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The typical and atypical reading brain

Because of links between early brain development and later reading success, Nadine Gaab makes the case for running brain measures on young children, to identify dyslexia, improve remediation methods, inform education policy, and allow children to reach their "intellectual potential."

Nadine Gaab, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston

powerpoint >>

2011
Conference

Category: Practice

Tags: parenting, cognitive ability, cognitive development, early childhood, literacy, instructional improvement, reading, remediation

	Social and Educational Equity:Three Exciting New Campaigns Leslie Cornfeld, Mark Edwards, Ralph Smith Forum Nov 2012 tags: youth, truancy, literacy, opportunity Category:
Campaigns can be bridges from research to policy and practice. This forum highlights the work of three exciting new campaigns for social and educational equity: the NYC Mayorâ€™s Interagency Task Force on Truancy, Chronic Absenteeism & School Engagement, Opportunity Nation, and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. .........................................................................................
	Envisioning a System: A Pathways to Prosperity Forum Ronald Ferguson, Keith Westrich, Susan Lange, Christyanna Egun and Melissa Scibelli. Forum May 2011 tags: supports, community, employment Category:
Massachusetts efforts to engage employers and promote opportunities for multiple education pathways and work-based learning. A panel moderated by Ronald Ferguson featuring: Keith Westrich, Susan Lange, Christyanna Egun and Melissa Scibelli. .........................................................................................
	Helping Parents Manage Stress And Promoting Healthy Child Development William Beardslee, Harvard Medical School Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, poverty, heathcare, mental health, stress Category:
William Beardslee discusses early interventions by developmental phase to promote mental health. He highlights the importance of policies that support parents and communities and the inextricable links between poverty and healthcare injustice. Beardslee also stresses the need to help parents become partners in their child's wellbeing and to minimize their role as simply receivers of information from doctors and healthcare professionals. .........................................................................................
	Home Visiting & Enabling Effective Parenting Robert Ammerman, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, hospital home visitation, poverty, Category:
Robert Ammerman discusses home visiting programs from the lens of one organization, Every Child Succeeds. These programs help high-risk parents, by promoting and assisting with healthy pregnancies, proper child development, and effective parenting. He discusses field work, new developments, and implications. .........................................................................................
	HomeWorks:The Teacher Home Visit Program Karen Kalish, Teacher Home Visit Program, St. Louis Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, teacher home visitation Category:
Karen Kalish discusses a teacher home visit program, which aims at getting parents involved in their child's education and addresses the skills gap plaguing the U.S. economy. The program measures attendance, parental involvement, and test scores, and focuses on getting parents and teachers talking about academics. Kalish gives tips for teachers giving home visits including etiquette and safety. .........................................................................................
	Documentary Project: America's Promise Michele Stephenson and Joseph Brewster, Rada Film Group Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, race, education Category:
What does it take to overcome the racial achievement gap? Michele Stephenson and Joseph Brewster discuss this question in their documentary film, Achievement Gap. This film follows two African American boys in Brooklyn and looks at what it takes to overcome the racial achievement gap in education. The filmmakers also discuss the powerful role of documentary film in social movements. .........................................................................................
	Framing Public Discourse on Parenting Tiffany Manuel, Frameworks Institute Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, community, social change, public policy Category:
Tiffany Manuel discusses framing parental practice for public engagement and social change. She highlights key challenges to framing parental practice, including the fact that discourse related to education is often times myopic, looking only at extremes. Manuel also believes a key to framing is to draw back the lens and enable people to understand the full context of parental practice; this context includes not just the parents but also the housing situation, healthcare, and community resources available. .........................................................................................
	Synthesis and Remarks Heather Weiss, Harvard Family Research Project Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, community Category:
Heather Weiss discusses the importance of parent, family, and community engagement to enhance learning and strategies to achieve systemic change. She reframes the definition of PFCE to include shared responsibility, continuity, and context. .........................................................................................
	The typical and atypical reading brain Nadine Gaab, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, cognitive ability, cognitive development, early childhood, literacy, instructional improvement, reading, remediation Category:
Because of links between early brain development and later reading success, Nadine Gaab makes the case for running brain measures on young children, to identify dyslexia, improve remediation methods, inform education policy, and allow children to reach their "intellectual potential." .........................................................................................
	Research on Racial Differences in Learning Richard Nisbett, University of Michigan Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, IQ, heritability, social class, intelligence, environment, family background, intervention, race Category:
Nisbett argues that IQ is determined in part by genetics and in part by the environment in which a child is reared, citing several twin studies as evidence. He also asserts that the heritability of IQ is dependent on the child' social class, but heritability places no limits on malleability of intelligence. Consequently, the environment is especially crucial since it can be directly affected by programs, teachers, and parents. .........................................................................................
	What Parents Should Know about Adolescent Development: The Influence of Schools on Adolescent Behavior and Risk-Taking Stephanie Jones, Harvard Graduate School of Education Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, adolescence, development, school, environment, adults, relationships, risk-taking, transitions, middle school, peers, supervision, stress, regulation, socialization, social norms Category:
Stephanie Jones discusses the fundamental developmental tasks of adolescence, the influence of schools on adolescent behavior and risk-taking, and the implications of her research on parenting. She narrows-in on the context of the school environment and the relationships that adolescents build with adults as especially critical factors in adolescence. .........................................................................................
	Lessons from Youth Development Research Richard Lerner, Tufts University Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, youth culture, adolescence, contribution, life skills, leadership, relationships, engagement, school Category:
Richard Lerner summarizes findings of the 4H Study of Positive Youth Development. Based on the study, he highlights five characteristics that define a thriving young person. When a young person develops high levels of these characteristics, he or she becomes more engaged in school, less prone to problem behaviors, and able to make a positive contribution to the world. .........................................................................................
	What Parents Should Know About Adolescent Development: The Role of Schools Steven Sheldon, Johns Hopkins University Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, adolescence, school, development, influence, communication, expectation, attainment, homework, practice, advisor Category:
Steven Sheldon discusses the roles of parents and schools for adolescent students. He argues that parents still matter in adolescence, but their role shifts from involvement at school to involvement at home. He also suggests practices for connecting parents and schools through interactive homework and evening advisements. .........................................................................................
	Racial Dynamics in Multiracial High Schools John Diamond, Harvard Graduate School of Education Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, race, performance expectations, oppositional culture, white hypothesis, peer dynamics, status beliefs, tracking, social capital, hierarchy, classes Category:
John Diamond discusses how race matters in the experiences of high school students and how students internalize and respond to status beliefs and expectations. He suggests mechanisms to affect race dynamics in schools such as rethinking tracking systems and building social capital in students and parents. .........................................................................................
	Helping Families Support the Language and Literacy Skills of English Language Learners: Effective Practices and Future Directions Mariela Paez, Lynch School of Education, Boston College Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, intervention, ELL, bilingual, reading, language, linguistic, Spanish, literarcy, language Category:
Mariela Paez describes a research-based intervention to improve oral language development for ELL students. Her program combines the English language classroom with the Spanish language home using mechanisms to support both parents and teachers. .........................................................................................
	Empowering Parents: Sustaining the Gains of Early Childhood Education Portia Kennel, Ounce of Prevention Fund, Chicago Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, disadvantage, engagement, health, implementation, poverty, school quality, early childhood, school readiness Category:
Portia Kennel discusses how Educare early learning centers help low-income parents provide their young children the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to succeed in school. Educare works to enhance the parent-child relationship, the parent's role in the child's development, and the parent's role in advocating for quality schooling. .........................................................................................
	Mobilizing partners, communities and families to build family strengths, promote optimal development and reduce child abuse and neglect Judy Langford, Center for the Study for Social Policy Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, cognitive development, funding, early childhood Category:
Judy Langford talks about efforts to disseminate among states and localities the Strengthening Families framework, which is based on promoting family protective factors to help reduce child maltreatment and improve child outcomes. .........................................................................................
