Baltimore City Public Schools Middle School Partnership Report 2014

Increasing the Achievement of Middle School Students: Summer Learning Partnership Report BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2014

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Increasing the Achievements of Middle School Students

Summer Learning Partnership Report BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Partnership Design This partnership report describes how a summer learning partnership helped students strengthen the foundational academic skills they need to advance to the next grade and begin the new school year ready to excel.

BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) is nonprofit organization that partners with schools and community organizations to expand learning time for students in grades K-8. Since 1992, BELL has worked to transform the academic achievements, self-confidence, and life trajectories of children living in under-resourced, urban communities.

Summer learning activities play an important role in a child’s academic success, as well as their social, physical, and emotional development. Without structured summer learning activities children lose two months of reading and math skills.

By the time a child completes the 8th grade, this summer learning loss is responsible for approximately 66% of the academic achievement gap between children from lowincome families and their higher-income peers. In addition, children who lack structured summer learning activities tend to gain weight and be more likely to engage in negative social behavior, exacerbating the community need for more and better summer learning opportunities for at-risk children.

Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) and BELL have partnered to expand learning time in the summer and after school for the past decade. From 2011 – 2013, the school district and BELL worked together to expand summer learning opportunities for struggling middle school students.

Encouraged by 3 years of consistent and strong outcomes, the Office of Teaching and Learning at BCPS and BELL continued our partnership in 2014 through which the BELL Summer program operated as the district’s summer promotion program for students at risk of being retained in their current grade level.* The middle school partnership served scholars from across the city at two schools at no cost to families. Through combining resources and expertise, BCPS and BELL delivered a summer learning experience that improved scholars’ academic and social skills and self-confidence, while encouraging healthy lifestyles and engaging parents in their child’s education.

450 6-8

162.5 92%

Scholars Served

Grades Served Total Hours of Summer Learning Average Daily Attendance

+4.5

Average Grade-Equivalent Reading Gain, in Months, Underperforming Scholars**

+6.3

Average Grade-Equivalent Math Gain, in Months, Underperforming Scholars**

88%

Teachers reporting that scholars increased their selfconfidence

100%

Parents reporting that scholars enjoyed their summer learning experience

100%

Parents reporting they became more involved in their scholar’s education

*

BELL also partnered with BCPS to deliver summer learning opportunities for elementary school scholars in three schools.

**

“Underperforming” scholars score in the lowest quartile on STAR assessments at the start of the summer: Urgent Intervention (1-10th percentile) or Intervention (11-25th percentile).

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✎ PROGRAM GOALS BELL partnered with BCPS to eliminate the summer opportunity gap, accelerate students’ academic achievement, and close the achievement gap. Goals included:  Delivering a rigorous and high-quality learning experience for scholars who are at risk of being retained in grade.  Increasing scholars’ literacy and math skills.  Strengthening their self-confidence & social skills.  Increasing parental engagement.  Preparing scholars to succeed in school.

✎ PROGRAM MANAGEMENT BELL worked with BCPS to recruit, select and train program leadership teams consisting of a Program Manager, Program Coordinator, and Instructional Coach. The Program Manager was responsible for setting and fulfilling program goals, supervising staff, and engaging parents. The Instructional Coach served as the primary academic officer, overseeing assessment and ensuring instruction remained consistent with curricula and program goals. The Program Assistant managed logistics, attendance, and parent interactions. Most program leaders also serve as school or district employees during the school year.

BELL was responsible for delivering the summer program model, managing quality, and measuring outcomes. The national nonprofit leveraged its capacity for program design & planning; scholar data management; staff recruitment, hiring & training; assessment & evaluation; payroll & finance; distribution of curriculum & supplies; fundraising; and information systems.

✎ PROGRAM STAFFING & TRAINING BELL collaborated with BCPS and school leaders to recruit and hire certified teachers to lead academic instruction. BELL also recruited enrichment instructors, as well as teaching assistants from colleges, universities, and the school community to support classrooms and enrichment activities.

