Speaker provides insight into how to boost student achievement

Kati Haycock, president of The Education Trust, recently presented information about improving achievement and closing achievement gaps for groups of students. The Education Trust is a national organization that works for the high academic achievement of all students at all levels. She spoke to a group of concerned educators and public-education supporters that included members of the Northshore School Board and the district administration. Below is a summary of the information and a link to the full presentation.

The Top Characteristics of High-Performing Schools and School Districts

#1. They focus on what they can do, rather than what they can't.

#2. They don't leave anything about teaching and learning to chance.

High Performing Schools and Districts:

• Have clear and specific goals for what students should learn in every grade, including the order in which they should learn it;

• Provide teachers with common curriculum, assignments;

• Have regular vehicle to assure common marking standards;

• Assess students every 4-8 weeks to measure progress;

• ACT immediately on the results of those assessments.

#3. They set their goals high.

#4. Higher performing secondary schools put all kids-not just some-in a demanding high school core curriculum.

• Single biggest predictor post-high school success is quality and intensity of high school curriculum.

• College prep curriculum has benefits far beyond college. Students of all sorts will learn more. They will also fail less often. And they'll be better prepared for the workplace. Leading states making college prep the default curriculum: Texas, Indiana, Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Kansas.

#5. Students who enter behind get extra instruction.

#6. Good schools know how much teachers matter, and they act on that knowledge.

See the full presentation. Adobe Reader required.