	The Strengthening Families framework Jamilah R. Jor’dan, Chicago State University Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, engagement, family background, immigrant youth, implementation, minority students, mobility, network, poverty, Hispanic, early childhood Category:
Jamilah Jor'dan discusses implementation of the Strengthening Families framework in Illinois. In line with her challenge to the audience--to deliver information to parents in a language they understand so ideas can become "beneficial" to families--Jor'dan relates such successes as "parent cafes," confabs, and online communities. .........................................................................................
	How Children’s Hands Can Help Them Learn Language Susan Goldin-Meadow, University of Chicago Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, cognitive ability, poverty, early childhood Category:
Susan Goldin-Meadow presents research that the amount children gesture--for example, point to objects, is strongly related to their language development. She encourages parents to gesture as a model to their children, and to directly encourage their children to gesture. .........................................................................................
	The Three-to-Third Program Kara Lysy, Harvard Graduate School of Education (Three-to-Third) Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, community, cultural groups, engagement, immigrant students, immigrant youth, minority students, early childhood Category:
Longtime Boston Public Schools teacher Kara Lysy shares the challenges and possibilities of teacher home-visiting in the Three-to-Third Program. .........................................................................................
	Introducing College Bound William Jackson, Great Schools, Inc. Conference June 2011 tags: parenting Category:
Bill Jackson talks about--and shows examples of--the emerging College Bound initiative to promote parent knowledge and skills through practical mini-lessons delivered by digital media. .........................................................................................
	Mechanisms by which Parent Behaviors Mediate Child Outcomes Ursula Johnson, University of North Texas Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, early childhood, cognitive development, literacy Category:
Ursula Johnson discusses a home-based play and learning strategy intervention program that teaches parents how to develop a more responsive interactive style with their young children. By learning how to identify and appropriately respond to their child's signals during playtime, parents are able to positively affect their child's language and early literacy skills. .........................................................................................
	The role of parent input in early numeracy Elizabeth Gunderson, University of Chicago Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, early childhood, cognitive development, numeracy Category:
Elizabeth Gunderson discusses her research on parent involvement in early numeracy, and explains that numerical development begins at home, before a child starts school. Parents can support this development by using "number talk" that involves counting and labeling real objects. .........................................................................................
	Positive Care of Infants and Toddlers: A Cornerstone for addressing the Achievement Gap Carol Leitschuh, University of Minnesota Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, early childhood, cognitive development Category:
Carol Leitschuh talks about the importance of movement and children's delight in their early developmental accomplishments. She explains how movement and play are how young babies learn, and shares best practices for how parents and caregivers should intervene to best develop the minds of young children. .........................................................................................
	New Directions in Family Engagement in Education M. Elena Lopez, Harvard Family Research Project Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, engagement, implementation, lack of information, school resources, trust Category:
M. Elena Lopez discusses new directions for creating family-school relationships, focusing specifically on how to best share student data with families. She outlines three core principles for how data is best shared: 1) access, 2) understanding, 3) action, and uses information from a college and career readiness framework in use by New Visions for Public Schools to show what good data sharing can look like in practice. .........................................................................................
	Let’s Talk…It Makes a Difference: An Oral Language Development Campaign that Empowers Parents Jennifer Baily, Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative, Cambridge Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, early childhood, literacy Category:
Jennifer Baily shares information on the Let's Talk Campaign, whose goal is to ensure all children and families in Cambridge will be able to read. The key messages that the campaign stresses are that learning begins at birth, and parents need to talk with their children and read with them as much as possible. She outlines several techniques on how to best accomplish these goals, and ends by discussing specific components of the program. .........................................................................................
	Communication Strategies for Reaching Parents Rocio Galarza, Sesame Workshop Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, engagement, family background, lack of information, early childhood Category:
Rocio Galarza discusses the Sesame Workshop model of parent outreach, explaining how it starts with a needs assessment to figure out what issues researchers and parents think should be highlighted. She then focus on several specific outreach initiatives that Sesame Workshop has developed to help meet the needs of parents, including the Learning is Everywhere initiative and others that empower both children and their families. .........................................................................................
	SES and Neural Function in Childhood Margaret Sheridan, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, socioeconomic status, stress, health, prefrontal cortex, brain development Category:
In her research Sheridan explores the impact of early life experiences that are a product of socioeconomic status on the prefrontal cortex, which controls behavior, working memory and inhibition. She asks two specific questions in her research: Is there an association between neural function in the prefrontal cortex and socioeconomic status in childhood? Does language exposure mediate those findings if they exist? .........................................................................................
	Rethinking the Importance of Early Developmental and Academic Skills in Predicting Achievement Gaps and Children’s Outcomes David Grissmer, University of Virginia Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, achievement gap, environment, development, myelination, academic outcomes, neural mechanisms Category:
Grissmer seeks to answer three key questions in his presentation through consideration of neuroscience, environment and development: 1. What are the most important early skills for parents, out of school programs and schools to develop in their children that will improve their long term outcomes? 2. What neural mechanisms might explain the link between these early skills and later outcomes? 3. How might these skills be developed in a cost-effective manner? .........................................................................................
	Family Processes that Support School Readiness Susan Landry, University of Texas, Houston Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, poverty, health, attachment relationships, socio-cultural theory, proximal development, contingent responsiveness, reciprocal parenting Category:
Landry explains the findings of a descriptive longitudinal study focused on school readiness skills (language, attention, etc), which uses data from the first 8 of 16 consecutive years that children were followed. Landry’s team is particularly interested in the role of the environment in poverty-homes, looking for positive influences in child’s longitudinal outcomes. They evaluate whether the role of the environment is different for children who were born biologically healthy, full-term into poverty homes verses those born at-risk biologically. Can positive, stimulating, nurturing home environment support each equally well? .........................................................................................
	Nutrition for Healthy Child and Youth Development Steven Gortmaker, Harvard School of Public Health Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, health, nutrition, physical education, parenting, curriculum Category:
How do you create healthier environments in all the settings where kids spend time? Gortmaker’s research is focused on improving nutrition and physical activity in whole populations not individuals. He discusses programs developed for preschool, middle school and communities, as well as policy and program interventions that make it easier for parents and children to make choices around food and physical activity. .........................................................................................
	Introduction Marian Edelman, Children's Defense Fund and Ronald Ferguson, The Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University Conference June 2011 tags: parenting Category:
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	The Power of Play John Ratey, Harvard Medical School Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, television, computers, youth, social media, engagement Category:
John Ratey of the Harvard Medical School discusses how exercise, play, and movement are essential ingredients to helping children develop social, behavioral, and cognitive skills. In particular, he highlights the school system in Naperville, Illinois, which has created a rigorous physical education system to improve fitness for all students. .........................................................................................
	What Parents Should Know from Brain Research Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: William Dickens, Northeastern University and the Brookings Institution Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Fostering Young Children’s Spatial Thinking Susan Levine, University of Chicago Conference June 2011 tags: parenting,spatial thinking, spatial knowledge, geometry, mathematics, early learning, malleable Category:
Susan Levine discusses young children’s development of spatial thinking (sometimes referred to as geometry) as an important and often neglected aspect of early mathematics. She explains that the math knowledge that a child enters school with is a predictor of ability as far out as fifth grade and that strong spatial skills is important to a variety of stem disciplines including science, technology, and engineering. She argues that spatial thinking is malleable and that we can all become better in our spatial skills and the ways in which this can impact our lives. She discusses the findings and implications of a study examining parents' and children's knowledge and ability with spatial language. .........................................................................................
