Winston-Salem / Forsyth County READy Scholars Partnership Report

READy Scholars: Boosting Grade-Level Reading through a Summer Learning Partnership WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA 2015

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Daisy & Emily Daisy and Emily are getting ready for the fourth grade. They’re focused; they’re engaged, and they’re ready to switch gears from learning to read, to reading to learn.

“In the summer, my teachers helped me understand what I’m reading and answered questions,” explained Daisy. “I’m not nervous anymore about reading. I know I can do it.”

“I have learned a lot of new vocabulary,” Emily stated.

Both scholars are part of BELL’s READy Scholars grade-level reading program at Kernersville Elementary School, part of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Schools. They both are spending their time learning a lot more than reading and vocabulary.

“We are in cooking and science and art,” said Daisy. “Through the program, we learned about snakes, and then in cooking we made butterflies out of peanut butter, grapes, blueberries, and carrots, and then pretended we were the snakes preying on the butterflies.”

“This summer, I learned how to type,” Emily explained. “And we went on really fun field trips,” added Daisy. One example is the visit to the Greensboro Science Museum, where they encountered sting rays, sharks and turtles.

“I would rather come to school and learn in the summer than stay at home and be bored,” said Emily. “It’s not really school - it’s fun, and we learn about so many different things.”

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Summer Learning Partnership Report Partnership Design This report describes the summer learning activities and outcomes of a partnership between BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

BELL is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and community organizations to expand learning time for students in grades K-8. Our mission is to transform the academic achievements, self-confidence and life trajectories of children living in under-resourced communities. Because BELL believes that all children can learn, we recognize students as “scholars.”

Summer learning activities play an important role in a child’s academic success, as well as their social, physical, and emotional development. Studies show that, without summer learning activities, children tend to lose reading and math skills, gain weight, and face increased risks of negative social behavior. By the time a child completes the 8th grade, summer learning loss can account for up to two-thirds of the academic achievement gap between children from low-income families and their higher-income peers. This partnership was designed to mitigate summer learning loss for the 1,106 scholars enrolled in the program.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WSFCS) has partnered with BELL to expand summer learning opportunities for children since 2012. In 2014, BELL tailored its summer learning model to focus on helping students attain goals for grade-level reading proficiency as defined by North Carolina’s Read to Achieve legislation.* This year, the nonprofit and school district again combined resources and expertise and delivered a summer learning experience aimed at helping third and fourth graders boost their reading skills, self-confidence, and social skills, while encouraging healthy lifestyles and engaging parents in their child’s education. The READy Scholars program was hosted at eight elementary schools and offered at no cost to families.

The summer learning partnership helped students strengthen the foundational reading skills they need to advance to the next grade and begin the new school year ready to excel.

1,108 3&4 140 89% +2

Scholars Served Grades Served Total Hours of Summer Learning Average Daily Attendance Average Reading Gain, in Months

96%

Teachers reporting that scholars increased their self-confidence

94%

Parents reporting that scholars enjoyed their summer learning experience

86%

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

*

BELL also partnered with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to deliver its BELL Summer model for middle school students in 2015 .

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✎ PROGRAM GOALS

BELL and Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools worked together to eliminate the summer opportunity gap, accelerate students’ reading achievement, and close the achievement gap. Students were called “scholars” to demonstrate high expectations and were encouraged to “Be Extraordinary,” the program’s motto.

Program goals included: ¤ Increase scholars’ literacy skills and help them avoid summer learning loss. ¤ Strengthen scholars’ self-confidence & social skills. ¤ Increase parental engagement.

✎ PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

BELL worked with WSFCS to recruit, select and train program leadership teams consisting of a Program Manager, Program Assistant, 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 are employed 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 and planning; scholar data management; staff recruitment, hiring and training; assessment and evaluation; payroll and finance; distribution of curriculum and supplies; fundraising; and information systems.

✎ PROGRAM STAFFING & TRAINING

BELL collaborated with WSFCS to identify and recruit stellar teachers to lead academic instruction,

enrichment instructors to lead afternoon activities, and teaching assistants to support classroom activities. Program Managers and Instructional Coaches participated in BELL’s comprehensive leadership training, including online e-learning (BELL University), webinars, and classroom-based training.

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. ✎ SCHOLARS SERVED Scholars were recruited and enrolled based on these criteria: (1) Third graders who did not pass the End-ofGrade reading test and who chose to participate in the READy Scholars program in order to have a chance to be promoted to the fourth grade with their peers based on additional assessments; (2) Fourth graders who were struggling in their reading and social skills and who were recommended by school leaders and faculty. The school district facilitated the enrollment process by distributing information about the program and encouraging parents to enroll their children. BELL supported enrollment by creating and collecting bi-lingual enrollment forms, creating scholar files, clustering scholars, and maintaining communication with parents.

✎ FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

Family involvement was a key component of the program, and staff members provided updates to parents on their children’s progress and challenges through phone calls, progress reports, and a midprogram Open House. All parents were invited to attend a Closing Ceremony celebration, at which scholars performed skits, songs, dramas, dances and 3 presentations about their experience.

