Los Angeles Unified School District .... Street Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Grats Elementary and Union Avenue ... organization EXED provides business services to charter schools. ...... different dollar bills with historical facts and events.
Charter School Renewal Case Study Camino Nuevo Charter Academy
Rocío Rivas Stephen Newton Glenn Daley
Los Angeles Unified School District Program Evaluation and Research Branch Planning, Assessment, and Research Division Publication No. 233
January, 2005
Table of Contents Executive Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------iii I. Background -------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 II. Research Methods -----------------------------------------------------------------------2 III. Overview of Charter -------------------------------------------------------------------3 Figure 1. Camino Nuevo Charter Logic --------------------------------------------5 IV. Findings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------8 A. Classroom Instructional Practice ------------------------------------------------8 1. ELA/Humanities --------------------------------------------------------------8 2. Mathematics------------------------------------------------------------------ 19 3. Value-Added Analysis ----------------------------------------------------- 27 B. Professional Development ------------------------------------------------------ 30 1. Collaboration in School ---------------------------------------------------- 32 V. Supplemental Programs -------------------------------------------------------------- 33 A. English language development/Bilingual program -------------------------- 33 B. Ecology Program ----------------------------------------------------------------- 36 C. Technology Program ------------------------------------------------------------- 37 D. Arts Program ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 E. Human Development Program-------------------------------------------------- 40 VI. School Governance ------------------------------------------------------------------ 40 VII. Parent Involvement ----------------------------------------------------------------- 40 VIII. Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 IX. Suggestions for Consideration ----------------------------------------------------- 45 References ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47
ii
Executive Summary Camino Nuevo Charter Academy received its charter as a fiscally independent charter elementary school in August of 1999 and began classes in the 2000-01 school year. In 2005, the school seeks its charter renewal from the Los Angeles Unified School District. This evaluation represents a case study of alignment of the school’s practices with the commitments in its charter, particularly as they relate to instruction. Data collection occurred between May 25, 2004 and June 27, 2004. Interviews were conducted with two administrators, two coaches, three parents, and twelve teachers. Classes in grade 2 and grade 5 were observed for a total of approximately 79 hours. We observed seven meetings, including an end of year culmination fair, a staff meeting, a board meeting, a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art, and professional development meetings. We analyzed student achievement through a value-added analysis of individual student gains on the ELA and math California Standards Tests (CSTs) controlling for past performance and demographic characteristics. Consistent with its neighborhood in the MacArthur Park area, Camino Nuevo students are predominantly Hispanic/Latino, and in 2003-04, 89% were Limited English Proficient. Camino Nuevo’s charter petition emphasizes preparing students with the thinking skills necessary for college through challenging instruction and support from parents and the community. Findings indicated that Camino Nuevo has been successful in addressing most elements of its charter, including effective parent involvement and outreach, student-centered instruction, and strong collaboration between the administration and teachers and between teachers themselves. The school aligned itself with partnerships that enabled it to carry out its goal of fostering ecologically and artistically conscious students. Professional development was strong and classroom instruction showed many elements of instructional quality. Camino Nuevo has implemented its English Language Development program quite extensively. Student achievement gains reflect these strong practices, and are higher than those for comparable students in both math and English language arts in other District schools. One area emphasized in the charter petition that was only partially implemented was incorporation of critical thinking activities in classroom instruction. While many instances of critical thinking activities were observed, they were not a significant part of most lessons, and tended to be brief.
I. Background Located in the predominantly Hispanic Macarthur Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy received its charter as a fiscally independent charter elementary school in August of 1999 and began classes in the 2000-01 school year. Camino Nuevo was founded by a non-profit organization, Pueblo Nuevo Development (PND), as a school that would address the specific needs of Latino children. The overarching goal for Camino Nuevo Charter Academy is to become a focus for community cohesion and empowerment. The influx of Central American and Mexican immigrants to Los Angeles is strongly evident in the MacArthur Park neighborhood located west of downtown. This neighborhood is the home for predominately Spanish-speaking, low-income immigrant Latinos, most of whom reside in crowded apartment buildings. The central landmark in the neighborhood is MacArthur Park, which serves as the leisure space for many Latino families and residents. Camino Nuevo Charter Academy became possible through a partnership between Pueblo Nuevo Development, local parents, New Visions Foundation, and Excellent Education Development (EXED). The parents who helped found Camino Nuevo wanted an alternative to the education provided by four local schools, Esperanza Elementary, Tenth Street Elementary, Hoover Elementary, Grats Elementary and Union Avenue Elementary, because of concern about overcrowded schools that did not adequately address the needs of Latino students, specifically in mastering the English language. Pueblo Nuevo Development is a community development organization that was started among unemployed immigrants and grew into autonomous self-supporting programs and businesses operated by and for the MacArthur Park neighborhood. New Visions Foundation designs and establishes new schools devoted to diversity, academic excellence, a rich curriculum and an integrated and supportive community. The nonprofit organization EXED provides business services to charter schools. In fall 2000, Camino Nuevo opened two new facilities, Townhouse and Burlington sites, to 110 and 260 students (grades K-5), respectively. The student population has since increased to 482 in spring 2003-04. A two-story building and parking lot, previously a mini-mall, was redesigned as the school building and playground for the Burlington site. Camino Nuevo students have consistently been predominantly Hispanic (approximately 98% in 2003-04). Because these students live in the immediate area, they largely represent the demographics of the MacArthur park region. In terms of parent education, the majority of parents have not graduated from high school, while a small percentage obtained high school degrees and attended college. The low socio-economic status of the students’ families is reflected in 99% of them being eligible for the free and reduced price meal program. Spanish was the home language of 96% of Camino Nuevo students. In 2003-04, 89% of Camino Nuevo students were LEP, 5% IFEP, 3% English Only, and 3% RFEP. Approximately 32% and 26% of students were in ELD levels one and two, respectively. Six percent of students received special education services and 1% are classified as gifted
and talented1. The 2004 Academic Performance Index (API) was 643, compared to a median API of 614 for 100 similar schools (SCI) in the state2. II.
Research Methods
Charter school renewal evaluations utilize multiple methods of data collection in order to develop case studies depicting the everyday functioning of renewing schools. Two central research questions guide these evaluations. First, to what extent is the school fulfilling the commitments of its charter, especially as they pertain to providing its core educational program? Second, to what extent is the school using sound, effective educational practices, as defined by law (teaching to academic standards,) and the consensus of educational research? These evaluations emphasize instruction and achievement outcomes, a priority that is reflected in charter legislation at the federal (No Child Left Behind) and California state levels (AB 1137). Evaluations begin with the school’s demographic background because of the importance of such characteristics for understanding almost everything that happens at a school, from the appropriateness of its curriculum to its student achievement outcomes. Next, the school’s charter is examined both for specific elements and broader themes (such as an emphasis on constructivist education or teaching to standards, for example). This examination of the charter, supplemented by consultation with school administrators, provides a program theory about what the school is seeking to accomplish and how it intends to do so. A program theory helps make sense of findings by placing them within a broader structure that links different aspects of a system, and can suggest explanatory relationships between different elements of a system such as a school (Chen, 1994). For example, is professional development effective in leading to improved teaching practice? Third, based on data collected through a variety of means including interviews, observations, and analysis of test scores, the school’s actual functioning is portrayed. This section provides the core of the evaluation because it is an independent, empirical examination of a school’s practices and outcomes. Finally, taking into account a school’s demographics, its philosophy, and its observed functioning, interpretations are made about the school’s fidelity to its charter commitments, and implications drawn regarding any deviations from the charter. These interpretations and implications address the relationship between a school’s charter and actual practices and also examine questions regarding the school’s effectiveness at raising student achievement. Data collection at Camino Nuevo began on May 25, 2004 and concluded June 27, 2004. Data collection involved interviews with a range of school administrators, teachers, and parents, and observations of a variety of meetings and a sample of classrooms in each grade. Data collection used standard observation and interview protocols tailored to 1
All demographic data was gathered from the LAUSD’s Elementary Student Information System, spring 2003-04. 2 2004 API Growth Report.
2
Camino Nuevo’s distinctive emphases, which were identified by evaluators from the charter document and then confirmed with the school principal in the initial meeting. Interviews were conducted with two administrators, two coaches, three parents, and twelve teachers. Parents were selected by contacting them at various school activities in an effort to find parents with different levels of involvement. Teachers were selected from a probability sample across grades for both observations and interviews. Classes in grades 2 and 5 were selected in order to include both lower elementary and upper elementary classes. Classes were observed for a total of approximately 79 hours. Seven meetings were observed, including an end of year culmination fair, a staff meeting, a board meeting, a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art, and professional development meetings. Classroom observations were conducted over the course of three days. To the extent possible, they were done on consecutive days in order to better understand the continuity across lessons. Observations were conducted either in the first half of the school day (roughly until about 10:30 or 11:00am), or the remainder of the day. The first time period corresponds to the teaching of English language arts at most schools, and the second time period is when other subjects are taught. All qualitative data were entered into electronic format either through typing of field notes or transcribing interviews. Data was then coded according to key themes that originated either from the charter or emerged from the data. In keeping with principles of qualitative data analysis, findings were triangulated from different sources. Classroom observations were coded to address a number of aspects of instruction: 1. Academic content (state standards) 2. Consistency of student engagement in academic work 3. Instructional quality 4. Charter specific emphases regarding academic instruction and discipline of students. Analysis of classroom data was done separately for each major subject area, with a special emphasis on English language arts and mathematics in evaluations of elementary schools. III.