	What Parents Should Know about Developing Literacy & Mathematics Skills Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: Richard Murnane, Harvard Graduate School of Education Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Helping Parents Manage Stress and Promoting Healthy Child Development Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: James Quane, Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Based on the paper: An Empirically Derived Parenting Typology; Presentation delivered by Ron Ferguson for Jelani Mandara Ronald Ferguson, The Achievement Gap Initiative Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, parenting strategies, frameworks, race, parent-child relationship measures, parenting styles Category:
Ron Ferguson presents the work of psychologist, Jelani Mendara, who wanted to find the best “black way” of parenting. He found, despite his predictions, that the same parenting strategies were best practices for black children as for white children, concluding that the traditional conception of authoritative parenting may be optimal for all American ethnic groups, even if it is not culturally normative for some. .........................................................................................
	What Parents Should Know about Adolescent Development Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: Rick Weissbourd, Harvard Graduate School of Education Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Parenting Initiatives in the Boston Public School System Michele Brooks, Parent University, Boston Public Schools Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, family engagement, parent education, supporting student learning, partnerships Category:
Michele Brooks defines herself as “a practioner who seeks to implement and ‘breathe life’ into research.” She is the Assistant Superintendent for Family and Student Engagement in Boston Public Schools. Here she is providing overview of where Boston Public started and where they are with family engagement. The office does not engage families and does not plan programs, they are about practice and believe that engaging families is the job of every person in the entire system. The role of the office is to build the capacity to engage families in a meaningful and respectful way, to build the capacity of parents as partners. For example: For every instructional strategy there is a family engagement strategy to accompany it, i.e. when teacher teaches phonemic awareness there is a strategy for parents to use at home. Parent University is specifically focused on empowering parents in the role of their children’s education. .........................................................................................
	Organizational Structures for Reaching Parents Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: Ronald Ferguson, The Achievement Gap Initiative Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Early Words a ReadBoston program Theresa Lynn, ReadBoston, Boston Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, early childhood, literacy Category:
Theresa Lynn discusses Read Boston's Early Words program, whose goal is to increase language development in children from birth to four. She outlines the program's three approaches (increasing public awareness of the importances of talking with young children, model practices that encourage verbal exchange, and provide supports to specific populations). Specific strategies for increasing verbal interactions are also briefly discussed. .........................................................................................
	Parent Talk Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: Rick Weissbourd, Harvard Graduate School of Education Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Home Visitation Programs Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: Julie Boatright Wilson, Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy, Harvard Kennedy School of Government Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Communication Strategies for Reaching Parents Panel Discussion Lead Questioner: Joe Blatt, Harvard Graduate School of Education Conference June 2011 tags: Category:
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	Faith Based Delivery of Social & Child Welfare Services: A Strength-Based Approach Darrell Armstrong, Institute for Clergy Training (IFCT), Trenton Conference June 2011 tags: parenting, community, family, engagement, childhood, home-visits, religion, faith, family, worship Category:
Darrell Armstrong discusses the role of faith-based organizations in supporting parents. In his own practice, he uses relevant sermons, evidence-based programs, home visits, and baby blessing rituals to partner with parents in the development of their babies. .........................................................................................
	An American Promise? The documentary project and interactive website Joe Brewster and Michelle Stephenson PLN January 2010 tags: parenting, network Category:
Filmmakers and husband and wife, Joe Brewster and Michelle Stephanson, preview their powerful and personal documentary "An American Promise". The film chronicles the paths of two black boys growing up in New York, one of whom is their son. .........................................................................................
	The New Media /Social Networking Universe Chris Hastings PLN January 2010 tags: parenting, network, new media, social media, youth engagement Category:
Hastings describes the wave of information that is a part of our daily lives. He offers suggestions on how to handle information overload and social media. .........................................................................................
	Content + Intent = Change: A formula for catalyzing social change using documentary film Anna Lee PLN January 2010 tags: parenting, network, community Category:
Working Films activist, Anna Lee describes how documentary films can be used to as catalysts for social change by engaging audiences and motivating people to take action. .........................................................................................
	C.A.L.M. Society: Committed Advocates Leading Many Andrea Lawful-Trainer PLN January 2010 tags: parenting, network, advocacy, community Category:
Community advocate, Andrea Lawful-Trainer, shares her experience in creating C.A.L.M. (Committed Advocates Leading Many). She discusses the challenges parents face when responding to assumptions and stereotypes associated with educational systems. .........................................................................................
	Brockton High School Susan Szachowicz, Maria LeFort Forum April 2010 tags: High School, Instruction, literacy Category:
The instructional leaders from Brockton High School attribute success to their literacy initiative supported by literacy charts in every classroom. They also focused on open response drills and fostered student engagement. .........................................................................................
	Whittier Technical High School Katrina Hunter-Jensen, Kelly Fay, Patricia Lowell Forum April 2010 tags: High School, Instruction Category:
Whittier Technical High School leaders Hunter-Jensen, Fay, and Lowell share the details of their programs that significantly raised student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Randolph High School William Conard, Laura Sullivan, Stephen LeClair Forum April 2010 tags: High School, Instruction Category:
Randolph High School leaders Conard, Sullivan, and LeClair share the details of their programs that significantly raised student achievement. .........................................................................................
	High School Success Stories: How Did Some Exemplary High Schools in Greater Boston Raise Achievement and Narrow Test-Score Gaps? Ronald Ferguson, Mary Skipper, Sharon Wolder Forum September 2010 tags: High School, Instruction, test score gaps Category:
Ferguson presents key findings from the 2009 AGI report “How High Schools Become Exemplary”. Two leaders at featured schools, Skipper, TechBoston Academy and Wolder, Brockton High School shared their perspectives. .........................................................................................
	A Conversation with Accenture CEO Bill Green: Business Roles in Preparing a Future Workforce Bill Green, Robert Schwartz Forum April 2009 tags: community, business, pathways, employment Category:
Schwartz and Accenture CEO Green discuss workforce trends in the 21st century global economy, the role of business, and the importance of education. Green shares his personal philosophy of education: the need for accessibility, affordability, and accountability. .........................................................................................
	Generating Workforce Opportunity: How YEAR UP Enriches Businesses and Youth Stacy Childress, Casey Recupero, Robert Schwartz Forum April 2009 tags: community, business, pathways, employment Category:
Recupero describes the YEAR UP program; a YEAR UP employer partner and employee alum share their different perspectives. Panelists discuss the challenges of scaling up a social enterprise like YEAR UP to meet the needs of employers and workers. .........................................................................................
	Building Capacity to Serve English Language Learners in U.S. Schools Jana Echevarria, Nonie K. Lesaux, Donna Dooley, Paul Reville Forum April 2009 tags: ELL, instruction Category:
The panelists discuss how to meet the practice and policy challenges of educating English language learners, the fast growing segment of the k-12 student population. Lesaux argues that teachers are not adequately prepared to meet this challenge. .........................................................................................
	Yes We Can! A Panel on Closing the Achievement Gaps Jane Waldfogel, Richard Nisbett, Ron Ferguson Forum March 2009 tags: Achievement gaps, test score gaps Category:
Waldfogel examines the steady gains (1971-1988), stalled progress (1988-1999), and renewed progress (2000-2004) in closing achievement gaps. She links these trends to parental education, school segregation, and teacher quality patterns. Nisbett presents evidence that challenges the conclusions presented in the 1994 book "the Bell Curve". Ferguson summarizes key points from his book "Excellence with Equity". .........................................................................................
	Conference Welcome from Co-Chairs Ron Ferguson and Stacey Childress Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Welcome from Conference Co-Chairs Ronald Ferguson and Stacey Childress .........................................................................................
	Seven Strategic Propositions from the June 2008 AGI Conference Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2009 tags: School District Reform, leadership Category:
Ferguson outlines seven strategic propositions for closing achievement gaps distilled from research and practice presentations at the 2008 AGI conference on district-wide education reform. .........................................................................................
	Why Improving High School Instruction is so Difficult Jon Saphier Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
Saphier contends that the central engines of instructional improvement require cohesive, long-term focus from a school leader and a leadership team that has the improvement of teaching and learning in each and every classroom as its mission. .........................................................................................