Partnership Checklist Summer Program Management

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Academic Curricula & Supplies

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Enrichment Curricula & Supplies

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Student Enrollment & Attendance

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Staff Recruitment

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Staff Hiring & Training

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Field Trips & Community Service

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Parent Engagement

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Assessment & Evaluation

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Classrooms & School Facilities

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Meal Service

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Philanthropic Funding Public Funding & In-Kind Contributions

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Transportation

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Scholar Enrollment & Attendance *scholars were recruited from all elementary schools in the district

Easton Elementary School

Scholars Served 122

Hall-Woodward Elementary School

165

Kernersville Elementary School

100

Konnoak Elementary School

200

Mineral Springs Elementary School

109

North Hills Elementary School

144

Petree Elementary School

110

Speas Elementary School

158

Total

1,108

Average Daily Attendance 90% 87% 87% 90% 88% 90% 89% 89%

89% 4

Program Design ✎ CORE ESSENTIALS & VALUES The READy Scholars program is designed to serve students who are performing below grade level and who lack access to high-quality learning opportunities outside of school. The model is guided by principles of effective summer learning, including (1) a culture of high expectations; (2) partnerships to magnify impact; (3) an exceptional learning environment, including a 1:10 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 were expected to model core program values: Excellence, Collaboration, Learning, Respect, Courage.

✎ THEMES All summer long, scholars were encouraged to Be Extraordinary, the program’s motto. Activities focused on college- and career-readiness, healthy lifestyles, and community engagement were woven into academic and enrichment programming. During College Pride Week scholars learned about the college experience and how success in school is connected to success in life.

✎ PROGRAM SCHEDULE The READy Scholars model delivered academic and social enrichment for 7 hours per day, 4 days per week for 5 weeks. The program started on June 29 and concluded on July 30. The daily schedule started at 8:00 and ended at 3:00. In sum, the program expanded learning time by 140 hours. The summer learning model included the following core elements:

Breakfast + Community Time: Scholars enjoyed a

nutritious breakfast provided by the district. After breakfast, scholars participated in team-building activities to build social skills and strong relationships with peers and staff.

Literacy Instruction: Certified teachers led three hours of literacy instruction each day.

BELL equipped teachers with a powerful toolkit of teacher’s guides, scholar workbooks, access to technology and assessment data, and professional development to prepare them for delivering the greatest academic impact in a concentrated summer learning program. Content was scoped out to provide educators with details on whole group, small group, and individualized instructional methods in a rigorous, engaging, and scholar-centered learning environment.

Instruction was organized into three parts: Lesson Opener & Read Aloud: Teachers introduced the day’s lesson and text before dividing scholars up into three small groups. Scholars with similar academic needs were grouped together.

Reading Stations: Scholars rotated through three reading stations: Small-Group Instruction: Teachers led short, engaging lessons focusing on specific phonics and text structure skills using Common Core-aligned curricula by Scholastic and best practices for reading development and early literacy.

Technology Station: Scholars completed digital lessons on laptops or tablets.

Independent Practices: Scholars focused on elements such as antonyms, synonyms, prefixes, and suffixes. Working together, they completed short reading and writing activities.

Games & Intervention Pull-Outs: Scholars played literacy games or engaged in other hands-on learning while teachers and teaching associates led interventions for struggling readers.

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Lunch & Recess:

Scholars spent 45 minutes eating a healthy lunch and engaging in organized physical activity during recess.

Enrichment Courses:

After lunch, scholars participated in fun, hands-on enrichment activities designed to foster critical 21st Century skills like teamwork and leadership. The activities helped boost scholars’ self-confidence and exposed scholars to new subjects and opportunities.

Field Trips: Scholars visited community and cultural

institutions and museums, participated in field days, and attended the district’s local high school theatre performance. Such trips support scholar learning by exposing scholars to diverse ideas, people, and places, and nurturing increased empathy, tolerance, and criticalthinking skills.

Enrichment Courses Dance

Chinese

Art

Soccer

Drama

STEM

Physical Fitness

Culinary Arts

Field Trips Greensboro Science Museum

UNC School of the Arts

Impact Measurement The READy Scholars program sought to produce the following outcomes: Scholars will gain at least one month of reading skills, on average, instead of experiencing 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.

To measure performance against these outcomes, program leaders used the following tools:

✎ COMPUTER-ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENTS

Teachers used the STAR Reading Assessment, by Renaissance Learning, on a pre- and post-program basis. The assessment is built for measuring progress against rigorous standards.

The multiple-choice assessments, administered via computer, laptop, or tablet, “adapt” based on scholar responses to assessment questions. For example, if a scholar selects the correct answer, the next question becomes more difficult; if the scholar answers incorrectly, the next question becomes easier. The adaptive quality of these assessments enables staff to hone in on the specific learning needs of each scholar.

It also allows staff to group scholars according to common needs and deliver small-group, data-driven instruction.

