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Closing the Achievement Gap

New Futuro College Fair October 6, 2012

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Introductions

• Grace Simmons – Manager, Teacher Leadership Development at Teach For America – Taught at Bonner Elementary for 4 years in HISD – Works with HISD schools– Parent

• Deborah Osborne – Specialist, District and School Partnerships at Teach For America – Work with Teacher Certification and partners with HISD, SBISD, KIPP,

YES, and other charter schools

• Holly Boerner – Manager, Teacher Leadership Development at Teach for America- Taught at a Charter School in Indianapolis for 2 years- Works with many Neighborhood Centers and HISD schools

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1 The Issue: Educational Inequity in America

Agenda

2 Our Role in Closing the Achievement Gap

3 Questions

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1 The Issue: Educational Inequity in America

Agenda

2 Our Role in Closing the Achievement Gap

3 Questions

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Poverty limits educational opportunity.

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Only 61% of students living in poverty graduate from High School in Harris

County

The Facts:

DEBORAH! 61 dark blues, 39 light

Statistics provided by Children at Risk

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Just 8% of these kids will graduate college by age 24…

The Facts:

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The Statistics

7% of Latino students graduate from college

11% of African American students graduate from college

66% of students in Houston are Latino and African American.

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The Challenge

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Joel KleinChancellor of the New York City

Department of Education2002-2011

“We give the kids with the greatest challenges the crummiest education and then say poverty is unbeatable.”

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1 The Issue: Educational Inequity in America

Agenda

2 Our Role in Closing the Achievement Gap

3 Questions

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There are many people working to solve this problem

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“We have an obligation to make a simplebut powerful commitment to our children:We must promise them that the opportunity to pursue their dreams will be constrained only by the limits of their imagination, and never by their zip code.”

Jason KamrasWashington, D.C. Corps ’96

2005 National Teacher of the Year

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Parental Involvement is

critical to student success.

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A recent study by the National Education Association found that

Students with involved parents are significantly more likely to:

Parent Involvement

• Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs (such as Advanced Placement)

• Pass their classes and earn credits• Have fewer absences• Have fewer discipline issues• Graduate and go to college

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How can you get involved?

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Ways to be Involved

Work with your child to achieve success in school now:

• Check in with your child’s teacher regularly to make sure your students are achieving success

• Check in with your child to see how they are feeling about their time in school

• Check to make sure your students are completing their homework and are studying for tests

• Show your students every day that you want them to go to college and this is an option for him or her

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Ways to be Involved

Be an advocate for your child and his or her education:

• Speak with your child and his or her teacher about the achievement gap & its effects

• Get involved at your child’s school- PTO, volunteer in your child’s classroom, work with other parents

• If something doesn’t seem right, don’t be afraid to reach out to others (principals, the district, etc). Remember, this is your child’s life!

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Resources to Learn More

• http://parentrevolution.org/

•http://nclr.org

•www.ed.gov/parents

•http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Parents-Education.shtml

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1 The Issue: Educational Inequity in America

Agenda

2 Our Role in Closing the Achievement Gap

3 Questions

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QuestionsWe believe that you, as a parent, have the best ideas of how to work together to close

the achievement gap. We would love to hear your thoughts as well as questions!