Overview of Charter
"Leveling the educational playing field for our students." The mission of Camino Nuevo Charter Academy is to educate students in a college preparatory program to be literate, critical thinkers and independent problem solvers who are agents of social justice with sensitivity toward the world around them. Camino Nuevo Charter Academy is a place where students meet high academic expectations and are enriched by cultural experiences. Parents and Teachers are leaders in helping students to meet goals. The school engages community partners to bring health and social services to support students and families. (Camino Nuevo website)
3
Camino Nuevo’s Motto and Mission describe the school’s commitment to preparing students with the thinking skills necessary for college through challenging instruction and support from parents and the community. As mentioned earlier, the school committed to offering parents in the MacArthur Park area an alternative to the education their children were receiving in neighboring schools. The list of educational problems in nearby schools identified in Camino Nuevo’s charter petition include: overcrowded neighboring schools and classrooms, year-round multi-track scheduling, busing children to other schools, Latino children not performing at full capacity, low test scores, and Latino children not literate in the English language. The vision for Camino Nuevo is to develop the "educated person" for the 21st century. The overall goals and ideals indicated in the charter are direct responses to the various educational issues that Latino parents disapproved of and wanted to change. The goals identified in Camino Nuevo’s charter include a small school (p. 1), student-centered environment (p. 4), longer school year (p. 3), literate in English language at a higher rate (p. 2), parent and community engagement (p. 3), neighborhood cohesion and empowerment (p. 2), high expectations for all students (p. 3), and holistic educational approach (p. 32). See Figure 1 for a visual depiction of these intended goals and outcomes. The initial enrollment target was 260 students, but has since grown to 482 (Elementary Student Information System, spring 2003-04), which is still small compared to the average enrollment of more than 1500 students in neighboring schools. The school year was extended to a total of 200 days of instruction. To provide more student-focused instruction, the student-teacher ratio was initially targeted at 20:1 for Kindergarten to 3rd grade and 25:1 for grades 4 and 5. The educational programs and curriculum were based on "the designs of successful highperformance/low-income schools" (p. 3). Camino Nuevo's holistic educational approach includes the following components: a comprehensive literacy program in math, science, language arts and social studies, ecology program, reading program, technology, arts education, physical education, human development, and community service. The curriculum was developed taking into consideration the California state standards, the Core Knowledge Series and the Crossroads school curriculum, which is similar to California state standards. However, the school is not using the Crossroads program any longer, according to the executive director. The school is instead emphasizing the California standards. The educational program stresses the importance of developing "core literacies" in all subject areas. Utilized in the reading program is the Core Knowledge Series developed by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. to help students establish a strong foundation for core knowledge to develop higher levels of learning. The educational program provides sequential guidelines for specific grade-by-grade, K-6, topics to be taught. The rest of the curriculum is left for schools to design and/or supplement, which provides the school and teachers the flexibility to develop instructional methods based on local context.
4
Figure 1: Camino Nuevo Charter Logic GUIDING THEORETICAL GOALS/OBJECTIVES
•
Small school
•
Student-centered environment
•
CHARTER/CURRICULAR COMPONENTS
•
Comprehensive literacy program (math, science, language arts, social studies)
Longer school year
•
Ecology program
•
Literate in English language at higher rate
•
Reading program
•
Parent and community engagement
•
Technology skills
•
Arts education
•
Physical education
•
Human development
•
Neighborhood cohesion & empowerment
•
High expectations for students
•
Holistic education
SHORT TERM OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES
PROBLEMS TO BE ADRESSED
•
Overcrowded neighboring schools & classrooms
•
Year-round multi-track scheduling
•
Busing children to other schools
•
Latino children not performing at full capacity/low test scores
•
Latino children not literate in the English language
•
•
Mastery of English language (reading, writing, speaking)
•
Higher tests scores
•
Critical and creative thinkers
•
Technologically skilled students
LONG-TERM OUTCOMES
•
High school completion
•
College bound students
•
Socially and globally conscious citizens
•
Breaking poverty cycle
Poverty cycle
5
Multicultural literacy materials and the Junior Great Books Program are included in the reading program. The language arts program of Junior Books is geared towards the improvement of critical thinking and reading and developing positive attitudes toward reading. Units on ecology, technology, cultural and multicultural literacies are present for all grade levels as well. These units, in conjunction with the curriculum, arts education, human development and community service, are geared towards developing in each child a "sense of self-worth, sense of connection to the Earth and to other people, and sense of joy and excitement about learning." In technology, students are to learn keyboard skills, word-processing, multi-tasking, online research skills, and given exposure to computer graphics and spreadsheet software. Aesthetic literacy will be developed with arts education, which is embedded in all grades though music, theater education, dance and visual art. Physical education is to include units on dance (folkloric, hip-hop, jazz), introduction to gymnastics, basic body conditioning, and body health and nutrition. Ecology studies incorporate the learning of science concepts, daily journal writing, and projects to buttress conceptual understanding and "provide opportunities for service in the community, as well as on the school grounds." Collaboration with an environmental organization, TreePeople, will help organize off-site ecological excursions and environmental awareness activities such as taking Eco-tours of the park, tree planting and a campus recycling program. The ecological curriculum will incorporate a program developed by Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which consists of an extensive and continuous ecological field trip and gardening program where students are able to visit the Santa Monica Mountains to work on ecological projects. The human development component in Camino Nuevo refers to "councils" or "magic circles" where students from ages 5-12 discuss various age appropriate topics, issues and personal concerns. Administrators and teachers, in consultation with parents and external professionals, design these conversations. Some of the topics include: conflict resolution, stress management, hygiene, nutrition, AIDS awareness, our bodies and their systems, decision-making, families, dealing with loss, child abuse and neglect, drug awareness and abuse and sex education. These topics are addressed by specialist teachers using lessons, activities, discussions, simulations, role-playing, films, books and guest experts. Community service is designed to establish linkages between the school, students and community, in addition to building respect and humanity for Mother Earth. The students learn about issues concerning their neighborhood and their relation and responsibility to the Earth. Camino Nuevo’s charter emphasizes the use of various data collection strategies and an assessment model to measure student achievement. The charter's short-term outcomes, which include mastery of English language (reading, writing, speaking), higher tests scores, critical and creative thinkers, technologically skilled students, and academically equipped students are measured by setting benchmarks to compare performance of individual students, groups of students, and the school itself. The assessment measures include: state-mandated standardized tests, school-designed and teacher-made tests,
6
student progress reports, portfolios, exhibits, publisher-developed assignments and assessments, stakeholder surveys, program audits, and student conduct records. The school predicted that within two years, students will improve performance by four percentile points per year until reaching the desired level. As indicated in the charter petition, the expected long-term outcomes for Camino Nuevo of students completing high school and attending college is to be assessed through a longitudinal study by tracking the progress of students who attended for four years. According to the school's charter, professional development sessions are to cover various topics by a group of educational experts, which initially included an expert in English literacy, math and science, ecology, and technology. The professional development sessions are to be held throughout the year, and cover topics such as development of authentic assessment techniques, second language teaching strategies, knowledge and strategies in teaching core literacies, how to weave ecology projects and principles through each grade level, strategies to integrate parents into the school community and to bring their unexpressed concerns and issues to the surface, and technology for use in the classroom. In addition, through a one-week retreat before each school year the staff is equipped with a selection of strategies and materials useful for the year ahead. Through the incorporation of best practices to the curriculum, Camino Nuevo expects it will assist in the goal of improving student achievement, developing teacher expertise and developing collaborative relationships throughout the school's environment. The governance structure of Camino Nuevo is based on a board of directors, principal, site-based management council and advisory board. The board of directors, composed of 14 members, 12 of whom have a vote, is composed of two co-directors, at least one parent representative, a community representative, the school principal, and a LAUSD representative. The principal and LAUSD representative are the two non-voting members. The board members have the responsibility "for the well-being of the charter school"; the responsibilities consist of developing and monitoring admissions, personnel, health and safety, use and needs for maintenance of facilities, budget, approving school calendar, and curriculum and assessments. The principal is to answer directly to the board of directors and act as a communication facilitator between the board and the site-based management council by presenting his or her concerns to the board. The site-based management council is composed of the following members: the principal, six parents, six teachers, six classified staff members, a student body president and four community members. They are to provide suggestions and recommendations to the board on the budget, curriculum, school policy, physical site and maintenance, school community participation and direction of Camino Nuevo. The advisory board consists of leading educators and community leaders who visit the school once a semester, meet with faculty and parents and provide the board and administration their perspective on the progress of the school. Parent and community involvement has been an important factor for the identity and growth of the school as it was developed from the grassroots level to improve the educational opportunities for MacArthur Park Latino children and empower the
7
neighborhood overall. Parents, as well as students, have to sign a contract, which delineates their responsibilities and expectations. The charter petition commits the school to providing a variety of activities for parents to assist their children in their education and interact more with the school. Activities geared towards parent involvement include classroom meetings, small group meetings, individual parent-teacher conferences, meetings around a subject, house meetings, encounters with an expert, work sessions, labs "learning by doing", holidays and celebrations, community events, market garden to contribute produce to the community, parent association, and site-based council and subcommittees. IV.
Findings
A. Classroom Instructional Practice We observed a total of eighteen lessons that included ELA instruction for a total of 26 hours. For ELA lessons, teachers at Camino Nuevo used the Houghton-Mifflin reading program and, for grades one through five, supplemented with Bellworks to review basic skills in English. 1. ELA/Humanities Teachers utilized various instructional techniques and activities that required students to work in groups, pairs, individual and lectures included whole class and question answer lecture styles. All teachers used various instructional methods such as discussion, manipulatives, visuals, projects, writing in journals and workbook assignment worksheets. 1. Classroom Management Classroom management was assessed through quantitative analysis of two types of data. Classroom observations were coded for extent to which students were observed to be ontask and the types of instructional groupings used. On-task behavior was rated only for times when the class was focused on academic work. If the focus was classroom management or on a non-academic topic, it was rated as “Non-academic Focus.” As can be seen in Chart 1, students were mostly or all on task for a vast majority of time observed. More than half of the time, all students appeared to be on-task. Classes also spent a significant amount of time in non-academic activities such as transitions at the beginning and end of class or eating breakfast for the first few minutes of the day3. Teachers used a variety of instructional groupings, with an emphasis on students working individually or as a whole class discussion or a whole class lecture. Teachers seldom made use of groups or pairs arrangements in English language arts classes, which was reported by administrators to be due to the Houghton-Mifflin reading program's mandates on time and work arrangements.
3
Analysis of classroom data does not include the breakfast time of 8:00am to 8:15am.
8
Figure 2. Students On-Task In ELA/Humanities Classrooms Minutes Per Hour of Instruction (Average)
60 50 40
35 30 20 10
14 8 4
0 0 NonAcademic Focus
0%-50%
51%-84%
85%-99%
100%
Percent of Students On-Task
Figure 3. ELA/Humanities Classroom Groupings
W hole class Lecture 18%
Individual 48%
W hole Class Interaction 25% Pairs 3%
2.
Groups 6%
Prior Knowledge
In ELA/Humanities, all teachers used the question/answer strategy when reviewing and discussing previously covered facts, concepts, stories and writing protocol. For example, in a second grade class the teacher asks students questions when going over the criteria for writing a friendly letter.
