Can Data Drive Policy and Change in Oakland Schools?

NNIP Providence 2012

Urban Strategies Councilwww.urbanstrategies.org

Taking Aim at Inequities Confronting African American Male Students in OUSD

Why Focus on African American Males Academic Achievement: In 2009, 9% of African American

male 8th graders and 33% of White male 8th graders were proficient or higher in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Graduation: In 2008, the national graduation rate for African American males was 47%, compared to 78% for White males.

Suspensions: In the 2006-07 school year, 19% of Black male students received out-of-school suspensions, compared to 7% of White male students.

Incarceration: In 2001, Black males had a 32% lifetime chance of going to state or federal prison, compared to 6% for White males.

African American Male Achievement Initiative Oakland Unified School District Urban Strategies Council East Bay Community Foundation

Initiative aimed at addressing the disparities in educational and social outcomes for African American males in Oakland.

AAMAI Goal Areas

1. Achievement Gap (English Language Arts

and Math)

2. High School Graduation

3. Literacy (4th Grade)

4. Suspension

5. Attendance

6. Middle School Holding Power

7. Juvenile Detention (Incarceration)

Students Proficient or Higher in English Language Arts (California Standards Test): Grades 2-11 2005-06 to 2010-11

Source: Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-110%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

16%19% 20%

25%28% 29%

73%76% 76%

79% 78% 78%

African American MalesWhite Males

2015 Target: 90%

African American Males White Males OUSD Total (All Students)0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

49%

72%

61%

2015 Target: 98%

Source: California Department of Education Research Files (OUSD calculations)Note: Graduation rate equals the number of graduates divided by graduates plus dropouts in grades 9-12.

Graduation Rate: 2008-09

Source: Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)Note: District average includes African American males.

Percentage of Students in All Grades Suspended Once or More, 2005-06 to 2010-11

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-110%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

17% 17% 17% 17%

19%

18%

3%

2%3% 3%

3% 3%

10%9% 10% 10%

11%10%

African American MalesWhite MalesOUSD: All Males

2015 Target: 5% or fewer

Graduation IndicatorsDimensions On Course to Graduate

At Risk of Falling Off Course from Graduation

Off Course from Graduation

Attendance Attended school at least 95% of

school days Attended school less than 95%, but

more than 90% of school days Chronically absent (Attended school

less than 90% of school days)

Suspensions Not suspended

Elementary & Middle: Not Suspended

High School: Suspended only once

Elementary & Middle School: Suspended one or more times

High School: Suspended more than once

Academic Performance

Elementary: CST ELA Proficient or higher (grades 2-5)

Middle School: Grade above C in English and Math

High School: GPA above C

Elementary: CST ELA Basic (grades 2-5)

Middle School: Grade D English and Math

High School: GPA lower than C

Elementary: CST ELA Below Basic (grades 2-5)

Middle School: Grade F English and Math

Retention

Retained

Off-Course African American Male Students, by Risk Factor & School Level, 2010-11

Elementary

(877 students)Middle School (798 students)

High School (504 students)

Chronically Absent 73% 38% 65%

Suspended Once or More 33% 73% 41%**

Poor Academic Performance* 28% 41% 63%

Retained (Left Back) 7% 0% 18%

*Below Basic ELA for Grades 2-5, F in English or Math for Grades 6-8, GPA below C for Grades 9-12

**In our rubric, off-course for high school was defined as having more than one suspension.

Percentage Suspended Once or More by School LevelOUSD 2010-11

District Elementary Middle High0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

18%

9%

33%

22%

7%

2%

17%

11%

3%1%

7%9%

African American Males

All OUSD Students

White Males

Percentage Suspended by Reason (Grade K-12)OUSD 2010-11

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

6%

7%

8%

9%

10%

1%3%

6.9%

9.3%

2.2%

1.0%

Proportion of Other Students Suspended

Proportion of AAM Population Suspended

Total Days of Instruction Missed by Males Due to Suspension in OUSD in 2010-11

African American

Asian

Filipino

Latino

Multiple Ethnicity

Native American

Pacific Islander

White

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000

5,869

387

14

1,867

104

25

98

238

Days of Instruction Missed for Suspensions

• Track specific behavior• Require reporting of

referrals & classroom suspensions

• Use site discipline committees

• Create district-level intervention team

• Focus interventions on offenses driving disparities

• Expand array of interventions

• School- and district-level targets

• Accountability plans

Accountability

Offense Focus

Records & Data

Process

Suspension Recommendations

Source: Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)Note: OUSD figures include African American males.

Percentage of Students in All Grades Chronically Absent(Absent 10% of School Days or More)

2006-07 to 2010-11

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-110%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%24%

23% 23% 23%

20%

16%15% 15% 14%

12% African American MalesOUSD (All Students)

2015 Target: 5% or fewer

Types of Absences – Elementary StudentsOUSD 2010-11

avg # excused absences

avg # days ill avg # unexcused absences

avg # unverified absences

avg # days suspended

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

0.2

1.1

0.10.2

0.0

0.8

2.9

0.70.9

0.1

Other studentsAAM

Ave

rage

Day

s A

bsen

t

Types of Absences – High School StudentsOUSD 2010-11

Attendance Recommendations

Data andProcedures

Use data disaggregated byrace/ethnicity and gender to track African American male

chronic absence, and use it to intervene early.

Explore patterns of tardinessand truancy for AAMs to seewhether and they are linked

to chronic absence.

Student, Familyand Community

EngagementAddress early grade chronicabsence among AAM and

support engagement of AAM inEarly Childhood Education

programs.

Work with AfricanAmerican male students and their families to get to school on time

and regularly, using localresources.

Policy andProcedure

Designate a single senioradministrator responsible for attendance efforts for African

American males.

Review and reviseattendance policy with input of African American males

and their families.

Make attendance policy andthe connection betweenattendance, schoolachievement and graduation afocus of student instruction and family engagement.

Apply standards for absence (excused andunexcused) and tardinessequitably to all students.

Impacts: Connecting Data to Policy

Establishing district targets for all schools Year-round monitoring of disaggregated data Examining where chronic absence is concentrated Identifying inspiring outliers Engaging school leaders through data, professional

development, site planning Using chronic absence as Early Warning indicator

Getting the word out

Reflecting Define equity and educate the

community on its importance

Build data systems to

support equity and effectively

use data

Establish explicit equity outcomes

and accountability for achieving

them

Engage community and

ensure leadership is representative of the community

Focus on increasing equity and achievement

Apply targeted universalism

Continually assess for and address equity

EQUITYFRAMEWORK