Program Managers participated in BELL’s comprehensive leadership training including classroom-based training, online e-learning (BELL University), and webinars. With assistance from BELL, they took the lead in training program staff, including teachers and teaching assistants, who also completed e-learning courses. Training focused on the summer learning program model, utilizing assessment data to drive instruction, effective teaching practices, collaborative teaching, and behavior management.

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Partnership Checklist Summer Program Management



Academic & Enrichment Curricula & Supplies



Student Enrollment & Attendance





Staff Recruitment





Staff Hiring & Training



Field Trips & Community Service



Parent Engagement



Assessment & Evaluation



Classrooms & School Facilities



Snack & Meal Service



Philanthropic Funding



Public Funding & In-Kind Contributions ✎ SCHOLARS SERVED Scholars who were at risk of being retained in their grade because they failed state tests in reading and/or math, and/or scored poorly on report cards were eligible to participate in the BELL Summer program.

BELL facilitated enrollment efforts by collecting enrollment forms, creating scholar files, clustering scholars, and maintaining communication with parents.

✎ FAMILY ENGAGEMENT Family involvement was a key component of the summer program. At each site, the program leadership team worked diligently to engage parents and guardians, as well as share the program model, goals for scholars, and requirements for adult involvement. Program staff members provided regular updates to parents on their children’s progress and challenges through phone calls, progress reports, and mid-program parent-teacher conferences. Parents were invited to join scholars at school for “Bring Your Parent to School Day.” Parents were also invited to attend a Closing Ceremony celebration, at which scholars presented on their summer learning experience, as well as creatively expressed their thoughts and feelings about their summer experience through skits, presentations, displays of writing and artwork, and songs.

 Scholars Served

Average Daily Attendance

Bluford Drew West

208

94%

Northeast Middle

242

90%

450

92%

School

Total

Program Design ✎ SUMMER LEARNING CORE ESSENTIALS & VALUES The BELL Summer program design is guided by research-based principals of effective summer learning, including (1) a culture of high expectations; (2) partnerships to magnify impact; (3) an exceptional learning environment, including a 2:20 staff to scholar ratio; (4) teaching excellence; and (5) relevant & engaging learning experiences that broaden scholars’ educational horizons while developing 21st Century skills. Scholars and staff are always expected to model core program values: Quality, Empowerment, Respect, Courage, and Sacrifice. All summer long, scholars were encouraged to Be Extraordinary, the program’s motto.

✎ PROGRAM SCHEDULE The program operated 6.5 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 5 weeks. In sum, the program expanded learning time by a total of 162.5 hours. The program started June 30 and concluded on August 1. The daily schedule started at 8:30 am and ended at 3:00 pm.

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BELL SUMMER PROGRAM: SAMPLE DAILY MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHEDULE (Monday - Thursday) 8:30

BREAKFAST & COMMUNITY TIME Scholars enjoy a nutritious breakfast provided by the school. After breakfast, scholars participate in team-building activities to build social skills and strong relationships with peers and staff.

9:00

LITERACY INSTRUCTION Certified teachers lead 90 minutes of literacy instruction using Pearson curriculum. My Sidewalks is tailored for elementary school students and focuses on the priority skills critical for student success: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It provides teachers with highly specific instructions and explicit, consistent, easy-to-follow lessons.

For middle school instruction, teachers use The Reader’s Journey curriculum from Prentice Hall / Pearson. It is an anchor book-based language arts program that spans fiction and non-fiction, poetry, drama, and the research process.

11:00

MATH INSTRUCTION Certified teachers lead 90 minutes of math and science instruction using the curriculum developed by Pearson. Math Navigator (Common Core Edition) uses targeted intervention modules to build conceptual understanding, problem solving, and mathematical skills. It is designed as a supplemental program for scholars in grades K-8, supporting all eight of the Common Core’s Standards of Mathematical Practice. Science activities continued after lunch for another thirty minutes.

LUNCH 12:30

Scholars enjoy a healthy lunch provided by the federal Summer Food Service Program.