9
T In order to get a 4 on this assignment you need to have what things? B The Date. T That is right. G Dear. T Good. G A body. T Anything else? Ss Sincerely! T Very good, class. T What is that space called when we start a paragraph? Ss Indentation. 12:25 T What is another thing that we can end a friendly letter with? B Love! T Class, you are so smart. You are very good at remembering how to do a friendly letter. The same teacher repeats the question/answer strategy to review writing criteria the next day during an assignment of writing a friendly letter, but conducts the lesson in Spanish. In both instances, the teacher wants to make sure students understand the writing procedure, and understand what is expected of them. T
B T B
Ss T 8:55 T G T
B T
Exacto, con buena ortografía, con letras mayusculas. Y cuando es necesario usar letras mayusculas? [Exactly, with good spelling and upper-case letters. And when is it necessary to use uppercase letters?] En el primero letra de los nombres. [The first letter in names.] Y otro ejemplo…[And another example…] Si, en ingles cuando escribimos ‘I’, pero necesitamos hacerlo cuando escribimos ‘yo’? [Yes, in English when we write ‘I’, but do we need to do it when we write ‘yo’?] “No.” “Exacto.” [Exactly.] “Que mas necesitas?” [What else do you need?] “La fecha.” [The date.] “Exacto, y cuando empezamos, para que necesitamos usar nuestros dos dedos?” [Exactly, and when we start, why do we need to use our two fingers?] “Para empezar el parafo.” [To start the paragraph.] “Y que escribo para teminar?” [And what do I write to finish?]
10
Ss T Ss T
“Sinceramente.” [Sincerely.] “Y.” [And.] “Escribir tu nombre.” [Write your name.] “Exacto…y tenemos 30 minutos para hacerlo.” [Exactly, and we have 30 minutes to do it.] (Hands out writing paper and instructions.)
There were instances when teachers employed this same question/answer strategy when reviewing previously covered material. Before starting an assignment on state capitals, another second grade teacher preps students' memory of prior knowledge by asking them what the capital is for different states. T
T G T T B T G T T G T T G T
T Ss T T
Today, we are going to do a state capitals worksheet. Before, you get scared that you do not know a lot of them I want to show you that you do. What is the capital of California? Sacramento. Good. What is the capital of Texas? Austin. What about Tennessee? Nashville. Atlanta? Oh, I gave it away. Anyway, what state is Atlanta the capital of? Georgia. Good. What about Boston? Massachusetts. Good. I told you that you guys would know more capitals than you thought. In order for you to finish the worksheet, I will expect you to take out a map, and find the capitals of the states for which you do not know the answers to. How do we know what the capital of a state is on a map? By the star on the city. Right. You guys are so smart!
All second grade teachers, when reviewing facts and procedures, utilized similar styles. However, in the following instance, a second grade teacher preps students first before introducing a new topic by asking them questions concerning facts about bats covered in a previous lesson and then later returns to the topic to include other animals. This digression from the lesson supported connection of the distinctive features of birds in comparison with previously learned facts about bats.
11
1:45 T Ss T
Now on Friday, what did we try to get done? Bats!! Now we’re going to try to get them done. Do you know what facts are? B Like vampires. T “Not bats, facts.” (T explained facts.) What’re certain things we learned about bats? G They have (missed). B They come out at nights. T “Are bats blind?” (Ss murmured, evenly divided between yes and no.) T “Yes? No? They’re nocturnal. What does that mean?” (T picked a student with her hand up.) G “They like to come out at night.” (T affirmed the answer. Ss now have books open with instructions on how to fold a paper into a bat. T walked around the classroom to look at Ss folding their paper bats.) 2:50 T (When it came to T’s turn to speak.) I like how you guys worked. (The T then led the class in three songs. The first one involved the numbers 1, 2, and 3. The last song was in Spanish. After the songs, T read from a book about animals.) “We compared birds with what animals last week?” G “Bats!” T (Showed the front cover of the bird, which had a picture of an eagle.) “What kind of bird is this?” G “Eagle.” B “United States.” T (Responded, but missed. T began to read from the book.) Birds can build nests. Why? B For eggs. T “But birds can’t build a dam. Who can build a dam?” B “Beavers.” T Can you imagine chopping down a tree with your teeth? Can you go under water for 15 minutes? But beavers can’t live underground. Who can? Anyone? (Many Ss gave answers,…T kept reading, introducing several more animals and the accompanying questions.) Consistent with the second grade, fifth grade teachers also reviewed what components are required in writing a friendly letter. In the following incident, another teacher reviews some essential components in writing a friendly letter by asking students to identify and correct some mistakes.
12
T B7 T B8 T
“What do you do first for a letter?” “The date, June 4, 2004.” “What comes next?” “Greeting.” Writes, “Dear Mr. Partida,”
2:00 T T Ss T T B9 T G5 T
“What’s wrong with this?” Writes, “Thank you for” “Indent” “What’s wrong with this?” Writes, “From, (Ms. Smith)” “Needs to be on the right.” “How many of you remembered what we did for Valentines?” “Origami.” “Our goal is to make one card for each teacher.”
While students in second grade were learning and memorizing the writing protocol, students in fifth grade were beyond that point by identifying and correcting mistakes. Teachers also used games and story time for further review and discussion of various subjects. In a second grade class, the students play a game that requires them to identify the word on the "word wall" as the teacher provides clues, use it in a sentence and spell out. B T
“I like to answer the phone.” Who can tell me this next word wall word. This is the grade you’re going to be in next year…Any? G “Third.” T Right, let’s say it as you spell it. SS & T “T…H…I…R…D…” T “This next word wall word has the same ending as answer.” B “Never.” T These ones here and are what’s from the time we did this. Okay, who can read me the T “Right, thefirst ending?” word wall word that starts with a letter ‘a’ and has a silent letter in the B “‘er’” Lisa… T middle. “Right, let’s say it and spell it together.” G SS & (Answer.) T “N…E…V…E…R…” T T “Right, and letter.” “Who canwhat’s use it the in asilent sentence?” G G ‘w’ “I will never walk with strangers.” Good, how about another sentence. 9:10T “I never pick itupout theand phone.” T G “Right, so write spell it out loud with me.” B “I never win.” SS & T “a…n…s…w…e…r…” Okay, toin leave this up to you what you write next, because T T “Who canI’m use going answer a sentence.” first I want you to write your age, seven or eight. When you’re finished, you can go ahead and turn your page over.
13
9:15 T
B T
Ss T B T Ss T
Okay, the first word, first clue is the word’s on the word wall. You’ll have 5 chances to guess. I’ll give you the next clue and you’ll write your next guess and so on. The goal is for you go guess by the fifth clue. The second clue is that it has 4 letters. You might get lucky and get it right if you guess. The next clue is that it starts…it begins with the letter ‘w.’ “Hey, so I was right.” The next clue is that it ends with this sound… ‘nnn’…The last clue is that is goes in this sentence, it makes sense in this sentence… I screamed blank I stubbed my toe. “Yes!” “Write it down. Umberto’s gonna go point to the word.” (Goes up to the word wall and points to ‘when.’) “Is he right?” “Yes.” “Good job. Next word.”
Thinking maps or "bubble mapping" was also a strategy used, in addition to drawing pictures, to organize and visualize ideas pertaining to the concept or theme at hand. In the following instance, the students were working in pairs on answering some questions related to a story they just heard on a CD. Students respond they will use a "Double Bubble Map," one of the eight thinking maps when the teacher asks them how they will answer the questions: 1:30 T T Ss T T 1:35 Ss T
I was reading over number 5. I just want to clarify any confusion on the question. It asks you to compare two people in the story. How do we do that? Double Bubble Map! Right! We can use a Double Bubble Map. Are there any questions on how to do that? Ok, continue working. (Some students are finishing their individual work). If you are done with your questions. You are drawing a picture to go with their questions and answers. If you are ahead of all of us, and already done that you can read quietly until the rest your peers are done.
A second grade teacher utilizes the same strategy in assisting students in organizing ideas before a writing assignment describing a family member. In this manner, the teacher is touching on the students' personal experience and prior conceptual knowledge.
14
9:20 T G2 T Ss T B1 T
“Any other family words. Oh, Claudia has a special one in her family. What’s your sister’s son?” “My sobrino.” So in English what’s sobrino and sobrina? (Give various incorrect answers.) It’s nephew or niece. Can you think of any other family words? Jesse…Albert? “Baby?” Well, there might be a baby in your family, but they’ll probably be your brother or nephew or niece. We’ll leave it like this for now, and if we think of any more, we can certainly add them. Now, we’ve done some bubble maps before, and we’re going to do one about someone in our family. So in the middle we’re going to draw a picture of who we’re going to write about and do your bubble map about. So while we’re passing out paper, be thinking about who your going to write about, okay.
9:25 (4 SS start passing out paper.) T So SS, you don’t use this side of the paper. Use the back of it. We’re recycling and reusing this paper. The first thing we’re going to do is please draw a circle in the center of your paper. You want it to be big, but not that big. B “Like this?” T Now you need to write the name and draw a picture of the person you want to write about in the center. I think I’m going to do Paul. So I’m going to write Paul and brother and then draw a picture of him in the circle. (Starts walking around to check students’ work. T walks back to the whiteboard.) Now a bubble map needs to describe something. So I’m going to draw a line and another circle out here and remember we need 4 details in our paragraph, so this is going to be my first detail. I’m going to write…he has light, spiky hair, clear blue eyes and he’s tall. You can think about what your person looks like. (Walks around again to check students’ work.) Also consistent with second grade classrooms, a fifth grade teacher applies thinking maps to help students understand and review a previous lesson on the different types of propaganda. T
T
All right, what we’re going to do now is go over some more about what you learned on Friday with propaganda. Put away your bell materials. I know you’re ready when you’re quiet and sitting down. So we started talking on Friday about this word propaganda. (T writes word in a circle map) 15
T (Jorge), what do you remember about propaganda? (Jorge): It’s in commercials T Good, what else? (Luz), what do you remember? (Luz): They’re trying to persuade you to buy something 9:10 T
Great word, persuade. (writes on board-persuade to buy something) T What else? (Luz): Sometimes they have a warning about medicines after they try to get you to buy it. (Felipe): There was a commercial with a dog… T Sometimes propaganda can be entertaining. What were some of the techniques? Ss Bandwagon T What does that mean? Ss Everybody’s doing it. T Ok, what else? Ss When a famous person is in the commercial T Yes, my name is Kobe Bryant and I wear Nikes 9:15 T writes in circle map: bandwagon, faulty cause and effect T Can anyone remember another technique? Ss Something with an O T Overgeneralization Ss Yeah, that one T Did we miss any? (takes out poster from Friday) we forgot flattery. When they tell you are smarter if you buy something. T Today we’re going to do a little more practice with this take out your practice book and you’re going to open it to p.296 T Now let me tell you, this is a little trickier than the practice we did the other day. So I want to help you get started with this. T Everyone put their finger under the word read. Letty, read it for us please.
3.
Response to student questions and misunderstandings
Overall, students understood the teachers’ instructions and expectations well. Students mainly seemed to have questions and misunderstandings concerning facts that required more information not covered in the lesson or textbooks. The teachers would attempt to answer the question, assist the student with questions individually, and sometimes would divert the question back to the other students to answer. However, there were instances when a teacher did not know the answer to a question and did not provide a complete and satisfactory answer. For instance, one teacher was not able to answer how Homer was able to write The Iliad if he was blind.