	Problems in High Schools that Attempt to Improve Karin Chenoweth Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
Chenoweth shares observations from her work with two high schools: Elmont in a middle class neighborhood in New York state and Granger a high poverty school in Washington state. .........................................................................................
	Profiles of Progress and Performance at the Conference's Featured High Schools Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
Ferguson describes the characteristics of the fifteen exemplary high schools presented at the 2009 AGI conference. He shares their impressive gains in English Language Arts and Math. .........................................................................................
	Discussion and Q&A Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Payzant adds his perspectives on school improvement to those presented by Ferguson, Saphier and Chenoweth. .........................................................................................
	Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School, Cincinnati, OH Anthony Smith Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
The instructional team at Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School describes several key initiatives that have helped the school narrow its achievement gaps. .........................................................................................
	Naperville Central and North High Schools, Naperville, IL (session 1) Jodi Wirt and Nina Menis Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
The Associate Superintendent and the Science Department Chair at Naperville Central and North High Schools describe how they developed and implemented a new curriculum to raise achievement. .........................................................................................
	Manor New Technology High School, Manor, TX Steve Zipkes Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, Project Based Learning Category:
The school team from Manor New Technology High School describes how their project based learning model supports nine learning outcomes linked to specific skills. .........................................................................................
	Discussion and Q&A Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Saphier and Murnane explore further the methods used by Robert Taft Information Technology High School, Naperville Central and North High Schools, and Manor New Technology High School to raise student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Brockton High School, Brockton, MA Maria Lefort Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
Brockton High School leaders Szachowicz and LeFort share the details of their programs that significantly raised student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Worcester Technical High School, Worcester, MA Sheila Harrity Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction Category:
The math team led by the principal share the results of Worcester's SUCCESS campaign which focuses on mastering open response and uses curriculum maps with target dates to guide instructional progress. .........................................................................................
	Brighton High School, Boston, MA Joyce Campbell Conference June 2009 tags: High School, Instruction, ELA Category:
Brighton High School instructional leaders explain how they raised achievement by targeting incoming 9th graders in the "Bubble". Their ELA instruction focuses on seven types of thinking skills. .........................................................................................
	Discussion and Q&A Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Saphier and Murnane explore further the methods used by Brockton, Worcester Technical, and Brighton high schools to raise student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Randolph High School, Randolph, MA Bill Conard Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, ELA, English Language Arts Category:
The instructional leadership team at Randolph High School describes the school's shift to student-centered instruction and a focus on developing higher-order thinking skills supported by professional development. .........................................................................................
	Amherst Regional High School, Amherst, MA Kristen Iverson Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, ELA, English Language Arts Category:
A team of English teachers from Amherst Regional High School describe how heterogeneous classes, writing across the curriculum, and trust among the faculty raised ELA achievement. .........................................................................................
	Boston Latin Academy, Boston, MA Lydia Francis-Joyner and Miranda Lutyens Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, ELA, English Language Arts Category:
The instructional team from Boston Latin Academy, a public exam school, attributes its exemplary ELA achievement gains to its rigorous common curriculum and test preparation. .........................................................................................
	Discussion and Q&A Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Chenoweth and Payzant explore further the methods used by Boston Latin Academy, Randolph and Amherst Regional high schools to raise student achievement. .........................................................................................
	TechBoston Academy High School, Boston, MA Mary Skipper Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, Math Category:
The TechBoston Academy leadership team describes the central role technology plays at this young school both as a tool and as content. .........................................................................................
	Lynn English High School, Lynn, MA Kathy Bonnevie Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, Math Category:
A math team from Lynn English High School describes how a focus on improving instruction and professional development raised achievement. .........................................................................................
	Naperville Central and North High Schools, Naperville, IL (session 2) Jodi Wirt and Nina Menis Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, Math Category:
Two leaders in the Math department from Naperville describe how implementing the Charlotte Danielson model for teacher evaluation led to a focus on improving student engagement in the classroom. .........................................................................................
	Discussion and Q&A Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Chenoweth and Payzant explore further the methods used by TechBoston Academy, Lynn English, Naperville Central and North high schools to raise student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School, Washington, DC Alexandra Pardo Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, poverty Category:
A team from Thurgood Marshall Academy describes the school's high standards and ambitious mission to deliver success in one of the poorest neighborhoods in DC. .........................................................................................
	Paint Branch High School, Montgomery County, MD John Haas Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, AP Category:
Two AP World History teachers and the Assistant Principal describe how professional development and active recruiting increased AP participation at Paint Branch High School. .........................................................................................
	Lee High School, Houston, TX Steve Amstutz Conference June 2009 tags: High school, Instruction, poverty Category:
A team from Lee High School led by Principal Amstutz describes three core strategies used to raise achievement in this high minority, high poverty school. .........................................................................................
	Discussion and Q&A Conference June 2009 tags: Category:
Murnane and Connell explore further the methods used by Thurgood Marshall Academy, PaintBranch and Lee highs schools to raise student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Wrapup: Marian Brooks, Karin Chenoweth, Jim Connell, Richard Murnane Marian Brooks, Karin Chenoweth, Jim Connell, Richard Murnane Conference June 2009 tags: High school Instruction Category:
Brooks, Chenoweth, Connell, and Murnane emphasize the centrality of moral conviction, courage, and earned authority in pressing colleagues for commitments to the hard work required to raise student achievement. .........................................................................................
	Encouraging Family Literacy in Ethnically Diverse and Immigrant Families Hirokazu Yoshikawa PLN September 2009 tags: parenting, network, immigrant Category:
Yoshikawa shares research on ethnic and racial differences in use of language with children. He suggests two approaches to improving family literacy to support parent achievement goals for their children. .........................................................................................
	A New Approach to Old Challenges in Shaker Heights, Ohio: An Emerging Model of Comprehensive Community-Based School Reform Mark and Me’lani Joseph PLN September 2009 tags: community, network Category:
Mark Joseph , a professor at Case Western Reserve and his wife Melan'i describe the creation of "One Shaker", a new parent network designed to support "excellence with equity" in the racially diverse suburban school district of Shaker Heights. .........................................................................................
	The EdWorks Model for High School Improvement Randall G. Sampson PLN September 2009 tags: community, network, School Reform Category:
Randall outlines the basic principles and success of the EdWorks school reform model. He argues that relationships in the classroom and the community are what make or break the transformation process. .........................................................................................
	What is a Family-School Partnership Supposed to look like? Karen Mapp Forum September 2009 tags: school, family, parenting Category:
Mapp provides examples of parent engagement and partnerships that exist within schools with AYP scores ranging from below basic, to basic, proficient, and advanced. She identifies the core beliefs of each of the school environments. She details the value of joining families, communities, and schools together to build trusting and respectful relationships among school staff, community members, students and families. .........................................................................................
	Conceptualizing Whole-District Strategic Reform Ellen Foley Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Foley and Sigler describe CORRE (Central Office Review for Results and Equity), a framework for examining and influencing how district administrators support teaching and learning developed by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform. .........................................................................................
	TechBoston Academy High School Mary Skipper Conference June 2008 tags: dropout, at risk students, student data, instruction, School District Reform Category:
Skipper, headmaster of TechBoston Academy, shares how the school uses data to identify student risk levels and reduce dropout rates. .........................................................................................
	Murphy Elementary School Mary Russo Conference June 2008 tags: instruction, School District Reform Category:
Murphy Elementary School Principal, Russo describes three strategies they use to improve instruction. .........................................................................................
	Wrap Up: What is the State of the Field? James Connell Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Connell describes the four core strategies of "First Things First", a district-wide reform framework developed by the non profit Institute for Research and Reform in Education (IRRE). .........................................................................................
	Wrap Up: What is the State of the Field? Janet Quint Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Quint offers her comments on School District Reform. .........................................................................................
	Wrap Up: What is the State of the Field? Richard Murnane Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Murnane offers his comments on School District Reform. .........................................................................................
	Wrap Up: What is the State of the Field? Jason Snipes Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Snipes offers his comments on School District Reform. .........................................................................................
