East Iowa schools creatively combat achievement disparity

Looking to the future, 10 to 20 years from now, Tashona Marshall wants one thing - for the students at Johnson Elementary School of the Arts to know she is proud to be their principal. 'We want Johnson to be a place that, when you come through, you know you have an advocate,' Marshall said. 'We care about our students. They are our children.'

Marshall and her staff at the Cedar Rapids school have emphasized that philosophy for the past two years, the same philosophy that has led to an increase in student achievement. This year's Iowa Tests of Basic Skills scores show improvements in math, reading and science. More than half of the school's fourth graders achieved proficient status on all three of the state exams, which is good news. When you consider that more than 80 percent of the school's student body qualifies for free and reducedprice meals, and 62 percent of its population is a minority, the scores serve as validation, too. 'When I look at where our students have come from and where they are going - we want every child to succeed,' Marshall said.

No Child Left Behind was launched with the idea of doing just that - ensuring that every child is academically proficient despite obstacles that have kept some from achieving academic success. The legislation was signed into law more than eight years ago, with supporters claiming it would help close the achievement gap between minority and white students.

Eastern Iowa schools are still working to close the gap.

'The achievement gap has been around for a long time, especially the racial achievement gap we've seen between our African-American population and our white population,' said Aaron Green, director of student equity for the Cedar Rapids school district. 'In districts like ours, where we have a smaller African-American population, it's been sitting there for a long time.' As the population increases, Green said, issues develop. There is an increased level of poverty and a growing number of special-education students among the district's African-American students - factors that can make the gap between the haves and the have-nots even bigger.

It isn't just happening in Cedar Rapids. Statewide, Iowa has more minority students in its schools now than it did 20 years ago. Almost 16 percent of Iowa's 472,000 students are minorities, an increase from 5.5 percent two decades ago.

The Hispanic population has seen the largest growth, increasing to 7 percent from 1.1 percent, while schools' African-American student population has increased from 2.7 percent to 5.8 percent.

More of the state's students are living in poverty, too. Slightly more than 34 percent of Iowa's students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. The percentage was almost 27 percent at the start of the decade.

These numbers pose a challenge, as they increase the possibility that students of color and/or living in poverty may fail to achieve at the same rate as their peers.

Pam Ehly, director of instruction for Iowa City schools, said the district has a multilevel plan to close the achievement gap. It begins with district goals and works down to plans at each school.

'If the test scores show a greater need on one subject in a school, they focus on that,' Ehly said.

The school plans narrow again based on the needs of individual students. The amount of instruction students receive, how the information is taught and the materials used can and will be altered.

The College Community school district's philosophy is to catch students with challenges early.

'We train our teachers to look at student progress in all the intervals,' said Ying Ying Chen, the district's executive director of learning services.

The district has dedicated numerous professional development sessions to monitoring student progress at all levels. Students who have difficulty grasping concepts are identified for tailored instruction.

'We're not there yet,' Chen said. 'It's a longterm goal.' Cedar Rapids schools have em­ployed numerous efforts in the past to close its achievement gap, with mixed results. They are hoping for more with its latest initiative - partnering schools with the community in hopes of bettering education for all.

'From our thinking, if we can put some time and focus in on addressing some of the issues related to our African-American subgroups' underachievement, then we can solve several problems at once,' Green said.

The effort launched in August with three initiatives - the research bestpractices team, the public engagement project and family-school-community partnerships.

The district also partnered with the Wallace Foundation, the National Education Association and Education Trust, expanding its resources to the national level.

Schools are developing site plans that specify steps they're taking to close the achievement gap. District administrators are holding public forums at each school to share information and collect input.

'It's not enough to say you have a plan,' Green said.

'We are trying to put ourselves in a position to achieve this. The more we get the community involved, the more resources that come to the table.' Marshall applauds community involvement, saying it has helped student achievement at Johnson. School volunteers assist in a reading program before school and help with after-school activities. Marshall has piles of business cards in her office from parents, retired educators and people in the city who want to help students.

'I have people call me and say, 'I want to help, tell me what to do,' ' she said.

They listen to students read. They volunteer for lunch duty, giving teachers more time to prepare lessons. They lead dance classes and assist with school performances.

'We are not an island; we want their help,' Marshall said. 'When you have this type of support, I believe there's nothing we can't achieve, nothing we can't overcome.' Still, change won't happen right away. The achievement gap isn't created by schools. It is something that exists the moment a student of color, with special needs or from a low socioeconomic background walks into a school. It is a set of circumstances that needs to be addressed at all levels to achieve and maintain success.

'It's not an overnight thing, but this starting point of getting started and looking at it ... it's a big step,' Green said.

'It's a huge step for us.

We're excited because a lot of districts, a lot of places across the country, have talked about this.

Very few have actually done it.'