16
T
B T T
Class the book that he is reading is The Odyssey. It is the sequel to the story of Troy that is based on The Iliad by Homer. The Odyssey is also written Homer he was a blind poet. If he was blind, how did he write it? That’s a good question. Let’s look at the cover biography. (Looks at the cover). Oh, it does not say. I guess I do not know.
When a student stated that he could not answer a particular question, the same teacher as above helped the student to think of another possibility that could help in answering his own question. B T B T B
I am having trouble with number 7? Have you tried all the possibilities? Yes. Have you tried looking it up in the dictionary? (Lowers his head, and then opens the dictionary to look up the word).
Mainly, teachers assisted students in finding their own answers by directing them to the correct answers by remembering where to find answer and help them in clarifying any confusion they may have. In the following instance, a teacher assists a student in clarifying her confusion on the difference between fiction and nonfiction. T B T B T
What’s real? “Fiction.” “Really?” “Uh… no. Non-fiction.” (Smiled) “Confused, huh?” (She added something in Spanish.)
In another instance, a fifth grade teacher assists students in understanding the difference between the prefixes 're' and 'pre' by using a work with one of the prefixes to help the students make a connection with how it relates to them. T What does pre mean? (Maria): Again T Re means again, what does pre mean (Suzie)? (Suzie): Before T Yes, think about it. Your little brothers and sisters have to go to preschool before school. (Writes preview on the board). T When you go to the movies you see previews before the movie. I also ask you to preview a story before you read it. Any other questions?
17
4.
Assessment of student understanding
Teachers used various informal and formal assessments that to verify student comprehension, strengths and weaknesses. The majority of teachers monitored students by walking around the classroom checking as students worked in groups, pairs, and individually and asking them questions. Based on their assessment, teachers would redirect or explain any recurring problems and commend students for following directions and working diligently. Writing assignments, such as in journal and/or reports, were the informal assessments most often used for the comprehension of various concepts and stories read. In the following classroom observation, the teacher asks students to write what they learned in the year in complete and informing sentences. T
Ss
I want you to write me a letter about what you learned this year. This is what I don’t want…1 sentence saying, I learned this and this…just a list, because that would be boring for me. So you need to thing about what would be exciting for me to read. And this is kind of a test, so you need to include all 5 parts of a friendly letter. I’m going to give you 30 minutes. If you finish before 30 minutes are up, you can choose a quiet activity to do at your desk. Quiet means no buddies, because then it gets noisy. So plan what you’re going to say to make it interesting. Include all 5 parts. Ask me questions if you need to. Capital letters and complete sentences, periods, all the stuff you have worked on all year long. This is an independent activity, so I shouldn’t hear any noises. Okay? You can do it…go… (Move back to desks.)
During reading activities, when the students followed along in their books as the teacher or students were reading, the teachers would ask students questions regarding what was taking place in the story in order to assess if they understood and were on task. The teacher asks specific students what is taking place in the story to assess their reading comprehension and listening skills. (In the circle of Ss sitting in the carpet area, which had 3 boys and 4 girls, T made corrections when Ss read a word wrong, and asked why certain event happened in the book.) “Lillian, where are we at?” (Eva flips to the right page.) “Thank you.” (T continued with assessing Ss with questions.) After that reading, T started to ask some questions.) T Why doesn’t she like it? Why doesn’t she like Debbie? (Ss at the carpet area were silent.) “It should be very simple, we just read it.” (T called Melissa to answer the question. Melissa answered.) You’re guessing. The answer is in the last two sentences. (Another boy raised his hand.) I want (Melissa) to answer it. (Amanda gave another answer.) No, you’re just looking at the pictures. (Amanda read the passage quickly and gave the correct answer.)
18
Formal assessments observed included essay writing, reading comprehension and fluency tests and vocabulary spelling quizzes. 5. Conceptual Depth Opportunities for in-depth thinking in ELA classes mainly involved teachers questioning students about previously covered concepts and facts. Both second and fifth grade teachers used the question/answer strategy to tap into the students' memory regarding previously covered material. Based on the students' answers, the teacher would determine if students remembered and understood concepts, writing protocol and facts. Their responses indicated more often than not that they understood and recalled the concepts or facts in question. Teachers also used games and manipulatives to make the review more interesting and enjoyable for the students. Thinking maps assist in helping students brainstorm and organize previously learned knowledge, but also provides them a head start in learning a useful skill for writing essays that can be developed further as the students' progress in their schooling. However, teachers did not explicitly explain the purpose for learning the concepts and facts in games or in the question/answer instances. Students required reminders of their importance to be able to make connections on a periodic, if not on a constant, basis. The teachers did not include questions or discussions as to why it is important to learn and recall certain concepts and facts or how to further grasp and view the material at hand. Student conceptual understanding was facilitated through self-reflection following writing assignments and discussions following reading activities. Students demonstrated understanding of most material that was taught, followed instructions and understood what was expected from them 2. Mathematics From the information gathered in the interviews and classroom observations, grades one through five also use Bellworks and Everyday Math to cover and review basic skills in math in conjunction with supplemental math resources and materials based on teacher preferences and need. Teachers use a variety of manipulatives and games to help students understand mathematical concepts and patterns. Some teachers provided students various alternative ways to solve mathematical problems. 1. Classroom Management and Organization Students were on-task with academic work for most of the time observed. For almost than half of the time in math observations 100% of students were on task. Teachers spent about 5 minutes per hour on non-academic topics, mostly supporting classroom management. Teachers used a wide variety of groupings during math instruction, with the most common being individual work followed by whole class discussion. Lecture, groups, and work in pairs were used less frequently, but still fairly often.
19
Figure 4. Students On-Task in Mathematics Minutes Per Hour of Instruction (Average)
60 50 40 28
30 19
20 5
10
7 1
0 NonA cademic Focus
0%-50%
51%-84% 85%-99%
100%
Pe rce nt of Stude nts On-Tas k
Figure 5. Math Classroom Groupings
Whole clas s Lecture 16% Individual 37%
Whole Clas s Interaction 28% Pairs 7%
2.
Groups 12%
Prior knowledge
There were instances when teachers used creative ways for reviewing and making connections between facts, events and mathematical related concepts. In a second grade class, the class played a question/answer game by connecting presidents and symbols on different dollar bills with historical facts and events. For instance, the following excerpt displays how a teacher asked questions to help students connect Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King's I have a dream speech during the Civil Rights era.
20
T G T G T G T T T B 12:55 T B T B T
Who knows who the one on the $5.00 is? Abraham Lincoln. Why is he important? He freed the slaves. Better yet, he kept this country together. He kept the Union together. Fantastic! Keep in mind that he freed the slaves to keep the Union together! What is on the back on the $5.00? The Lincoln Memorial. Where is it? Washington, D.C. What famous speech was given there? I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King, Jr. Great job!
The majority of teachers reviewed previously covered mathematical procedures to verify understanding and recollection. After monitoring students work, a second grade teacher assists students in recalling procedures necessary to solve math problem. T
G T
G T B T Ss
“Okay guys, just real quick, your daily work problem,” I was coming around and asking you if you were subtracting and asking if you know what the trick was to know you needed to subtract. Can I have a volunteer to read the problem? (Calls on a girl.) (Reads problem.) What’s the question we need to ask to figure out what to do? Are there any questions that help us figure it out, that give us a clue that we need to subtract?…I think there’s three words that give us a clue. “How many more?” “That’s right, and what does that tell us to do? Henry?” “Subtract.” “That’s right. Any questions on that?” “No.”
Both second and fifth grade teachers review mathematical facts with students throughout math lessons and activities as seen in this second grade class. T T Ss T G T B
What is the percentage? 50%. Right? Yes. What fraction is that? 5/10. Reduced? ½.
21
Reviewing prior mathematical knowledge is exemplified as well in this fifth grade class observation excerpt converting fractions into improper numbers. In both cases, the teachers assist students in recalling procedure and facts previously covered. T T B4 G3 T 1:30 T T T T 1:35 B5 T T G4 T B6 T B7 T B8 T T B9
I need some helpers. Writes 2 3/5. What kind of number? What’s the definition of a mixed number? Whole number and fraction. (Whole number x denominator) + numerator What does that mean= ( ). What do you do first (2x5)+3=13/5 Who remembers please excuse my dear aunt sally. There’s one way but is there another way, that’s what I love about math. Indians for getting that right you get one point. “Can anyone do a think aloud for me?” Elmer come up here, you’re going through Ms. (Smith’s) brain. I drew a pizza and colored two holes. I counted all the pieces. Excellent job, Elmer. Why would I not want to draw 2 4/5? Take too long. Number 2, give me an answer Luiz. 39/8. Number 3, Javier. 5/3. Number 4, Marcos. 18/4. Any questions? When you reduce fractions. What are these called Wendy? Starts with an ‘E’. Equivalent.
Teachers relied on reviewing previously covered material and procedures to connect lessons to students' prior knowledge and build on their knowledge. They particularly emphasized prior knowledge when students were confused or didn’t understand concepts. 3.
Response to student questions and misunderstandings
Students' main misunderstanding in mathematics had to do with understanding and recalling certain procedures. Teachers would address problematic areas in which many students were having problems based on questions and student monitoring as in the following fifth grade class. The teacher below asks students with problems solving for mixed numbers to move to another table to help them individually while monitoring the rest of the class. 22
2:00 T Ss T T T Ss 2:05 T T S 2:10 T T T T S: 2:15 T T T G T T Ss T
10, 9, 8. . . (Moving around, getting back to their seats and questing down). If you would like to get some help at the kidney table, raise your hand. (Selects Ss to come go to the table), Everyone else get to work. Table three, come get your belongings please. The rest of you guys, If you need help, ask your neighbor. (Begin to work in notebooks).
(Salks around Ss tables observing work). (to Maria) Yeah, you’ve got it! Why were you raising your hand to come to the kidney table? Smiles
Even if you didn’t finish, take out your crayon so we can go over what you did. (Rosa), get the board for me please. All right, take out a crayon and I’ll help you with whatever you need help with. On Number four they were saying 5 ¼=4 5/4. Number 5 said 6=5 3/3, Number 6 says 3 5/5 are equal 2 3/6. I can explain 1, I can’t go over all of them today. Number 4? Ok, four. 5 ¼=4 5/4. Ok (Alicia), if I take one away from here, then I have 4/4, I need to add to here. I’ll show you another way, if you have a candy bar with 5/4. Let’s go over the last ones. We are running out of time. Number eight is 7 2/3, nine is 2 2/5, 10 is 3 ½ or did someone get a different answer? 3 2/4? Yes, it’s the same exact thing. (Continues writing answers on the board). Raise your hands if you’d like me to demonstrate one of these for you. No. (Raise hands) Let me walk around to see your work. Good, most of your guys are getting it.