	Conceptualizing Whole-District Strategic Reform Nelson Gonzalez, June Rimmer Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Rimmer and Gonzalez present two tools the Stupski Foundation has developed to facilitate district-wide reform. They also described several new tools in development. .........................................................................................
	Setting District-Level Conditions for Successful Turnarounds Andrew Calkins Conference June 2008 tags: School Turnarounds Category:
Calkins describes three attributes and three conditions found in high-performance, high poverty schools. .........................................................................................
	Using Data to Change District Culture Elizabeth City Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, data Category:
City describes the eight steps of the Data Wise process which supports a system of "continuous improvement" based on the effective use of data. Data Wise is the result of a two-year collaboration with the Boston Public Schools. .........................................................................................
	Setting District-Level Conditions for Successful Turnarounds LeAnn Buntrock Conference June 2008 tags: School Turnarounds, Leadership Category:
Buntrock describes the Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education and its School Turnaround Specialists Program and stresses the importance of leadership in successful school turnarounds. .........................................................................................
	Discussion: Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps in Montgomery County, MD Mica Pollock, John Diamond Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Pollock and Diamond respond to the conference presentation "Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps in Montgomery County, MD". .........................................................................................
	Discussion: Setting District-Level Conditions for Successful Turnarounds Tony Wagner, James Connell Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, turnarounds Category:
Wagner and Connell respond to conference presentations on "Setting District-Level Conditions for Successful Turnarounds". .........................................................................................
	Current Efforts in Suburban School Districts: Lexington, MA Paul Ash, Vito LaMura, Steven Flynn Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, test score gaps Category:
A district leadership team from the Lexington MA district led by Superintendent Ash shares the results of its study of district achievement gaps and the actions and change process developed to address them. .........................................................................................
	Conference Opening Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Conference opening comments by Ferguson .........................................................................................
	Conceptualizing Whole-District Strategic Reform Stacey Childress Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Childress describes the Public Education Leadership Program (PELP), a joint effort of the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The PELP Coherence Framework identifies the key elements of district-wide improvement processes. .........................................................................................
	Discussion: Current Efforts in Suburban School Districts Stacey Childress, Yvonne Allen Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, test score gaps, suburban schools Category:
Childress and Allen respond to conference presentations on closing achievement gaps in suburban school districts. .........................................................................................
	Discussion: Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps in Richmond, VA Robert Peterkin, Seth Reynolds Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Peterkin and Reynolds respond to the conference presentation "Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps in Richmond, VA". .........................................................................................
	Closing Remarks Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Closing Remarks: 2008 AGI Conference .........................................................................................
	Discussion: Using Data to Change District Culture Duncan Chapin, Thomas Payzant Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, data Category:
Chapin and Payzant respond to conference presentations on "Using Data to Change District Culture". .........................................................................................
	Discussion: Conceptualizing Whole-District Strategic Reform Thomas Payzant, Jason Snipes, Katherine Boles Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
Payzant, Snipes, and Boles respond to conference presentations on "Conceptualizing Whole-District Reform". .........................................................................................
	Current Efforts in Suburban School Districts: Brookline, MA William Lupini, Jennifer Fischer-Mueller, David Summergrad Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform Category:
A team from Brookline, MA led by Superintendent Lupini describes the development and implementation of "The Equity Project", a comprehensive, system-wide plan for closing the district's achievement gap. .........................................................................................
	Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps in Richmond, VA Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Victoria Oakly, Yvonne Brandon, Michael Kight Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, professional development Category:
A district leadership team from Richmond, VA led by Superintendent Jewell-Sherman describes the core components and success of Richmond's professional development program, RPS University. .........................................................................................
	Raising Achievement and Narrowing Gaps in Montgomery County, MD Frieda Lacey, Jamie Virga, Carole Working, Heath Morrison, Adrian Talley Conference June 2008 tags: School District Reform, data Category:
A district leadership team from Montgomery County, MD led by Deputy Superintendent Lacey illustrates the way the district uses a detailed data reporting system to identify and resolve achievement issues. .........................................................................................
	We Won. Now What? Law and Politics in the Aftermath of School Finance Reform Litigation Michael Rebell Forum November 2008 tags: School Finance Litigation, funding Category:
Attorney Rebell describes the very complex legal process of implementing fiscal equity reforms in New York state. He discusses the challenge of managing conflicting political interests and the role of the courts in implementing reforms. Former assembly member, Sanders makes the case that since we know funding matters, shouldn't each child have the same educational opportunity? .........................................................................................
	Longer Days in Better Schools: The Expanded Learning Model Christopher Gabrieli, Robin Harris, Carol Johnson, Jeffrey Riley Conference December 2008 tags: Expanded Learning, longer school day, reform Category:
A panel of advocates and practitioners discuss the Massachusetts Extended Learning Time (ELT) Imitative to address achievement gaps. Boston’s Edwards Middle School shares its ELT experience and success. .........................................................................................
	Beyond the Bubble: Helping ALL Students to Excel Richard Elmore, Tom Hehir, Michelle Burgos, Yvonne Allen Forum April 2008 tags: differentiated instruction Category:
Elmore, Hehir, Burgos, and Allen discuss the practice of "tailoring" instruction to address the needs of all students. Presenters focused on common school efforts to meet the needs of a clearly defined population of students who score just below proficiency of state academic accountability exams. .........................................................................................
	Race, Identity & Achievement: What Role for Elites? Ronald Ferguson, Cedric Jones, Joshua Garriga Forum March 2008 tags: community, race, social structures Category:
Ferguson, former corporate executive Jones, and student leader Garriga discuss how economic, academic, and social "elites" can help young people to cope with race and identity related pressures that interfere with academic achievement. .........................................................................................
	Hip Hop Music and School Success Steve Perry, J-Live Forum February 2008 tags: hip-hop, youth culture Category:
This panel of teachers and artists debates the cultural messages "Hip Hop" music expresses. The audience is challenged to consider their own role as consumers in supporting the predominately negative images and messages contained in the lyrics. .........................................................................................
	Race, Politics and Sex: Understanding the Attitudes and Behaviors of African American Youth Cathy Cohen Conference June 2007 tags: black youth, youth culture, music, racism, politics, youth, hip-hop Category:
Cohen explores why the same black youths’ behaviors often do not align with their mostly conventional aspirations. Cohen suggests that black youths’ feelings of being devalued culturally and “locked out” of opportunities structurally may explain some of the misalignment between their aspirations and behaviors. .........................................................................................
	How Racial Stereotypes Color Self-Perceptions of Ability and Why it Matters. Joshua Aronson Conference June 2007 tags: stereotype threat, IQ, theories of intelligence Category:
Aronson presents research on stereotype threat and academic performance. His recent school intervention results in Texas demonstrate that performance can be substantially improved with psychological interventions that include using concepts of malleable intelligence and role models for students. .........................................................................................
	Fitting in matters: markers of in-group belonging and academic outcomes academic outcomes Daphna Oyserman Conference June 2007 tags: youth culture, racial identity, behavior, peer culture, social identity, youth Category:
Oyserman shares evidence that physical similarity to one’s racial-ethnic in-group has a bigger impact on academic attainment for boys than for girls. .........................................................................................
	Hip-Hop and self-esteem Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2007 tags: music, hip-hop, behavior, self-esteem, acting ghetto, black youth, youth culture, youth Category:
Ferguson discusses findings that self esteem is higher among young black males and females. The same is not true for non-blacks. His results highlight the influence of hip hop culture on identity formation and expression for black youth. .........................................................................................
	Messages in the Music: How Rap Lyrics both Encourage and Discourage School Engagement. Travis L. Gosa Conference June 2007 tags: music, hip-hop, youth culture, engagement, oppositional culture, youth Category:
Gosa presents evidence about the extent of anti-achievement messaging in hip-hop music developed from his content analysis of 30,000 lyrics between 1981 and 2005. He finds three main types of negative achievement-related messages. .........................................................................................