✎ READ TO ACHIEVE STATE REQUIREMENTS

Based on state legislation, the STAR test could be used as an alternative assessment to determine criteria for Read to Achieve promotion to fourth grade.

Scholars were required to achieve a Lexile Level 725 or higher on the STAR test (537 scale score) to meet the alternative assessment requirement for passing.

✎ 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, 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.

✎ TEACHER SURVEYS Partners 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 Partners employed a parent survey instrument to assess parent observations of scholar improvement, program quality, and parent satisfaction. Parents completed the anonymous survey during the final week of the program.

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Scholar Achievement ✎ ACADEMIC GROWTH

Assessment data from the end of the READy Scholars program show that scholars gained an average of two months of reading skills.

Gains in reading and math skills are an important indicator of student success because they provide a 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 skills development (i.e., based on an average school year of learning from September – June). To put it another way, a gain of one month is equal to what an average student learns in 10% of a school year.

Scholars’ academic growth suggests that participating in summer learning activities could have a positive impact on academic achievement and eliminate summer learning loss. The data also hints that summer learning opportunities may have the greatest impact on scholars who stand to benefit the most: those who are struggling academically and who need more time-on-task the most.

Teachers utilize formative assessments from the start of the summer to understand each scholar’s learning needs and to inform individualized learning plans.

ACADEMIC GROWTH IN THE READY SCHOLARS PROGRAM VS SUMMER LEARNING LOSS -2

-1

0

1

2

3

+2 Months of Reading Skills

Skills Gained, in Months

-2 Months of Summer Learning Loss Experienced by Disadvantaged Students Without Summer Learning Opportunities* -2

-1

0

1

2

3

* 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 Soluations. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary & Early Childhood Education.

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âœŽâ€Ż SELF-CONFIDENCE & SOCIAL SKILLS

Scholars’ academic success requires self-efficacy skills, determination, and social skills, including an ability to communicate clearly and work well with others. Teachers and parents consistently reported that scholars’ participation in the READy Scholars program helped them make important gains in these areas. Such a positive impact can be attributed to a culture of high expectations, high-quality staff, a small scholar to staff ratio, and an individualized learning environment.

âœŽâ€Ż PARENT & TEACHER ENGAGEMENT & SATISFACTION

PARENT & TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS

Teachers and parents consistently reported that the READy Scholars 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 working as a teacher in READy Scholars 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.

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School board members Lori Goins Clark and Mark Johnson dropped by Petree Elementary School to learn more about the READy Scholars program.

THE GROWTH MINDSET This summer, program staff and scholars focused on cultivating a growth mindset. In a growth mindset, scholars believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for short- and long-term achievement.

BELL’s culture of high expectations, staff modeling, and transforming mistakes into positive learning opportunities are some of the strategies used to strengthen scholars’ growth mindset.

End-of-program surveys suggest that this approach is resonating with scholars, as 85% of parents reported that scholars showed improved abilities to overcome challenges, and 90% of teachers reported that scholars exhibited a growth mindset.

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Public & Private Funding ✎ WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH COUNTY SCHOOLS The school district contributed funding and in-kind resources, including utilizing classroom space, utilities, janitorial services, and daily breakfast and lunch. The school district also provided daily bus transportation to and from the program for scholars who needed it.

BELL BELL raised philanthropic funding from local and national sources to cover a portion of program expenses. A local leadership council also supported fundraising in North Carolina. Local donors supporting the READy Scholars summer learning program included: - Winston-Salem Foundation - Reynolds American Foundation - Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust - Duke Energy.

BELL raised additional philanthropic funding from national sources to develop program innovations, build local sustainability, and cover a portion of program expenses: - The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation - The Wallace Foundation - Target - Leon Lowenstein Foundation - William Randolph Hearst Foundation - News Corp.

Contact Us Jerri Haigler Executive Director, Carolinas Jerri.Haigler@experienceBELL.org (704) 706-7122

Carolinas Leadership Council Cammie Hauptfuhrer, Chair

Philanthropist & Community Activist

Joe Kluttz

Partner, K&L Gates, LLP

Mary Kluttz

Former Lower School Academic Dean, Trinity Episcopal School (retired)

Dr. Donald Martin

Former Superintendent, Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools (retired); Professor of Education at High Point University

Walter McDowell

Chair, Business for Education Success & Transformation (BEST NC) & Former CEO, Wachovia (NC & VA)

Claire Tate

Community Advocate & former Executive Director of Partners in Out-of-School-Time (POST)

Carolinas Partners Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence, Wilmington Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (Read to Achieve Grade-Level Reading)

Devonshire Elementary School, Charlotte First Presbyterian Church/Westerly Hills Academy, Charlotte Huntingtowne Farms Elementary School, Charlotte Lakewood Elementary School & Duke Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, Durham Martin Luther King Middle School, Charlotte OnTrack Greenville (United Way of Greenville County & Greenville County Schools)

Project LIFT, Charlotte Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Public Schools (Read to Achieve Grade-Level Reading & Middle School partnerships)

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