There were no instances in which a student had a confusion that was not cleared by the teacher or assistant or a question that was not answered by the teacher, assistant or other students.
23
4.
Assessment of student understanding
A fifth grade teacher used slates to conduct an informal assessment with the class on how to subtract mixed numbers with a partner after reviewing how to solve similar problems. 1:25 T G T
Laura, tell us what you did, I want everyone to understand it. I subtracted the whole numbers, etc. Thank you for using math vocabulary. (Evelyn) and (Laura) please go to the board T I am so impressed. You really understand fractions. (Evelyn): I subtracted 7-2=5 and. . . T Very nice, then what did you do? S: Subtracted 5 #2# T And 3/6=? S: ½ T Very good, lets’ give a hand to our volunteers! T Eyes up here. Here’s the challenge. What happens, boys and girls, when you have 3 1/3? T The first step is easy, but if I have 1/3 can I take away 2/3? Ss No. T Try to find a way to solve this. I’ll give you a hint. Think about in subtracting with whole numbers. You have to…? Ss Borrow. T Ok, so as a challenge, let’s use the principle of borrowing to try to solve this. 1:30 T T
T Ss T 1:45 T
Take about two minutes. You can talk to your neighbors if you’re talking about this. I saw a lot of you guys borrow from the three. If I take one from here and add it here ,I have 4/3. Now I can subtract 2-1 and 4/4-2/3. The answer is 1 2/3. I want to use the slates and you will be in partners. I’m going to ask you to work with your math partners. (Begin to combine desks, stand with slates). (Models how to work with the slates and models first problem). You cannot talk between problems. Without talking, pass it to the other person. I’m going to let you try it by yourselves. Work with your neighbor to solve it.
24
T G T G T T Ss
What’s the first step? (Laura), what’s step number one? Eyes up here. Borrow from the eight. (Georgina), what happens to 2/5? (Veronica)? It turns into 6/5. No, how many fifths? Here’s the next problem, 6 5/12- 3/12 (Begin to work on problem).
Teachers informally assessed student understanding primarily by monitoring their progress while working in groups, individually and with partners in both second and fifth grade classrooms. For instance, in this second grade class a teacher directs the class to work out a problem together in order to assess if students understand how to work out the mathematical problem. 11:25 T T Ss T Ss
Number 4 we are going to do together. If a=4 and b=2, then 3a + 3b equals_______ If a=4 and b=2, then 3*4 + 3*2 equals_______ Yes, you are right. So what does it equal? It equals 18!
In the following instance, a second grade teacher assesses students individually in groups using manipulatives while the rest of the students waiting their turn worked on other group activities. T B T G T Ss
I’m going to be assessing today. Do you know what to do after you’re done? Talk with your friends? “Read?” “That’s good, but we’re doing math.” “Work on page 163.” (Missed) (T divided Ss into new groups.) Is this a partner activity? (Many) No!!
12:45 (T sits down in a small chair, while the other five Ss sat on the carpet. They form a circle. T grabs two baskets, puts one on the far-left table, and another one for her group on the carpeted area. Each basket has a yellow-colored plastic bars and small cubes that Ss used to count and do math problems with. Most Ss who have access to these manipulatives use them for their work. Some Ss start talking quietly.)
25
12:50 T (To the circle of Ss on the carpet area.) “If I have 3 shelves, and each has 5 books, how many books do I have? What are shelves?” Ss (Murmur.) T You put books in shelves. (T continued speaking in Spanish for a moment. As T asked questions orally, Ss write down the answers in their notebooks in the carpet area.) “If I have 4 packets, and in each packet there are 3 pencils, how many pencils do I have?” 12:55 G T G T
“I know the answer.” “Then write it down.” Miss . (G showed her work to T.) This is a really hard one. You guys think you can get it? (T places 3 small boxes of paperclips in front of Ss sitting at the carpet area.) There’s 100 paperclips in these boxes. How many paperclips are there altogether?
Informal assessments included homework, math journals and games. Teachers conducted math quizzes and drills to quickly assess student comprehension. Here a teacher in a second grade class conducts a 15-second math drill: T T
The drill will start in 15 seconds. Ok, begin. Those students taking the math drills begin on them. This is a test.
11:20 T Pencils down! T Please change your pencil to a pen, and correct your own work. Let’s see how you did. T My other students please put your other assignment away. T Students doing the math drills please pass your sheet to the left. I want to be a little different today. Ss (Pass their math drills to the left. Mrs. collects the papers).
Formally, students were assessed by completing math worksheets and quizzes. Many of these activities were conducted in groups, pairs and individually with constant teacher supervision and direction. 5. Conceptual Depth When touching on students' prior knowledge of mathematical concepts, teachers used various techniques and activities to assist students in recalling mathematical facts and procedures and building on mathematical knowledge. Teachers assessed students' misunderstanding or weaknesses after asking questions and monitoring the classroom and 26
assisted then in recalling them. The conceptual depth in the teaching of mathematics consisted mainly of reviewing facts and procedures. Teachers rarely indicated the importance and relation of mathematical concepts to students in order for them to make connections and understand concepts further. Informal and formal assessments targeted students' weaknesses and indicated to teachers that their focus was to verify recalling and basic comprehension of mathematical concepts, problems and procedures. 3. Value-Added Analysis4 Camino Nuevo Charter Academy’s student test scores and API ranking reflect a student population that performs below the district average, but do not tell how much individual students improved from one year to the next. We used value-added analysis to examine the average gain in student performance after controlling for prior scores and demographic/socioeconomic characteristics. For this analysis, we were able to obtain matched scores for 230 students, comparing spring 2004 scores to expectations based on spring 2003 scores. The value-added analysis of English/language arts test scores shows that Camino Nuevo Charter students could be expected on average to score 0.360 standard deviations below the district, but in fact scored an average of 0.155 standard deviations above that expectation. This places Camino Nuevo Charter in the 95th percentile of LAUSD elementary schools in ELA value added. Figure 6 shows where the school fits in the distribution of elementary schools across the district.
4
Value-added analysis is similar to the use of matched gains as a measure of student improvement in one year controlling for prior achievement levels. Through 2002, the District published tables of matched gains on SAT9 test scores. However, state policy has shifted emphasis to the California Standards Tests (CSTs), which change content from grade to grade according to the standards for each grade. It is not valid to subtract CST scores to calculate gains. The analysis described here is a more sophisticated model that controls for prior test scores as well as individual characteristics including race/ethnicity, gender, age in months at the time of the test, English language learning status, free or reduced lunch status, and parental education. The value added is the difference between a student’s actual score and the score that similar students with the same prior scores could be expected to achieve in an average district school.
27
Figure 6. Camino Nuevo ELA 2003-2004 Avg Value Added in Standard Deviations of CST Scores, with Confidence Interval
Value Added (actual minus expected)
0.50
0.25
0.00
-0.25
-0.50 -1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
Expected Score LAUSD Schools
Charter Schools
Camino Nuevo
The horizontal axis of this graph shows a student’s expected or predicted score in standard deviations above or below the district mean, and the vertical axis shows a student’s value added in standard deviations above or below expected. The gray spots represent mean student performance at each district elementary school, the triangles represent mean performance at charter schools, and the black dot shows mean performance at Camino Nuevo—with Camino Nuevo placing at the top end of the distribution in value added in spite of a student population that falls below the middle in predicted performance. The value added is significantly different from the district mean, as shown by the confidence interval on the graph.5 Figure 7 shows the Camino Nuevo student population divided into quartiles based on expected test scores, with each quartile represented by a black dot. This shows that all quartiles of students gained more than their expectation based on district averages. The highest performing quartile gained the most, but the other quartiles were not far behind. Thus, while three fourths of Camino Nuevo’s students fall below the district mean in ELA, these students are gaining ground at a faster rate than the district.
5
The bars above and below the black dot show the range of value added estimates that would be consistent with a true value added equal to the district mean, given the school size and the random variation among students in the district, at the 95% confidence level. If we took many random draws of 79 students from the district, we would get a mean as far from the district mean as Camino Nuevo’s less than 0.1% of the time. Thus, we can be more than 99.9% sure that Camino Nuevo’s difference from the district is not due to random variation.
28
Figure 7. Camino Nuevo ELA 2003-2004 Avg Value Added in Standard Deviations, by Quartile of Students
Value Added (actual minus expected)
0.50
0.25
0.00
-0.25
-0.50 -1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
Expected Score
The value-added analysis of Math test scores shows that Camino Nuevo Charter students could be expected on average to score 0.338 standard deviations below the district, but in fact scored an average of 0.071 standard deviations above that expectation. This places Camino Nuevo Charter in the 72nd percentile of LAUSD elementary schools in Math value added. Figure 3 shows where the school fits in the distribution of elementary schools across the district. It places low in expected score, but higher than the middle for value added. The value added is significantly different from the district mean at the 90% confidence level.6 Figure 8. Camino Nuevo MATH 2003-2004 Avg Value Added in Standard Deviations of CST Scores, with Confidence Interval
Value Added (actual minus expected)
0.50
0.25
0.00
-0.25
-0.50 -1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
Expected Score LAUSD Schools
Charter Schools
Camino Nuevo
6
If we took many random draws of 79 students from the district, we would get a mean as far from the district mean as Camino Nuevo’s about 6.5% of the time. Thus, we can be about 93.5% sure that Camino Nuevo’s difference from the district is not due to random variation.
29
Figure 9. Camino Nuevo MATH 2003-2004 Avg Value Added in Standard Deviations, by Quartile of Students
Value Added (actual minus expected)
0.50
0.25
0.00
-0.25
-0.50 -1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
Expected Score
Breaking the Camino Nuevo student population into quartiles based on expected test scores, Figure 4 shows that the lowest quartile of students gained far above their expectation, and the other three quartiles did about as well as expected. In Math, it is the lowest performing students who appear to gain the most from attending Camino Nuevo. Although Camino Nuevo students generally scored low on prior year tests, and thus could be predicted to score low on the 2004 tests, the school appeared to help most of those students gain more than predicted, thus helping to close the gap between low and high achieving students. The gains are well distributed across the spectrum of students in ELA, but are concentrated in a low performing group of students in Math. Since there are district schools with different patterns, this is not simply a result of enrolling lowperforming students, but may reflect the school’s educational emphasis. This analysis reveals a special strength in helping low-performing students to achieve gains. B.