	Welcoming Statements Kathleen McCartney Conference June 2007 tags: Category:
Welcoming Statements .........................................................................................
	Last Year’s Conference and How We’re Building On What We Learned Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2007 tags: parenting, peers, peer culture, school reform, teacher quality, college, out-of-school time, youth Category:
Ferguson provides a summary of key factors presented at the 2006 AGI Conference that contribute to the nation's achievement gaps. .........................................................................................
	How English teachers lead students to code-switch linguistically. Rebecca Wheeler Conference June 2007 tags: ELA, English language instruction, code-switching, instruction Category:
Wheeler presents “Code-Switching”, a new method for teaching English. She uses a compare and contrast technique to teach students and teachers how to translate “informal” dialect English into “formal” standard English. The results indicate strong effects. .........................................................................................
	How Enriched Images of Possible Selves Enhance School Engagement: Evidence from an Experiment Daphna Oyserman Conference June 2007 tags: engagement, self-esteem, drop-out, social identity, SES, poverty, motivation, youth Category:
Daphna Oyserman presents findings from an experiment on how enriched images of “possible selves” enhance school engagement. She finds that while youth value education, they may believe that behaviors required to achieve academically conflict with behaviors needed to fit in socially. Her experiment tested ways that enhanced images of possible selves can improve academic achievement. .........................................................................................
	Helping High School Dropouts Make Sense of their Lives and Transition into Productive Adulthood. Robert Clark Conference June 2007 tags: drop-out, behavior, parenting, parent's education, social structures, engagement, community, youth culture, youth Category:
Clark describes his experiences as the director of Youth Build Newark mentoring youth who have dropped out of high school. He shares the challenges low income youths 16 to 24 face and describes the supports they need to finish school and transition to productive adult lives. .........................................................................................
	Framing: Structures and Identity Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2007 tags: instruction, student engagement Category:
Ferguson presents evidence on five key classroom conditions as predictors of five types of student engagement in secondary school classrooms. .........................................................................................
	Accountability and School Improvement Richard Elmore Conference June 2007 tags: reform, accountability, school quality, leadership, teacher quality, instruction Category:
Elmore argues that schools respond to external pressures with the resources and capacities they have. Therefore, internally weak school will either stay the same or get worse with external pressure. .........................................................................................
	High Poverty Schools and the Distribution of Teachers and Principals Helen Ladd Conference June 2007 tags: poverty, teacher quality, leadership, inequality Category:
In North Carolina, Ladd finds a connection in high poverty schools between low test scores and low principle leadership ratings. She also finds that low-income students have less experienced teachers. .........................................................................................
	Teacher Assignment in Low-income Schools Susan Moore Johnson Conference June 2007 tags: poverty, teacher quality, transfers, inequality, teacher recruitment, school reform, leadership, instruction Category:
Johnson presents results from a multi-year study examining issues related to the future of the nation’s teaching force. She discusses ways schools can attract teachers more successfully. .........................................................................................
	Teacher Policy and the Achievement Gap Thomas Kane Conference June 2007 tags: teacher quality, teacher qualifications, teacher experience Category:
Kane cautions that policies aimed at redistributing effective teachers should be based on high quality measures of effectiveness. He identifies prior effectiveness as the best current measure of a teacher’s future effectiveness. .........................................................................................
	Institutional and Everyday forms of Discrimination and Achievement Outcomes Amanda Lewis Conference June 2007 tags: discrimination, high school, resources, teacher quality, stereotypes, race, parenting, instruction Category:
Lewis addresses patterns and meanings of racial differences in school settings. She reports on her study of achievement gaps in an affluent suburban school that has plentiful resources and an expressed commitment to eliminate race-based disparities. .........................................................................................
	School Structures, Expectations, and Peer Dynamics in a Multiracial High School John Diamond Conference June 2007 tags: acting white, achievement, parenting, SES, social structures, social norms, peers, stereotypes, racism, teacher-student interaction Category:
Diamond’s presentation focuses on how institutional arrangements in schools influence social identity. He finds that racial differences in advanced-course enrollments lead students of color to conflate racial categories with academic categories. .........................................................................................
	The Multiple Dimensions of Boundaries in U.S. Schools: Observations from the Northeast & South Prudence Carter Conference June 2007 tags: school environment, social structures, racial mix, engagement, identity, teacher-student interactions Category:
Carter explores the relationship between school practices and the rigidity of “social” and “symbolic” boundaries. Carter found social boundaries to be more rigid in schools where students of color were the minority. .........................................................................................
	How do we get Educators to Consider and Engage in the Topic of Race and Opportunity? Mica Pollock Conference June 2007 tags: racial perceptions, teacher-student interactions, instruction Category:
Mica Pollock reports on ways that educators may unintentionally contribute to racial achievement gaps. Her book, titled "Everyday Anti-racism", provides educators with practical strategies for avoiding biased practices. .........................................................................................
	How Instruction and Peer Culture Affect Student Engagement in Several Domains: Evidence from the Tripod Project Ron Ferguson Conference June 2007 tags: instruction, peer culture, engagement, teacher-student interaction, trust, behavior, youth Category:
Ferguson describes a student engagement framework based on the Tripod survey data. It includes five student engagement targets, five classroom conditions for achieving the targets, and five organizational conditions for achieving and sustaining the classroom conditions. .........................................................................................
	Potholes on the road to college Managing college application among CPS students Melissa Roderick Conference June 2007 tags: college, college access, GPA, test scores, financial aid Category:
Roderick finds that factors beyond simply academic qualifications explain racial/ethnic differences in college participation. Over two-thirds of Chicago high school students chose colleges below their qualifications. .........................................................................................
	The Black-White Test Score Differential Kevin Lang Conference June 2007 tags: test score gaps, black-white gap, parenting, NLSY Category:
Lang (reporting work with Sepulveda) explores how inclusion of certain key control variables affect black-white test score gaps in elementary school. Lang concludes that skill is transmitted across generations through its effect on parenting and other aspects of home environment. .........................................................................................
	Workforce Development Policies’ Effects on Children and Adolescents in Poverty Hirokazu Yoshikawa Conference June 2007 tags: poverty, employment, workforce development, SES, community Category:
Yoshikawa explores connections between workforce development policies and child academic performance. He finds school performance of elementary school children is raised by increased parental employment only if there is an increase in income. .........................................................................................
	Preschool Parent-Child Language Functions and Early School Literacy Dodie Norton Conference June 2007 tags: parenting, literacy, IQ Category:
Norton examines links between pre-school parent-child language functions and a child’s reading, oral expression and written-expression aptitude in grades 2 and 4. She compared school performance over time for two different cases. .........................................................................................
	Aligning resources to enable families to accomplish the tasks that support children in learning in school William Beardslee Conference June 2007 tags: parenting, depression, health, supports Category:
With families that are coping with mental health issues, children often lack supports conducive to learning. Beardslee shares findings on a number of interventions that have effectively increased resilience within at-risk families. .........................................................................................
	Parent Processes that Support School Readiness Susan Landry Conference June 2007 tags: parenting, poverty, SES, cognitive development Category:
Landry found that two parenting interventions, designed to help parents (from all backgrounds) avoid restrictive interactions and to increase responsiveness and warmth, positively affected preschool language scores. .........................................................................................
	Influencing Ways that Parents Raise Children Paul Tough Forum March 2007 tags: parenting Category:
Writer Tough shares what he learned about "Baby College", the parenting program run by the Harlem Children's Zone. Diamond and Weissbourd offer their perspectives on parenting and achievement. .........................................................................................
	Military Models for Adolescent Education Hugh Price, Dorothy Stoneman, Robert Clark Forum April 2007 tags: education reform charter school Category:
Price argues that many of the aspects of the military such as a sense of belonging, teamwork, motivation, self-discipline are necessary for success in school and life. He provided "The National Guard Youth Challenge Corps" as an example of a positive youth training model. Comments are provided by Stoneman and Clark of Youth Build USA. .........................................................................................