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

1:00

After lunch and recess, scholars rotate through a series of fun, hands-on enrichment activities. Scholars choose their preferred activity based on their interests. Activities are designed to foster critical 21st Century skills like teamwork and leadership, while boosting scholars’ self-confidence and exposing them to new subjects and opportunities.

Zumba

Karate

Aerobics

Hip Hop Dance

STEM

Leadership Development

Healthy Living

Dare to Be King / Queen

Washington, D.C. Museum Tour

Morgan State University

Coppin State University

Howard University

Delaware State University

Bowie State University

Bowling

Roller Skating

1:30 JOURNALING At the end of the day, scholars practice their writing skills as they reflect on their day.

2:10 FRIDAY FIELD TRIPS & FIELD DAYS

2:50

Each week culminates in field trips and special events. Scholars visit scientific and cultural institutions and participate in a Field Day of physical and team-building activities at the site. Volunteers from Junior Achievement support community engagement activities.

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ENRICHMENT SPOTLIGHT:

DARE TO BE KING / QUEEN All scholars participated in character development activities throughout the summer. The Dare To Be King (DTBK) curricula is designed to strengthen three areas of boys’ social development: anger management, decision-making, and impulse control.

The curriculum is based on hundreds of hours of observation of young males in schools and other environments, as well as countless discussions with young males of color and their parents. Its companion, Dare to be Queen (DTBQ), is a holistic curriculum for adolescent girls from middle to high school. The curriculum focuses on self-esteem, personal development, and womanhood. Curriculum includes interactive sessions that focus on healthy decision-making, body image, anger, and self awareness.

Impact Measurement BELL Summer aims to produce the following outcomes: • Students who are underperforming at the start of the summer will gain at least one month of gradeequivalent skills instead of experiencing the average two months summer learning loss.

• At least 75% of scholars will demonstrate improved self-confidence and social skills.

• At least 75% of parents will report that they became more engaged in their child’s education.

✎ COMPUTER-ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENTS Teachers used STAR Enterprise Assessments, by Renaissance Learning, on a pre- and post-program basis. STAR assessments are built for measuring progress against Common Core standards. Scholars completed the STAR Reading and STAR Math multiplechoice assessments via computer, laptop, or tablet.

The assessments adapted to scholar answers; if a scholar selected the correct answer, the next question became more difficult, if the scholar answered incorrectly, the next question became easier. The adaptive quality of these assessments enabled staff to hone in on the specific learning needs of each scholar. It also allowed staff to group scholars according to common needs and deliver data-driven instruction

✎ ATTENDANCE DATA BELL managed scholar enrollment and tracked attendance data in an online Scholar Management System powered by Salesforce.com. Scholars were expected to attend at least 80% of the time. In addition, scholars were only allowed three absences, given the strong positive correlation between learning time and academic and social outcomes. Program leaders integrated enrollment and attendance data with staffing and quality indicators to optimize the learning environment. Program staff also used fun, positive incentives to encourage attendance.

✎ TEACHER SURVEYS BELL used a teacher and teaching assistant survey instrument to assess program implementation and efficacy from the perspective of instructional staff.

Teachers and teaching assistants completed the anonymous survey at the end of the program, which included questions regarding scholars’ progress, training, curricula, program staff and service, and parent engagement.

✎ PARENT SURVEYS BELL employed a parent survey instrument to assess parent observations of scholar improvement, program quality, and parent satisfaction. Parents completed the anonymous survey on-site during the final week of the program.

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Scholar Achievement ✎ GRADE-EQUIVALENT GAINS Grade-equivalent gains are an important indicator of student success because they provide an absolute measure of how much a student has progressed up the proficiency ladder at a time when most children are not engaged in structured learning activities. A full grade level contains ten months of grade-equivalent skills development (i.e., based on an average school year of learning from September – June). To put it another way, a gain of 1 grade-equivalent month is equal to what an average student learns in 10% of a school year.

