The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
One in four black sixth-grade boys is taking at least one advanced academic course. But more than one in four black third-grade boys can't read at grade level.
These disparate markers point to the challenges Beach schools face in trying to close what's known nationally as the black-white achievement gap. Black males struggle the most. Two years ago, the school division made narrowing these gaps a priority and set out 12 objectives to be met by 2012 in such areas as graduation, attendance rates, SOL test scores, advanced diplomas and SAT scores.
"We're doing a lot more than a lot of other school divisions in looking at the achievement of African American males," including tying training, tools and programs to their progress, said Assistant Superintendent Christine Caskey, who oversees curriculum and instruction. She has presented the school division's strategies at three conferences in the past two months.
The latest results show Virginia Beach still has a ways to go. The division has met goals in 15 percent of target areas, but rates have fallen below 2007 levels on 30 percent of the goals.
The division's research office is looking closely at schools that are particularly successful in getting black males to take and pass advanced academic courses, for example. Their methods can then be replicated in other schools.
New York University sociology Professor Pedro Noguera, a national expert on the achievement gap, has visited Newtown and Bettie F. Williams elementary schools. The Beach approach is admirable, but high teacher and principal turnover in struggling schools must be addressed first, he said. Two years ago, the administration chose new teachers and principals for those Bayside schools.
And, financial bonuses for teachers who stay at least three years were never funded.
When it comes to closing the gap, "it is clear we can do this, and Virginia Beach has the resources to do it," Noguera said.
In third-grade reading, the school division aims to reach 100 percent in two years, using Standards of Learning scores as a proxy for grade-level reading. The pass rate among black males has risen to 71.8 percent from 70.8 percent in 2007. The third-grade year is pivotal because that's when students switch from "learning to read" to "reading to learn," Caskey said.
Marie Balen, director of elementary instruction, said the division is sticking to that ambitious goal.
"I'd hate to tell a parent it's achievable for some and not others," she said.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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i hate to be negative, but
I'll bet the majority of these below average kids have parents that also cannot read, or not very well. Start by reaching these kids, but learing does begin at home, and I don't know how we fix that. There is responsibility that comes with having children, and education is just part of it. When you have parents that aren't interested.....well, we see the results.
Racial reading gap
My son is a third grader at Bayside Elementary School and he just brought home straight A's. He has been reading two to three grades above grade level since he was in third grade. My kindergartener is above grade level in his language skills and he is almost a year younger than most of his classmates. However I do know that it is a result of me promoting literacy at home. It shouldnt be a race issue. They should just seek out to find children who read bloe grade level and not put a color to it, just a face. Revamping the schools is not going to fix the problem. earning begins at home. They need to put programs in place to reach the parents and help them to find out what they can do to promote literacy within their childs life. Learning begins at home. We put to much on teachers. It takes a village to raise a child. You can't expect teachers to do it all. If what the teacher teaches them is not reenforced at home then it is out of their hands and beyond their control. As an educator, we are overworked, underpayed and not recognized enough for our hard work; their is only so much we can do!!!!
Is this True
If this is the case, why are there more black males receiving scholarships than white males? I would believe that based on the story that this would be the opposite. What happened to jump start program that was suppose to give minorities a boost in education?
where are these scholarships?
Black males attend college at much lower rates than any other demographic, but yet you suggest more them get scholarships than white males? How would this be mathematically possible?
Is this something you know for certain, or something you hear other people say? I ask, because I hear it all the time, but have never had anyone prove it.
its called quotas.also have
its called quotas.also have you seen most college football and basketball teams?
It's not the teachers! It's C&I
The district needs to let teachers do their jobs. When teachers' planning time is spent carrying out "pet projects" designed by some C&I specialists who are not currently teaching in a classroom or working directly with students on a daily basis, teachers fall into the temptation of working more for C&I specialists than for students. C&I needs to assist teachers by providing them with UbD plans for all subjects and levels that are taught to VBCPS students. Furthermore, the district needs to stop making more and more demands on a profession without taking away previous demands. Stop worrying about the teachers! They're doing their job very well! Worry about the C&I specialists who are NOT providing adequate support to teachers. In fact, in some instances, they get in the way of great teaching. They are failing miserably in their "leadership" capacity and there seems to be a complete unawareness of this in central office. There needs to be a serious audit of Curriculum and Instruction and how they are spending our money.
C&I: A Bureaucracy Run Amouk
C & I represents everything that is wrong with any agency or organization. They spend their time thinking of things for teachers to do in order to justify their jobs...not helping kids. That is one place the school division could save money....get rid of the majority of these people. The school division has spent millions of $$ on new programs and strategies from "consultants" that are nothing more than old programs/strategies with new names.
If the teachers in VB are so bad that they need this over-staffed C&I department to straighten all of us out, one has to ask what is HR doing?
They spent stimulus $$ buying new books for all language arts teachers that they hired a consultant to recommend. Most teachers didn't want or need the books. Where is the School Board? Where is the oversight?
Then we wonder why the general public thinks public education is failing children.
Reality
"Furthermore, the district needs to stop making more and more demands on a profession without taking away previous demands. Stop worrying about the teachers!"
Hello - what job these days doesn't demand more and more while not disregarding earlier demands? Seriously. Real world calling.
I worked for VBCPS for 10+ years - and miss it! VBCPS has a great overall program compared to many places...be glad you're not in NC where they are 10 years behind in curriculum and pay...
Currituck doesn't exist so that Va Beach can rest on its laurels
You missed the point. When Curriculum & Instruction wastes tax-payer money on consultants that bring no new ideas to the table (when they could just save taxpayers money by allow teachers more time for planning and collaboration), go to conferences and bring nothing back to share, lecture professional educators about teaching theories that themselves cannot apply successfully....there IS something wrong. Just because Va Beach may be "better" than primitive school districts, does not mean that the district should rest on its laurels. Business-as-usual mentality should be avoided. And by the way, YOU'RE WRONG! Other demands could be alleviated from teachers. What's more important than educating our children??? Paperwork and useless meetings that devour teacher planning-time??? Stay in NC, it sounds like you've already adjusted to the Good O'l boy mentality there.
what makes you think...
...I live in Currituck? I am far from it so please don't assume - you know what that does.
I agree that downtown is bloated...started in the early-mid 90s with the population boom. I agree there are namy unfunded mandates, both state and local. And I agree that folks can't sit on their laurels...however, folks not willing to do what it takes shouldn't be teaching. It is the era of accountability.
What's more important than educating the kids??? Having educated teachers who can actually teach the kids. I was around too many who wanted to do what they always did even though it wasn't working. Not many were willing to shake it up. I remember the pre/post tests graded on the computer that showed what SOLs were/were not being covered...much work for everyone involved, but teachers knew what wasn't being covered - I saw it as a great opportunity, but it is possibly just more meaningless paperwork? A useless meeting may have 5 items on the agenda - if someone could latch on to 1 or 2 of them was it really that meaningless?
Teachers have no control over family life - they have to do what they can do for the short time they have the kids. Give your best every day and the