	Code-Switching: Teaching Standard English in African American Classrooms Rebecca Wheeler, Rachel Swords, Catherine Snow Forum November 2007 tags: code switching, English language, ELA Category:
Wheeler presents her work on “Code-Switching”, a new method for teaching English. She uses a compare and contrast technique to teach students and teachers how to translate “informal” dialect English and “formal” standard English. The results: student test scores rose dramatically. Swords, a teacher, shares her experience applying the technique in her classroom. .........................................................................................
	Why do We Think We can Close Achievement Gaps? Edmund Gordon Conference June 2006 tags: IQ, Test Scores, Genetics, Racial Differences, Cognitive development Category:
Gordon contends that education extends beyond school. Families and communities need to be involved and complement in school learning. .........................................................................................
	Welcoming Statements Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2006 tags: Category:
Welcoming Statements .........................................................................................
	Welcoming Statements Charles Ogletree Conference June 2006 tags: Category:
Welcoming Statements .........................................................................................
	Opening Statements Kathleen McCartney Conference June 2006 tags: Category:
Opening Statements. Dean McCartney describes the vision of the Achievement Gap Initiative (AGI) as a university-wide effort. .........................................................................................
	Testing for Racial Differences in the Mental Ability of Young Children Roland Fryer Conference June 2006 tags: IQ, test score gaps, genetics, cognitive ability Category:
Fryer presents the results of analysis with Levitt of a nationally representative sample of 10,000 9 month olds from the ECLS-B and challenges the argument that racial achievement gaps are linked to genetic differences. .........................................................................................
	Black Americans Reduce the IQ Gap: Evidence from Standardization Samples William Dickens Conference June 2006 tags: IQ, test score gaps, cognitive ability Category:
Dickens and Flynn analyzed the results of four leading IQ tests and found that the black-white IQ gap narrowed between 1972 and 2002 demonstrating that IQ is malleable, not fixed. .........................................................................................
	Huge Progress Stalled: Racial Gaps at 12th Grade are Smaller than in the 1970s, but Remain Large Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2006 tags: NAEP, test score gaps, reading, parent's education Category:
Ferguson presents NAEP and SAT test score data that shows achievement gaps narrowing dramatically in the 1970s and 1980s and then stalling in 1988. He speculates that changes in youth culture may be a contributing factor. .........................................................................................
	Education, Equality, and National Citizenship Goodwin Liu Conference June 2006 tags: funding, NAEP, equality, state spending, Title 1 Category:
Liu argues that achievement gaps cannot be eliminated without addressing unequal funding of education between the states. He shows the strong racial and geographic patterns of this gap and links it to different levels of state financial capacity. .........................................................................................
	High Flying Schools, Student Disadvantage and NCLB Doug Harris Conference June 2006 tags: disadvantages, Education Trust Report, NCLB, poverty, performance Category:
Harris challenges the evidence that high poverty schools can overcome student disadvantage. He shows that when test score data for more than one year is analyzed high poverty schools do not overcome student disadvantage. .........................................................................................
	An Empirical Analysis of ‘Acting White’ Roland Fryer Conference June 2006 tags: acting white, GPA, popularity, youth culture, youth Category:
Based on an analysis of the NLSAH national data set, Fryer concludes that there are racial differences in popularity and achievement. Further, he finds that the "acting white" popularity penalty is greatest in integrated schools. .........................................................................................
	Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Home Intellectual Lifestyles Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2006 tags: acting white, popularity, parenting, television, computers, reading, bedtime, youth Category:
Ferguson shows that achievement gaps are often largest between children of highly educated parents of different racial and ethnic groups. He presents evidence that there are important differences at home (beyond SES) that contribute to gaps. .........................................................................................
	Achievement-Related Parenting Across Different Immigrant Groups Vivian Louie Conference June 2006 tags: immigrant students, parenting, social capital, cultural capital, disadvantage, lack of information Category:
Louie argues that immigrant parents from working-class backgrounds have insufficient knowledge about academic readiness and access. She suggests policies and practices to better support immigrant parents. .........................................................................................
	MOVING STORIES: Educational Pathways of Immigrant Youth Carola and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco Conference June 2006 tags: immigrant students, Latin American students, diversity, achievement trends, engagement, youth Category:
Carola and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco present the results of their Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study of students from Central America, China, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico. The Students from 51 schools in the Boston and San Francisco areas, were 9 and 14 at beginning of the study. A detailed analysis of year to year GPA trends for each group is provided and recommendations for interventions are suggested. .........................................................................................
	Racial and SES Differences in School Behavior, Engagement and Time on Homework Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2006 tags: socioeconomic status, acting white, popularity, behavior, self-esteem, GPA, homework, hip hop, rock music, youth Category:
Ferguson presents data on student behavior and self-esteem from his Tripod student surveys. He finds a strong links between hip-hop music, identity, and self-esteem among black students. He also finds differences between white and black students' behavior and maternal education levels. .........................................................................................
	What Should We Be Trying To Achieve? Glenn Loury Conference June 2006 tags: racial disparities, social structures, community Category:
Loury is troubled by what he calls "racial cast". He explains that there are complex structures in American society that are deeply rooted and social lives are segregated. He argues that society has failed to commit itself to the development of all of its human capacity. He provides several examples of system-wide imbalances as evidence. .........................................................................................
	Foundations for Success Jason Snipes Conference June 2006 tags: large urban school districts, instructional coherence, instruction Category:
Snipes presents research on student achievement patterns in large urban school districts. He suggests several priorities for systemic reform and research to improve instructional quality. .........................................................................................
	Teacher Quality Matters! Tom Kane Conference June 2006 tags: teacher quality, class size, instruction Category:
Kane concludes that the best way to improve teaching quality is not to just rely on certification, but to also be very selective in retaining teachers after the first few years of teaching based on student achievement results. .........................................................................................
	Teacher Recruitment, Retention and Assignment Brian Jacob Conference June 2006 tags: teacher quality, teacher recruitment, value-added measures, instruction Category:
Jacob discusses research with Kane in New York City focused on new ways to identify effective teachers. .........................................................................................
	Class-to-Class Instructional Quality Differences and How They Matter Ronald Ferguson Conference June 2006 tags: teacher quality, student reporting, instruction Category:
Ferguson shares research findings on student engagement and instructional quality from three-dozen secondary schools across eight states. Ferguson's Instructional Quality Index (IQI) uses student survey responses concerning teaching practices. .........................................................................................
	The Critical Importance of Staying On Track: Findings from CCSR and MDRC Studies Janet Quint Conference June 2006 tags: transition to high school, 9th grade, drop-out, instruction Category:
Quint presents research by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) and the Chicago Consortium of School Research (CCSR) on high school drop out patterns and the importance of staying on track in the 9th grade. .........................................................................................
	Key Impediments to College Access and Success for Low-Income and Minority Students Bridget Terry Long Conference June 2006 tags: college enrollment, graduation, financial aid, remediation, lack of information Category:
Long identifies three keys to college access and success that have a direct affect on low-income and minority students' rate of college enrollment and college graduation rates. .........................................................................................
	The Academic Achievement Gap in Grades 3 to 8 (in North Carolina) Charles Clotfelter Conference June 2006 tags: test score gaps Category:
Clotfeter presents research results based on data from 3rd and 8th graders in North Carolina attending the same school for six consecutive years. He identifies significant achievement gap differences from grade to grade among racial groups. .........................................................................................
	Test Score Gaps Roland Fryer Conference June 2006 tags: IQ, cognitive ability Category:
Fryer examines racial differences in the mental ability of young children. He visits the motivation and data associated with identifying Intelligence Quotient (IQ) measurements of intelligence and reviews the foundations of “The Bell Curve”. .........................................................................................