Professional Development
The professional development program at Camino Nuevo is a collaborative effort across all school sites. A professional development committee, spearheaded by directors of instruction, collaborates closely with the curriculum and assessment committee. Both committees are composed of teachers from all three sites and grade levels. The professional development committee collects ideas and assesses needs from teachers regarding potential workshops, and teachers assist in developing the professional development calendar. In addition, the administration works closely with the committee by also providing ideas and support, and approving the calendar. A director of instruction defines her work as follows:
30
So my role is to create professional development, to create the vision, to get buy in, to get feedback, to do the long-term planning. And I collaborate with my middle school partner, which is great. And we kind of try to, you know, provide consistent, ongoing things that build upon one another to build a repertoire of skills for teachers. This year, it was non-fiction reading was our focus with differentiation and the whole standards-based curriculum. (Administrator) At the beginning of every school year, teachers attend professional development sessions, three days for continuing and four days for new teachers. Every Wednesday morning, a "late start day" when the school day starts at 10 AM, from 7:45-9:45 AM is reserved for professional development workshops. A few sessions were offered in a variety of teacher-led workshops based on ELD learners that are differentiated by grade levels and experience. There was also an emphasis on nonfiction reading. Teachers learn from each other regarding different teaching strategies and methods, with an emphasis on providing examples of how the techniques worked in practice. Teachers also have opportunities to seek additional training and support. Opportunities to attend conferences, workshops, trainings and/or classes are posted by teachers and administrators. Financial support for attending these trainings and classes is made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the budget. Following attendance at professional development sessions, teachers share what they learned with the rest of their colleagues on-site. External consultants have been invited as part of the professional development program to conduct workshops to support teachers to learn about instructional programs. For instance, the school adopted the Understanding by Design, a unit planning program, and teachers required additional assistance in understanding and implementing it. We did bring on Understanding By Design this year, we brought consultants to work with all of our teachers on the backwards planning approach and given them lots of time with their grade levels to really work on units together and share data and approve each other teaching those units and work on their professional growth together. (Townhouse Principal) Based on teachers' needs and concerns, a math consultant was hired to assist teachers in the Everyday Math program and overall mathematical teaching skills. The following year the school expects to implement the UCLA Writing Project, at which time consultants will be asked to conduct workshops for the teachers. The administration provides information from academic research and literature to teachers, by making it available in their offices and during professional development sessions.
31
The school provides a lot of useful and detailed research findings on education, which are given to us on staff development days on Wednesdays. They give data and articles on how to teach bilingual and special education students. They also give handouts on oral development and information on gender preferences in reading. (Teacher) 1. Collaboration in school The director of elementary instruction described the cooperation in Camino Nuevo as a "vision of collaboration." Every teacher interviewed mentioned meeting regularly with grade level colleagues to discuss and coordinate lessons and themes. Overall, all teachers within and across school sites reported collaborating with other teachers through activities such as providing ideas, suggestions, and peer observation, coaching and critique. There’s three teachers per grade level. So, we get together and we have been able throughout this year we had created a very good team. And we have organized all the themes that we wanted to cover. We have gotten together to decide on them, and we collectively we have decided on what are we covering and when, and all that. (Teacher) Teachers are provided six hours each month for collaboration. For instance, in each month one hour is granted for grade level meetings, one hour for a Critical Friends group, and four hours for other teaching practices and training. Using Critical Friends, teachers have also formed groups with other colleagues to critique one another and their students' work. “'Critical Friends' which is that a group of teachers from similar grade levels sit together to analyze word samples, one word sample, writing sample, from one of the teachers. So, we analyze the sample in itself, especially the good aspects of it, the positive aspects of it, and then teaching strategies to move forward" (First grade teacher). The administration contributes to the collaboration in the school by providing time and substituting for teachers to peer advise and discuss, suggesting and providing academic and material resources, and listening to teachers concerns and needs. Various components contribute to the ongoing collaboration that takes place within and across all sites. The teacher mentorship program, which pairs an experienced teacher with a new teacher at Camino Nuevo, has contributed significant support for new teachers and mentors. "I was a mentor teacher to someone else at this school site, which has a component of like helping me learn as well because I have to reflect on my practice all the time." (Teacher) For new teachers, mentors provide support and ideas when confronted with a teaching problem. "I have a fantastic mentor teacher, her name is ______, she works here, she’s great. And she just gave me lots of ideas. She gave me a book on phonics and decoding and just followed the lessons and was able to meet their needs and it worked out just fine" (Teacher).
32
When asked what resources for professional development and growth were available for teachers, several answered their mentor, weekly staff development workshops, curriculum specialist, teaching journals and resources available at the school, personal relationships with teachers. So, for me it’s been really very much a learning experience being here because I don’t-- in my old school I mean there were really good teachers but it was a much bigger school and there wasn’t as much time to just converse. So, I mean it’s been really nice to be at a small school where teachers help each other and they want to help you, you know, they want to see you succeed. So, it’s been cool. (Teacher) V
Supplemental Programs
A. English language development/Bilingual program Different approaches for supporting English Language Development are used on Camino Nuevo’s two elementary school sites. The Townhouse site has full immersion in English and the Burlington site uses a “maintenance” model. The bilingual maintenance heritage model is one of the programs utilized mainly in Kindergarten through second grade to transition ELD students from their native language by learning their language in order to facilitate the acquisition of English. The students initially are instructed in their native language, predominantly Spanish, 90% and English 10% of the time in Kindergarten and move to 80%/20% in first grade, 70%/30% in second grade. Based on teacher feedback, the school is looking into incorporating the Avenues program to improve one of the current programs, Into English, because it has more English language development models in reading and writing. An English language development block provides students 45 minutes to one hour of ELD instruction based on their ELD level. ELD portfolios are important for monitoring ELD students progress. Teachers work collaboratively on the portfolios and the principal reviews them periodically for individual discussion. The portfolios are reviewed biannually to analyze samples of student's work in order to pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses. In terms of providing feedback to teachers regarding ELD instruction, for instance, the principal at the Townhouse site conducts classroom walk-throughs every week to provide teachers with feedback on how to "build upon the ELD component in their lessons and instruction." In addition, an ELD pacing plan monitors the pace students should progress to reach the next desired ELD level. All teachers have a new program, Into English, and bring in experts to do trainings with the teachers, who had expressed need for ELD support and more resources. Each of the fourth and fifth grade teachers at the Burlington site dedicate an hour each day to ELD. The teachers take a homogenously group of students by ELD levels to address English language needs directly. For example, a fifth grade teacher takes on a group of ELD 2 students to review the digestive system.
33
8:10 T
Ok, I know we ran out of time but when you come back from ELD please come in quietly and you can finish then. I’ll excuse you by teacher. T Have a fantastic time! I’ll see you in an hour. Ss (File out to ELD class, new Ss come in and take their seats; 17 Ss total, 12B & 5G) Activity 2-ELD Class (Level 2), Digestive system review T I’m gonna say a line and you repeat after me: (T proceeds to read Pyramid Beat, Ss repeat) “Now if you are what you eat, listen you to the pyramid beat. There’s cheese and yogurt and mil from a cow, 2 to 3 servings, that’s allowed…, etc.”- Jim Marshall
8:15 T
T
T Ss T
Ok, now today we’re going to talk about digestive systems. I know you listened to a book in the reading center, so we’ll see what you remember from it. I’m going to read the book with you today, it’s called What Happens to a Hamburger. Now we’re going to sit around the kidney table.(T Excuses Ss by table to go sit on the floor near the kidney table, 2 additional Ss arrive to the classroom-1G & 1B) Don’t be shy, sit closer. Make smart choices, sit next to someone who will help you learn. What happens to a …? Hamburger! Yes this book is going to help us understand what happens to food when you eat it. (T reads 1st page, instructs Ss to talk to their neighbors about their favorite food), what do you think happens?
8:20 T What do you like Omar? Omar: Carrots T Me too! I just ate a salad made of carrots last night. What about you, Yovanni? Yovanni: Tacos and Spaghetti. T Ok enough about that page, let’s keep reading. (T Continues with book) T That gave us a little definition of digestion. You change the food you eat, everyone say digestion.
34
Ss T
Digestion (Continues reading) Do you see the picture clue? The sugar has disappeared in the water. Your eye cannot see them but they are there in tiny pieces. Turn and talk. Make a prediction about why the author put in this page about sugar water. (Edgar)? (Edgar): It’s like a different food like vegetables. T Interesting, does anyone have another idea? (Emilio)? (Emilio): Maybe they were comparing what happens in digestion. T Very good, very articulate. Excellent In the classrooms, a kindergarten teacher interviewed mentioned that he utilizes Spanish and English vocabulary interchangeably to help ELD students in their language development needs, as well as poetry, songs, dancing and hands-on activities. In the following instance, a second grade teacher instructs students to write about current events in Spanish and English. T (After most Ss finished cleaning their space.) “Okay, get ready for your homework. I want you to pay really close attention, okay?” (T pointed to the writing on the board that asked: “What’s happening in the news?”) I want you to write one paragraph of what you saw on the news. Any news, kids’ news, grown-up news. “Just tell me what’s happening, ‘cause I don’t watch TV. If you see it in Spanish, translate it to English. If you see it in English, translate it to Spanish. I want you to write this on paper, ‘cause you might forget. If your mom comes to me and say that you forgot what your homework was, I’m going to forget to give you recess.” 2:35 (Many Ss tried to get T’s attention and talk to her.) T (Responding to a question.) “Any kind of news. Lakers, Dodgers, animal news…” (One girl said something.) You’re up at ten at night? G “I think so.” T “I think so. (Repeated and laughed.) Actually, Ms. (missed) is ahead. You don’t have to watch the news at eleven. There’s news when you go home at five. Some news are actually hour by hour.” (T continued to walk around and talk with students.)
