Help Us Narrow the Achievement Gap
August 31, 2001 -- Before the traditional school year began, we held two very important system-wide employee meetings. Thanks to the Carolina Hurricanes' generosity, we were able to bring together over 12,000 of our employees at the Entertainment and Sports Arena to celebrate our accomplishments and get energized for 2001-2002. In that time we spent together, we felt like a family (albeit one that would have difficulty fitting around a dinner table).
|
|
Before that, however, was our Administrative Team Conference at North Carolina State University, where our principals, assistant principals, and central office administrators gathered to make plans for the coming year. During that meeting I set an expectation that we would work together, as a system, to narrow the achievement gaps within Wake County's schools. You can find out more about what I said at the conference through this link. In this month's column, however, I would like to share with you some thoughts about where we are as a school system, and how you can help us unlock the hidden potential in all our students.
The "achievement gap" is a phrase that has become very common in talking about public education these days. Typically, when people talk about the gap, they're talking about the different average levels of academic performance between black and white students. The numbers do not lie. While ethnic background by no means determines how well a child will perform in class, on average our African-American and Hispanic students are not performing as well on the state's End-of-Grade and End-of-Course assessments as our white and Asian students. There are some positive signs. In some areas, such as reading achievement over time, we have been able to narrow the gap. But we still have much work ahead of us -- as a school system and as a community -- to accelerate that progress.
Achievement gaps are not just a "black and white" issue. Demographically, more of our Hispanic students also need help making the grade. Across all ethnic lines, poverty and the lack of a supportive household place a great strain on a child's ability to perform in the classroom. And I am concerned whenever I see children not performing to their capability, even if you and I would consider them "high-performing" -- there is always more to be learned, more self-discipline to be applied, and more creativity to be exercised.
The need is most evident in our low-achieving population -- a need that we have a moral obligation to meet and must be met if we are to have 95 percent of our third- and eighth-grade students at grade level. But we must not leave any child out of our efforts to help them meet their potential. For our low-achieving students, we must provide extra assistance to help them find the keys to unlock their potential. Those children who are barely getting by need our encouragement and assistance as well; if we abandon our efforts once they become proficient they may slide backward. And our curriculum, elective offerings, and teachers must continually challenge our high-achieving students.
Former IBM global marketing chief Francis "Buck" Rodgers once said, "There are countless ways of achieving greatness, but any road to achieving one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity." That is the task before us.
Here is how you can help.
I have challenged our principals to continue to exercise their leadership to encourage parental involvement, to build an environment that supports quality teaching, and to actively bring in civic groups, faith communities, businesses, and individual volunteers. I also extend an invitation to you: Take the reins of leadership in your community or workplace, and help our children meet their potential. You can volunteer as a tutor in the Readers to Achievers program (visit the Wake Education Partnership's website for details); offer apprenticeships, job-shadowing opportunities, or business expertise to schools through our School-to-Career and Business Education Leadership Council initiatives; or get your faith community or other organization involved in our Accelerated Learning Program efforts (call April Love, our ALP Community Liaison Teacher, at 431-8075). Parents, please give your children all the love, attention, and support they need at home to reinforce their learning at school.
The old saying goes, "A rising tide lifts all boats." Well, no one is going to make the tide rise but us: you and me, working together in our community to erase the achievement gap.
|
Do you have any thoughts about this column, or topics you would like to read about in this space? Please drop Mr. McNeal a line using the feedback box below. While time may not permit a personal response to each comment, Mr. McNeal will respond to ideas raised about this subject in a future message. |