackground will likely shape his or hertheoretical framework.
We worked to create a presentation andwritten document that would hopefully probefurther reflection and act as a springboard forfurther student achievement at AllisonElementary. We purposely ended our
research with further questions ratherthan blatant recommendations. Werecognize that the important and ongoingwork will be done by Allison stakeholdersin the courtyards, hallways, andclassrooms – or across the table atAlonzo’s.
Enjoy.
24
Additional Charts and Graphs to Promote Further Discussions
About Student Learning
English TAKS DATA3rd Grade Reading & Math
Spanish TAKS Data3rd Grade Reading & Math
English TAKS DATA 4th Grade Reading & Math
English TAKS DATA5th Grade Reading & Math
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2004 2005 2006
Male Rdg Female Rdg Male Math Female Math
0
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90
100
2004 2005 2006
Male Rdg Female Rdg Male Math Female Math
0
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90
100
2004 2005 2006
Male Rdg Female Rdg Male Math Female Math
0
10
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2004 2005 2006
Male Rdg Female Rdg Male Math Female Math
25
English TAKS DATA6th Grade Reading & Math
71
87
58
89
64
88
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2004 2005 2006
3rd Grade District
English 3rd Grade ReadingTAKS 1st Administration
6772
38
64
75
65
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2004 2005 2006
3rd Grade District
Spanish 3rd Grade ReadingTAKS 1st Administration
59
70
58
7368
76
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2004 2005 2006
5th Grade District
English 5th Grade ReadingTAKS 1st Administration
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2004 2005 2006
Male Rdg Female Rdg Male Math Female Math
26
0
10
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50
60
70
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90
2003 Cohort 2004 Cohort 2005 Cohort
3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade
English Math TAKSCohort Data
0
10
20
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40
50
60
70
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90
2003 Cohort 2004 Cohort 2005 Cohort
3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade
English Reading TAKSCohort Data
Commended ReadingEnglish
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2004 2005 2006
3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2004 2005 2006
3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade
Commended Math English
27
Questions to consider when looking at the data:
What instructional practices are taking place in 6th grade reading?
How can grade levels work together to effectively raise the level ofacademic rigor?
0
27
10
26
0
25
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2004 2005 2006
5th Grade District
26
3734
36
22
37
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2004 2005 2006
6th Grade District
Commended Reading4th Grade English
Commended Reading5th Grade English
Commended Reading6th Grade English
Commended Reading3rd Grade English
7
26
13
25
10
22
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2004 2005 2006
4th Grade District
2004 2005 2006
23
3946
14
9
41
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
3rd Grade District
28
Questions to consider when looking at the data:
What instructional practices are taking place in 4th grade math?
How can grade levels work together to effectively raise the level ofacademic rigor?
11
26
9
27
8
26
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2004 2005 2006
3rd Grade District
Commended Math3rd Grade English
20
23
19
2827
29
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2004 2005 2006
4th Grade District
Commended Math4th Grade English
17
27
10
29
21
36
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2004 2005 2006
5th Grade District
Commended Math5th Grade English
14
22
15
27
22
30
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2004 2005 2006
6th Grade District
Commended Math6th Grade English
29
Questions to consider when looking at the data:What primary literacy skills do Kg students have before beginning their
year?What does Pre K literacy instruction look like?
How do vertical teams communicate expectations?
26%
36%
38%
On Grade
Above Grade
Below Grade
2nd Grade DRACombined English & Spanish
32%
23%
45%
On Grade
Above Grade
Below Grade
Kindergarten DRACombined English & Spanish
35%
26%
39%
On Grade
Above Grade
Below Grade
1st Grade DRACombined English & Spanish
30
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