Assessment data from the end of the BELL Summer program show that scholars gained significant gradeequivalent reading and math skills. Gains were greatest for scholars who were furthest behind at the start of the summer. On average, underperforming scholars gained 4.5 months of reading skills and 6.3 months of math skills. All scholars – including scholars who started the summer at or near grade level, achieved average gains of 3.9 months of gradeequivalent reading skills and 6.2 months of math skills.

At the start of the BELL Summer program, formative assessments provided teachers with baseline indicators of scholar performance along with individualized learning plans. Approximately 83% of scholars started the program underperforming in reading, and 79% were underperforming in math.*

Scholars’ grade-equivalent academic growth shows that participating in the BELL Summer program had a positive impact on reading and math achievement.

The return on investment was greatest for scholars who were struggling academically and who had the most to gain from high-quality summer learning opportunities.

GRADE-EQUIVALENT GAINS IN BELL SUMMER VS. SUMMER LEARNING LOSS -2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Average Grade-Equivalent Gains, in Months

4.5 Average Gain in Reading Skills, Underperforming* Scholars

3.9

Average Gain in Reading Skills, All Scholars

6.3

Average Gain in Math Skills, Underperforming* Scholars

6.2

Average Gain in Math Skills, All Scholars Average Summer Learning Loss, Disadvantaged Students without Summer Learning Opportunities**

-2 -2

*

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Underperforming scholars score in the lowest quartile on STAR assessments: Urgent Intervention (1-10th percentile) or Intervention (11-25th percentile)

** Sources McCombs et al. (2011). Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children’s Learning. Rand Education & The Wallace Foundation.

Cooper, Harris (2003). Summer Learning Loss: The Problem & Some Solutions. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary & Early Childhood Education.

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✎ PARENT & TEACHER ENGAGEMENT & SATISFACTION

✎ SELF-CONFIDENCE & SOCIAL SKILLS Scholars’ academic success is rooted in their selfefficacy skills, determination, and social skills, including their ability to communicate clearly and work well with others. Teachers and parents consistently reported that scholars’ participation in the BELL Summer program helped them make important gains in these areas. Such a positive impact can be attributed to a culture of high expectations, highquality staff, a small staff to scholar ratio, and an individualized learning environment.

Teachers and parents consistently reported that the BELL Summer program was of high quality and met or exceeded their expectations. Teachers reported that the program structure and resources helped scholars achieve the goals set forth for them. They also reported that the BELL Summer program helped them develop their professional skills. Parents reported that the model boosted their involvement in their child’s education – an outcome that is proven to have significant long-term impact on student achievement in school and beyond.

PARENT & TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS* Parents report:

94%

Scholars are more confident in their abilities

98%

Scholars have a more positive attitude about school Scholars enjoyed the BELL Summer program

100%

The BELL Summer program helped me become more involved in my child's education

100%

I am highly satisfied with my BELL Summer experience

100%

I recommend the BELL Summer program to other parents

100%

Teachers report:

88%

Scholars have more confidence in themselves

97%

I recommend the BELL Summer program to parents

94%

Program staff are diverse and reflect scholar diversity

100%

Working with BELL helped me develop my professional skills *

53 parents and 44 teachers completed surveys during the last week of the BELL Summer program

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

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Public & Private Funding BELL and BCPS share responsibility for program costs.

✎ BELL BELL worked diligently to raise philanthropic funding from local and national sources to cover a portion of program expenses. Local sources of support for this summer learning partnership include: David & Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation

✎ CONTACT US Nadia Clarke Executive Director (Mid-Atlantic Region) nadia.clarke@experienceBELL.org Office: (410) 338 - 1318 x 4613 Mobile: (443) 977 – 2318

Open Society Foundation Campaign for Black Male Achievement The Lockhart Vaughan Foundation T. Rowe Price Foundation, Inc. The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation The Doris K. Marlow Memorial Fund Clayton Baker Trust BELL raised additional funds from individual donors, anonymous sources, and from national sources including the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and The Wallace Foundation.

✎ BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BCPS and its schools contributed public funding and in-kind resources to support program costs, including classroom space, utilities, janitorial services, and breakfast and lunch each day.

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