35
Teachers employ various techniques to tap into the student's learning styles by using pictures, buddy system, regalia, poetry and oral presentations in ELD instruction depending on style and preference. Overall, the ELD program, which includes the strategies, curriculum, supplemental materials, teaching, professional development and assessments, is the strongest element in Camino Nuevo. The teachers and administration work collaboratively to develop a curriculum and methodologies that best suit their students' ELD levels and specific needs. Assessments and pacing plans assist in monitoring student progress and weaknesses. B. Ecology Program The ecology studies curriculum is part of A Child's Place in the Environment Series, which is composed of "six guides for elementary school teachers that integrates science, language arts, and selected children's literature using the environment as an integrating context (school charter)." An ecology coordinator assists teachers by developing an ecology unit, and conducting trainings and observations. Ecological vocabulary words are incorporated in daily lessons. Students also conduct ecological projects, such as recording mealworm life cycle descriptive observations in journal entries, which is evident in the following second grade classroom observation. 2:25 (T turns off the light, and students become silent.) T Put the worksheets on the center of the table, and as soon as you are ready, you can be ready for the mealworms. Ss (Begin to put their worksheets in the center of the tables.) T Show me the groups who are ready. Thank you for those who gave me their work. Sorry for not giving you as much time on the mealworm. Who can remind us of the mealworm rules? (One student talks, materials missed.) T Right. (Tells students to stay in their own seats. ‘Mealworm leaders’ from each table are allowed to get supplies, and the small plastic worm farms from the table at the back of the room. It appears that each individual has a worm farm in small plastic cups with a perforated top cover. There is a larger worm farm that seems to be for the entire class.) 2:30 T (To students as they gather their worms) This is a chance to show how you take care of them.” (2 boys grabbed at the same worm farm, and argued over it for a few moments. Although there are magnifying glasses for students to use, most did not use them. Some of the students spoke Spanish for the first time while observer is present, and most students spoke in excited and animated tones.) (An older girl, L, who goes to a local middle school, walks in and greets the teacher. She proceeds to help individual students with their work at the far-left table.)
36
2:35 (Students appear to be comfortable with the beetles and worms. Many students can be seen putting them on their hands, or stroking them. None of the students attempted to hurt the insects. A few allowed the insects to crawl on their forearms.) 2:40 (Students seem to have a journal table where they record the growth of the insect larvae, and at least one student at each table is writing in them.) T You should put the mealworms on the paper plate, since there may be eggs if you dump all of the worms out on the table. Ss (Most students put the worms on paper plates, together with the cereal pieces that are in their farm. Many took out moldy cereal pieces and dumped them.) Teachers mentioned that they discuss various environmental topics with their students such as the causes of pollution, reducing pollution, animal traits and habitat and ocean life. Part of the ecology program is a recycling component at every grade level and throughout the school. "Our vision is also social justice platform and we also have a platform of ecology in really trying to make our school green and paperless and give the kids choices, and healthy choices, too." (Director of elementary instruction) In the mornings, all students recycle breakfast containers and refuse by placing them in the correct containers. In the classrooms, students recycle paper by placing it in specific containers. Besides the recycling component, students participate in other environmental related fieldtrips and activities organized by the ecology coordinator: kindergarteners had opportunities for beach clean-ups, a partnership with the Malibu Foundation, a group of fifth grader students started a recycling club and two second grade students had essays included in the charter school's Ecology Newsletter. The parents and community are also incorporated in the ecology program through parent workshops on environmental issues, participating in Earth Day celebration, cleaning up local parks and neighborhood and encouraging recycling at home. Initially, parents from the Burlington site were apprehensive in having their children cleaning up trash due to the fact that the neighborhood is dirty. However, through hard work, the school was able to raise awareness in the neighborhood about cleaning up garbage. C. Technology Program The Townhouse site is equipped with a computer lab. The technology program is just starting to take shape, according to the executive director. The school has submitted grants for consideration for technology funds and written a state-adopted technology plan. Next year, they anticipate having more technology at the school. There was one instance when the utilization of computers was conducted in the computer lab.
37
1:35 T
SS 1:40 Ss
T
1:45 Ss B T B T
I’ll double you up when we get there, and we’re gonna be there for about 30 or 35 minutes. Then we’ll have about 10 minutes for our Science test, and that should leave us 20 to 25 minutes for gardening. Okay, we’ll have the JiJis line up. And the Butterflies…Lupines…Dragonflies…Angels…line up. (Line up to over to the computer lab.) (Walk over to the computer lab. When there, some pair up, because there are not enough computers for all SS. Then SS begin playing math games.) (to observer.) JiJi Math has a series of progressive games that the class learned throughout the year, about addition, subtraction skills. We were going 2 times a week. Now the SS know all the games so we only go once a week to practice. Some have moved on to 3rd grade games. Others still need extra practice with the 2nd grade games. (All are very animated, playing together.) “Mrs. (Jones), he could play with me.” “He’s gonna play on his own today, thanks.” “Mrs. (Jones), look.” (Points to the computer that doesn’t seem to be working well.) “I think I going to get you set up on the 3rd grade games.” (Helps boy switch to 3rd grade games.)
1:50 T Ss
(Explains the games to the observer.) Continue playing various math games.
1:55 B T
Mrs. (Jones), my computer is not working. You can play with Karina then.
2:05 G T
2:10 Ss
“Mrs. (Jones), look.” “Very Good. 2 more minutes.”…”Alright you guys, it’s time to please turn off your computers.”
(Turn off their computers.)
Arts Program Camino Nuevo has a developed arts program that emphasizes on music, art, dance and drama. The students spend time with drama, music and art teachers throughout the week.
38
For instance, in a second grade class, students learn about Pablo Picasso while working on art projects with the art teacher. 9:20 Mr. (Garcia) walks in the door. He is the Art Teacher. T Hi, Class! Ss Hi, Mr. (Garcia)! T Before I forget, I want to tell you about family day, at MOCA this Sunday, June 6, 2004. It is from 1:00-4:00 pm. There is free admission; there are free shuttles to and from campus. If you have the opportunity, you should go. I will be there, and your work should be displayed. They were very impressed with your work. You guys have done some pretty amazing Art Projects this year. You should be very proud of them. You should also take your family to see them, be displayed in the museum. 9:25 T T
T T T
T
T
Today, is my last day. Today, we are going to model a very famous artists’ work. We are going to model Pablo Picasso. First, we will do a brief outline of Pablo Picasso. He was born in Spain, in 1881. His father was an art teacher at the University. So Pablo was exposed to art at a very young age. Pablo’s father then realized that Pablo was very good at art. Before Pablo Picasso, art was a little boring. They only painted portraits of people or landscapes. So one day Pablo decided to break tradition and he started painting weird stuff. He still painted the same things like portraits and landscapes but he added extra stuff like extra noses and lips. (Shows some pictures of the things he painted.) Pablo Picasso had four wives! Class yells, four wives, that’s a lot. Yes, it is. He then moved to Paris, because that was the place to go. He then started the Cubist Movement, which is the type of art that we are modeling. He died in 1973 at 91 years of age. One really important thing to note about Pablo Picasso is that he became famous during his lifetime. Not too many artists have done that. Many die and then become famous. I’ll pass the book around. But before I do that, this is a picture of “The Weeping Woman.” You can see a lot of shapes that he mixed. It has 2 views, the front view, and the side view. Pablo Picasso did a lot of pictures like that.
39
The observations captured moments in which students were practicing infomercial drama skits, performed dances for parents, and displayed art work at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) for the school's Family Day. The museum currently has a contemporary arts program with Camino Nuevo, with 35 hours of professional development at the museum for the teachers. The museum intends to foster a life-long relationship with the families in the community with this program and gives out one-year passes for families to visit the museum. On Family Day, students displayed their artwork and explained it to their family, teachers, fellow students and other visitors. The art pieces were work of fifth thru eighth grade students. Students drew art depicting their neighborhoods/environment. Many drawings from this display featured views of malls, barbershops, grocery stores and liquor stores along with helicopters and airplanes. On the same day, students performed drama skits. E. Human Development Program There were no classroom and meeting observations conducted to evaluate this program to compare with the description explained in the charter. In addition, this program was not mentioned in any of the interviews conducted. The executive director mentioned in a meeting that "circle times" were started, but were then discontinued. Not all of the students were enthusiastic about circle time sessions, therefore another program is under development for character education. VI
School Governance
Site-based council meets monthly at each site. The board of directors meetings are open to parents and teachers to attend. In one of the meetings observed held after-school from 4-6 PM, the setting was organized in an inclusive manner to incorporate all in attendance. Eight of the eleven board members were present, as well as a few teachers and parents. In the meeting, a new principal was introduced and spoke a few words, the budget, financial issues, fundraising and teacher contracts were discussed in an open floor manner. The dialogue included discussion and voting on various agenda items. Staff meetings at particular sites are open forums for teachers to voice opinions and discuss school affairs as was observed in a meeting at the Townhouse site. According to parents interviewed, all parents are included in the decision-making process, which was described as being inclusive. Parents are involved decision-making process and reported feeling they can express opinions and disagreements without being fearful of repercussions, and also feel comfortable going to the director or discussing them with others involved. VII
Parent Involvement
Becoming part of Camino Nuevo requires that parents sign a parent pledge that delineates their responsibilities towards the charter school and their child's education. Parents have to complete 15 volunteer hours throughout the year, which teachers mentioned many of their parents complete. Teachers mentioned this responsibility in their interviews as one that parents not only comply with, but also take seriously. Parents also commit to attending conferences, school events and parent workshops. As a result, teachers have 40
close and frequent contact with parents from their assistance in the classroom, school events and fieldtrips, during one-on-one teacher-parent conferences and attendance to monthly parent workshops. In the teacher-led parent workshops, teachers model and explain the types of activities and projects students will be working on and how they can help at home. In one such parent workshop, which dealt with multiple intelligences, the director of instruction explained and discussed with parents the different types of intelligences and how to understand their child's particular style through their academic work, personality, hobbies, etc. Resources were presented to help interested parents further understand the subject. Here is an excerpt from that workshop that depicts the dialogue between the parents and director. 2:20 T
2:25 P2 T P1
T
P2
People-smart. I think both of you are people smart. This is someone who works and learns by being with people. They are good at working with people, and enjoy being with people… We’re good at the things we enjoy. We have to find the things that motivate and use them to help your student learn. First, we’re going to think about what kind of learners we are, and then we’ll share out. Then we’re going to think about our kids…There are 4 types of learning styles. Kinesthetic is physical learning. They use their bodies. You need to combine the intelligences to keep kids interested. Tactual learning is when you’re using your hands, your fine motor skills to touch. Needlepoint, good handwriting, that’s tactual. Visual learners learn by seeing something. You need to give them a symbol to connect with to learn. And Auditory learners learn by listening. How can we help kids who aren’t good listeners?…We’re going to talk first about what kind of learners we are. Ana, what type are you? “I think I’m more of a visual learner. My son is very touchfeel.” “So he’s Tactual. How about yourself (Christine). You said you’re good with children.” “Yeah people, I like to be with people and learn from them too. And my son I think is the same. I think I have to help him with auditive. He’s very active and sometimes doesn’t pay attention” “So we can work on ways to do that.” One way is if your son likes to draw, you can use pictures to help him learn about math. What does your son like to do? “Going to the movies.”