	Understanding Trends in Racial/Ethnic Achievement Gaps During The First Years of School Richard Murnane Conference June 2006 tags: parenting, test score gaps Category:
Murnane reports that early parenting practices are strong predictors of both math and language skills at kindergarten and at the end of third grade regardless of race. .........................................................................................
	School Quality and the Black-White Achievement Gap Steven Rivkin Conference June 2006 tags: school quality, test score gaps, instruction Category:
Ferguson presents research by Rivkin and Hanushek on k-8 achievement gap patterns within and between schools in Texas. They found that gaps widened between 3rd and 5th grade for all 16 proficiency groups and between 5th and 8th grade narrowed for the lower groups and widened for the higher groups. .........................................................................................
	Oppositional Cultures among White Students: The Quest for Popularity and Normative Hegemony in America Michael Bishop Conference June 2006 tags: peer norms, bullying, youth culture, youth behavior Category:
Bishop presents an analysis of peer harassment dynamics based on survey data from 37,000 students at 310 secondary schools. .........................................................................................
	Intergenerational Predictors of the Black-White Achievement Gap in Adolescence Jelani Mandara Conference June 2006 tags: parenting, socioeconomic status, SES, grandparents Category:
Mandara looks at test score gaps over the span of three generations (grandparents, parents, and adolescents/current school age students) and uncovers significant gap patterns. .........................................................................................
	The broader racial context and achievement John Diamond Conference June 2006 tags: race, inequality, social structures, segregation Category:
Diamond argues that the US is a racialized society where there are significant economic, social and political costs associated with race. In a racialized society, he argues, students do not experience the same education in the same setting. Race provides clear advantages to some and significant disadvantages to others. .........................................................................................
	Talking About Race in Education Mica Pollock Conference June 2006 tags: teacher-student interaction, diversity, simplification of race groups, stereotypes, instruction Category:
Pollock provides insight from her research for her book "Everyday Anti-Racism" that focuses the everyday interactions between teachers and students and how they navigate issues of race. .........................................................................................
	Five Critical Challenges of High School Reform Janet Quint Conference June 2006 tags: reform, talent-development model, implementation, small learning communities, instructional improvement, personalization, instruction Category:
In deciding whether to adopt a comprehensive reform model or add onto existing efforts, Quint recommends administrators consider what is already in place and the capacity of local personnel. MDRC found strong district support is necessary. .........................................................................................
	Examining the Effectiveness of Scaling Up First Things First Ed Deci Conference June 2006 tags: reform, hierarchy, small learning communities, instruction Category:
Deci describes his research on the efficacy of the First Things First (FTF) school reform model. FTF includes three strategies: small learning communities, a family advocate system, and instructional improvement. .........................................................................................
	Closing the Achievement Gap: What Works in Secondary Schools Robert Balfantz Conference June 2006 tags: drop-out, behavior, reform, poverty, talent-development model Category:
Based on over a decade of work involving over 100 high-poverty middle and high schools using the Talent Development model, Balfanz argues that to close the achievement gap reform must be comprehensive, intensive, sustained, and on-target. .........................................................................................
	What Works in What Context and How? Charles Payne Conference June 2006 tags: reform, implementation, instruction Category:
Payne argues that researchers know what the causal problems are and what to do to address them. However, it is implementation that remains the issue. He urges researchers to study the best practitioners to learn how to implement reform and he cautions that reform takes time. .........................................................................................
	Interventions for Families Rick Weissbourd Conference June 2006 tags: parenting, home behavior, reading Category:
Rick Weissbourd shares progress and continuing challenges in improving home reading and enrichment for lower income families. .........................................................................................
	Complementary Learning and Out-of-School Time: Promise, Problem and Challenges Heather Weiss Conference June 2006 tags: out-of-school time, after school programs, community Category:
Since kids spend 70% of their time out of school, Weiss argues that Out of School Time (OST) supports are vital complementary programs that develop and support learning in non school contexts. .........................................................................................
	Does Parenting Contribute to Achievement Gaps? Ronald Ferguson, Jelani Mandara, Richard Murnane Forum November 2006 tags: parenting Category:
Mandara presents results from a study of 3290 adolescents and their mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Mandara studies the possible role of parenting as a contributing factor to racial test score gaps. Mandara believes that authoritative parenting should be the focus of family-based interventions. He suggests that racial achievement gaps might be substantially reduced if more African American and Hispanic youth had authoritative parents. .........................................................................................
	Educational Pathways of Immigrant Youth Carola Suarez-Orozco, Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, Vivian Shuh Ming Louie Forum October 2006 tags: immigrant, ESL, hispanic, latino, asian Category:
Carola and Marcelo Suárez-Orozco present the results of the Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study (L.I.S.A.). L.I.S.A used quantitative and qualitative methods to study achievement trends among 9-to-14 year old immigrant youth, recently (1997-2002) arrived from China, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Mexico. .........................................................................................
	Acting White: Realities, Myths & Challenges Ronald Ferguson, Roland Fryer Forum March 2006 tags: acting white, youth culture Category:
Carter, Ferguson, and Fryer present their research findings on “acting white.” Fryer’s research shows that high achieving black and Hispanic students in racially mixed schools (but not homogeneously nonwhite schools) suffer a popularity penalty. Carter’s research, published in her book “Keepin’ It Real”, argues that there is no difference between African Americans, Latino students and whites in their acceptance of the American achievement ethic. Carter finds that “acting white” is associated with particular behaviors, not with achievement levels or aspirations. Ferguson’s findings support both Fryer’s and Carter’s and resolve the apparent inconsistency. Ferguson finds a popularity penalty only among a particular segment of high achievers—those who agree that people like themselves are sometimes accused of acting white. .........................................................................................
	What Happens When Courts Make Funding Plentiful for Poor School Districts? New Jersey’s Abbott Districts Gordon MacInnes, Fred Carrigg Forum March 2006 tags: funding, ELL, Reform Category:
Can you close the achievement gap with funding and court mandated definitions of what constitutes a constitutionally guaranteed education? Following a series of legal victories, Abbott districts now outspend New Jersey suburbs on a per student basis. Early literacy is the central focus of the strategy. Union City showed that dramatic change is possible. However, new programs and curriculum had to be designed and then reviewed and refined each year, with teachers deeply involved from the beginning. .........................................................................................
	Why High School Graduates Become College Dropouts Melissa Roderick Forum April 2006 tags: college dropout, drop-out Category:
Roderick presents new research on school completion. While 75% of Chicago public school (CPS) students hope to obtain a bachelors degree or higher, the reality is that fewer than 6.5% do by the time they reach their mid-twenties. Why is there such a chasm between aspirations and attainment? Roderick finds several important leads. First, she shows that students who are on track finishing the 9th grade have an 81% chance of graduating from high school. Second, she shows that low ACT scores and GPAs limit access to four year colleges. Third, higher high-school GPAs make college graduation more likely, but even more predictive, Roderick finds, is which Illinois college or university a student attends. .........................................................................................
	Closing the Nation's Racial Achievement Gaps I Prudence Carter, Ronald Ferguson, Mica Pollock Forum May 2005 tags: race, youth culture Category:
Pollock and Carter discuss race, culture, and K-12 achievement gaps. This forum is moderated by Ferguson. .........................................................................................
	Closing the Nation's Racial Achievement Gaps II Christopher Avery, Bridget Terry Long, Vivian Shuh Ming Louie Forum May 2005 tags: college Category:
Avery, Long, and Louie discuss the challenge of college access and success. This forum is moderated by Ferguson. .........................................................................................
	Closing the Nation's Racial Achievement Gaps III Roland Fryer, David Grissmer, Kathleen McCartney Forum May 2005 tags: early childhood, school readiness, kindergarten Category:
Fryer, Grissmer, and McCartney discuss early childhood and achievement gaps. This forum is moderated by Ferguson. .........................................................................................