Sustaining Reform - We all have a role

October 14, 2009

1(James Starr, Executive Director – commentary at 10/14 State of schools address)

Our view to support reform

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Observations on the 2009 HPS Results

• The Results are encouraging – Good signs of progress– More schools are moving up– The community should acknowledge results and their importance

• A good start toward the goal of closing the achievement gap– A second year of gains– Reading direction is particularly encouraging

• CAPT results are flat and below target – need to be monitored– Pipeline for 10th grade measurement will be challenging– 9th grade reading - 54% of students are 4 or more grade levels below 9th grade

• Graduation rate is low at 42%, but improving• Can not underestimate the journey – incremental gains impact

lives

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Large challenges remain

• Hartford is still a low performing district - this is reality

• Low income population – urban district

• A very difficult and fragile funding outlook

• Believing we can change

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Large challenges remain

• Hartford is still a low performing district - this is reality

• Low income population – urban district

• A very difficult and fragile funding outlook

• Believing we can change

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Reason to believe: accelerating progress

Magnet Schools Neighborhood Choice Schools

+2.0%

Neighborhood schoolsare improving at a rate nearly 3x of magnets

Reason to Believe: Improved Graduation Rates

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Hartford produced 278 additional graduates in 2009 based on the improved graduation rate from 2007

Reason to Believe: Improved Reading at all Levels

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% At/Above Proficient in Reading

What could this mean to us?

What this could mean: Closing the reading gap

• With a continued average annual increase of 4 points, the reading achievement gap can be closed in as little as 7 years

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• These type of gains correlate to increased graduation rates

Reading Proficiency Graduation Rate

For every 1% increase at 8th grade

Expect a .8 pt increase (1)

• Extending this out, closing the reading achievement gap could equate to a 23 point (or more) increase in the graduation rate

(1) Miley Gallo & Associates, SC oversight committee, March 2005

What this could mean: Graduation Rates

10(1) Years normalized at 2005 entering 9th grade cohorts

By Closing the Gap

2009 2011 2013 20162015

• The increase in reading could correlate to a 3.2% increase in graduation rates every year

Graduation rates

What Could This Mean: Impact to Lives

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• A 65% graduation rate would result in approximately 480 additional graduates annually, or 53% more than today.

• Over a 10 year period, this implies that an improved system could result in nearly 5,000 more graduating seniors.

• Even more if the graduation rate continues to climb

What this could mean: The Economics

121. Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab7.htm

High School Drop Out

$22,152

High School Graduate

$30,732

4-yr College Graduate

$50,856

The impacts are meaningful – to individuals and the community

• A high school graduate earns 39% more than those who do not graduate

• College graduates earn nearly 65% more than high school graduates

Improving student achievement and sustaining Hartford’s reform impacts the community not only socially, but economically

We all need to be accountable and engaged

• The District– Execution of the Strategic Operating Plan – Parental engagement is growing – take it higher– Reform is complex – continuous, effective communication in all areas is

crucial

• The Community– Understand the Strategic Operating Plan; have high expectations – Raise the dialogue about school issues and improving education– Remain involved – provide support

• The Parents– Stay involved and know your school. Make informed choices– Prepare your students – encourage excellence– Believe we can change– Embrace civic involvement – engage in issues; Vote

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Our Focus

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Our collective challenge

• While the district is rising, we have a long way to go– Multi-year improvement effort.

– Progressing, but fragile

• The Community needs to adopt and sustain reform.

• We all have a role

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Achieve Hartford! looks forward to advocating for long term reform and serving as a catalyst for community

reform ownership

www.achievehartford.org

Following us and the reform