41
T
“So if you want to get him to write, you might have him write a letter to Shrek, to draw on his interests.” So it’s clear that as different people we have different needs, and we need to work together to develop. Let’s look at this sample report card and try to figure out what it is that this child needs, and what type of learner he is…
Other academic related workshops explained the standards and how to help their child with their homework. The school also takes into account the familial needs as well as other topics include renters' rights, drug prevention and health issues. I don't know if you've explored our parent institutes at all but I know the Director of Health works really-- of the family programs works really hard at educating the parents on making sound decisions for health. So our vision is, you know, we're seeking to not only educate the students academically but socially and the families. It's a real mission for us to do that. We work long hours. (Administrator) Parents have volunteered their time and labor in school events by making decorations for a carnival and school festival, helping with fundraisers, operating a book fair and in holiday celebrations. When asked for a description of her relationship with parents, a first grade teacher said, "Amazing parents and any time I need anything in the classroom they’re here to help. I always have at least five parents who volunteer for field trips and just supportive, amazing. If I need to speak to them, they’re on it. It just makes it really worthwhile. You can tell that when parents are involved the children really respond. When parents are not involved the children, you know, it makes a difference, it really does. So I would say that I have a great relationship with the parents and it makes it very, very nice." The effect that parent participation has on students is one of attentiveness, also mentioned by parents, and good behavior. One second grade teacher mentioned, "The children tend to behave better. They know that I know who their parents are. They also know that I will call the parent at home if we have a problem. Just by knowing that the students seem to just act better, than they normally would." Parents discuss with teachers their child's work and progress during conferences and in the mornings when dropping off their child and after-school. Teachers have an open door policy when it comes to meeting and talking with parents. Parent feel free to ask teachers what and why their children are learning certain subjects and teachers comply with their questions. This kindergarten teacher explains to inquiring parents why their children are learning certain subjects.
42
"But, you know, the parents always want to know why is it that their children are learning this in kindergarten. And I’ll explain that, you know, “Well, in kindergarten they have to learn about the elements of the earth and that’ll come full circle in 2nd grade when they do fossils, that kind of thing. And it’s just exposure now.” I get, “Why do they have to learn the phases of the moon in kindergarten?” “Well, because that’s just exposure now because when they do the constellations in 5th grade or something like that, they need to have that prior knowledge.” So a lot of it is just, “Why do you have to teach this?” And I’ll just say, “Well, kindergarten- it extends a lot of exposure so when they go to 1st grade they should know the seasons and they should know how to describe what you wear in a particular season or what windy weather looks like, what happens in windy weather or rainy weather.” The three Latina mothers interviewed expressed very positive sentiments and outcomes regarding the education their children are receiving at Camino Nuevo. Involvement in the school was described as being like a family. Parents are aware of their responsibilities towards their children's' education and the school as their responses included being a good mother, attending meetings and conferences, volunteering, participating in school activities and serving in committees. Their involvement has resulted in positive outcomes in the school, according to the parents interviewed, as they feel closer and familiar with teachers and administrators and their children are more attentive and comfortable with their presence. They also participate in the recycling and Earth Day celebration, which is part of the ecology program. Parents have gained a sense of pride towards their children's education and ideas on how to help their child at home. Their children like to go to school and one has become more social and charismatic since attending Camino Nuevo. The ecology program has instilled in their children a sense of care and love for the Earth. These parents were satisfied with the ELD program as they mention that their children are learning every day and improving on writing and reading. They also mention that teachers understand the students, which assists in addressing their learning needs. In the next five years, the parents expect more participation and involvement from parents, as well as an expansion of the school and more programs for parents and students and summer school. Overall, these three parents are very pleased with Camino Nuevo. VIII
Summary
As Camino Nuevo's charter stipulated in various instances, their goal is to develop academically skilled students for the global information age by emphasizing core literacies, computers, creative and critical thinking. As a relatively new charter school, Camino Nuevo has focused on several elements in its efforts to become an effective school: high parent involvement and outreach, student-centered instruction, strong administration and staff collaboration and support, strong curriculum and supplemental programs. The school has also aligned itself with partnerships that enable them to carry out the goals in creating ecologically and artistically conscious students. 43
Students are learning core subjects (math, language arts, science, social studies) as evidenced in the classroom observations from student responses and instructional practices. The reading program is strong and evident in all classrooms observed. Students read and are read to on a daily basis, which helps their reading comprehension and overall literacy. The strongest emphasis in the school, particularly at the Burlington site, is in the English language development program. Teachers consistently address the language needs of the students and dedicate time to develop word recognition, reading, and oral language. The ecology studies program has become part of the school's culture and has created an ecological consciousness in students and parents. Students are open, respectful and dedicated to the environment and influence their families and friends in recycling. The arts program has developed in students an interest and respect for the arts through the introduction, teaching and participation in drama sessions, music lessons, and art lessons and projects. The students have tangible, first-hand experiences with fieldtrips to the museum, encounters with nature, and community and beach clean-ups. Based on the data collected, teachers are dedicated to their profession and most of all their students. Maintaining a relatively small school and small classroom size seems to benefit students as teachers have opportunities to assess their students individually in order to determine his or her strengths and weaknesses. The students work in groups, pairs and individually on various activities. Teachers have been able to tap into the students learning styles and have incorporated various instrumental strategies such as regalia, manipulatives, music, poetry, to name a few. The curriculum integrates California standards, and research-based teaching practices. If some aspects of the curriculum do not work for some teachers, there is no hesitation to change as teachers' feedback and concerns are taken into account to find other programs that can ameliorate teaching instructional and curricular problems or weaknesses. Teachers help shape professional development by presenting what they’ve learned in other professional development meetings and successful classroom practices they have used. Their expertise, ideas, suggestions, concerns and experiences are also taken into account by administrators in order to improve the teaching and learning. The professional development program allows teachers to grow professionally and develop collaborative relationships with colleagues and administrators. There is a strong collaboration in Camino Nuevo among teachers, administration and parents. Based on teacher and parent interviews, their consistent responses support the fact that a bond connects all stakeholders to the needs of the students. The schools' founders have responded to the empirical studies that have demonstrated that parent involvement contributes to higher student achievement. Camino Nuevo has proven true to its charter to unite and empower the community and parents by incorporating them in school functions and decision-making process. The school's relationship with parents has empowered them as parents and citizens through the parent workshops. Parent involvement and participation at Camino Nuevo has covered the most essential types of parental involvement, which include parenting, volunteering, learning at home, communication, decision-making and collaboration. By first discussing the type of involvement expected from parents during initial enrollment and upon signing the parent
44
pledge, parents understand their responsibility to the school and their child's education. Parents are not strangers, but committed and willing participants. The school respects parents and invites their presence and assistance, which in turn empowers both the parents and school. Open communication and rapport with teachers, due to close and constant contact, helps parents to discuss issues they might otherwise remain silent about. There is a reciprocal relationship and a shared vision at Camino Nuevo. Overall, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy has followed through on the commitments in its charter petition with regard to teaching methods, collaboration, assessments and curriculum. These areas work together to provide a strong educational experience for students that promises to contribute to their long-term educational goals. The teachers, administration and governing bodies are beginning to take a group of low socioeconomic status, at-risk students to develop them into academically achieving students and at the same time are constructing a community school. IX.
Suggestions for Consideration
Classroom observations indicated that a variety of instructional practices were used effectively to engage students with lesson content, such that students showed consistent understanding of concepts and skills being taught. One aspect of student learning appeared to be less well supported, however. We found relatively few instances in which students were given the opportunity to engage in critical thinking activities such as taking alternative perspectives, asking questions, and presenting arguments. Such cognitive skills become increasingly important as education progresses, and it is not surprising that Camino Nuevo’s motto includes critical thinking inclusion in the school’s mission statement. Since the observations were conducted near the end of the school year, it would have been an appropriate time for teachers to go beyond the facts and concepts already studied through teacher questioning or conducting activities that enable students to further develop their critical thinking skills rather than continuing to recite and answer repetitive questions and procedures. The following instance is an example of how a teacher does not help the students understand the concept of culture. The teacher explains culture in a simplified way and provides abstract examples when discussing what constitutes a culture. 9:35 SS & T “The dough for the roll has nuts in it.” T And our next word is customer. What’s a customer. S “Someone who usually buys something at the store.” T Let’s read the sentence. SS & T Mr. Cisco’s customers come from all over town.
45
T Now this is a word you may not know, but it’s really important to the story. Cultures. I’ll read the sentence. Mr. Cisco bakes breads from cultures all over the world. What do you think cultures means? Ss (Shout out various answers.) T “ How many of you are from Mexico?” Ss (Several raise their hands.) 9:40 T “And how many of you have recipes that are special from Mexico?” Ss (Several raise their hands.) T Mexico has a culture. I’m (Swedish) and that’s another culture. You’ll understand better as we read the story. His mom is Mexican and his Dad is Jewish, so they have different cultures. B2 “That’s like my family. My mom is from Mexico and my Dad is from El Salvador.” T That’s a good example. We only have about 15 minutes and I want to get started on the story. Ss (Pass out books to each table.) T “Pages 154 and 155 is where you’ll see the words we just talked about and examples of them. When you find that page you can go ahead and read it out loud by yourself or with a neighbor.” This is not to say that teachers did not conduct critical thinking activities, but they were not sufficient in number to demonstrate that the students are critically evaluating and analyzing concepts and ideas to any significant extent. In interviews, only one teacher mentioned that critical thinking was important to her teaching. Some teachers used analogies and other kinds of relationships between pieces of information, found alternative ways of treating problems, promoted interaction among students as they learn, and asked open-ended questions that did not assume the one right answer, but these instances were relatively infrequent. There was not much time for students to reflect on questions asked or problems posed, except when writing in their journals, brainstorming with thinking maps for essays and oral presentations. These activities demonstrate that students understand basic ideas and connections and can follow directions, but do not demonstrate higher critical thinking skills. Simply being involved in the process of critical thinking is not enough and can be done well by guiding the knowledge with beliefs that impact our behavior or action by determining the relevance and validity of information that could be used for structuring and solving problems. The skills for critical thinking can be provided to students by creating opportunities for students to see how a newly acquired skill can apply to other situations and to the student's own experience. Understandably, one could argue that these are elementary students and this could be asking too much from them and their teachers, but developing these skills is essential especially as students progress educationally and aspire to attend college, which is part of the charter's stated mission.
46
References
Brophy, J. (1999). Teaching. Educational Practices Series, number 1. PCL: Lausanne, Switzerland. Camino Nuevo. (2004). Camino Nuevo Website. Retrieved November 5, 2004 from the World Wide Web: http://www.caminonuevo.org/index.html. Chen, H-T. (1994). Theory-Driven Evaluations. Sage. Newbury Park, CA. Shulman, L. S. (1986). “Those Who Understand: Knowledge Growth in Teaching.” Educational Researcher, 1986, 15(2), 4-14.
47
