1. What are the primary findings of the report in a nutshell?
The major finding of the report is that every school has within itself the ability to create positive change. The elements of success from schools that have Beat the Odds include emphasizing the achievement of every student in every classroom and taking responsibility for that performance; the leadership of a strong principal who focuses on student success, accepts no excuses, and fosters collaborative problem-solving among teachers and staff; tracking student performance monthly, weekly or even daily and not waiting until it is too late to address student educational needs; and picking a proven educational program and "sticking with it" while still creating personalized interventions as necessary to meet student needs.
2. Is there any one program or method - a “magic bullet” - that successful schools use to promote learning?
There is no “magic bullet” program that works for all students in all schools to create successful academic outcomes. The Beat the Odds schools select proven programs that suit their needs and stick with them. But successful schools don’t leave it at that. They employ intensive data-gathering and analysis to evaluate and re-evaluate student progress, make necessary modifications, and develop student interventions as needed. This process enables “built to suit” academic programs that address the needs of individual students to help them achieve academic success.
3. Why is it important for schools to look at teacher-level and student-level data? Can’t we just look at school-wide test results to make changes in the curriculum or teaching methods?
School-wide or district-wide test results can only tell us how a school or district is performing in general. In order to make a difference in the educational outcomes of individual students, it is important for educators to know how each classroom, each teacher, and most importantly, each student is performing. By examining student achievement at this level of detail, educators can know each student’s strengths and areas of need, and avoid applying a uniform approach that may not be suited to all students. Individual students and their needs become visible through a detailed assessment process, and visibility is the first step to ensuring that no struggling student and no struggling teacher is left behind.
4. Do the findings of this report mean that our public schools can be successful?
Of course! The study’s results offer well-founded hope that our public schools, even the most challenged among them, can be successful in educating students if they can create and sustain the leadership and the systems recommended in this report and practiced by the schools that Beat the Odds.
5. What are the next steps in improving education for Latino students in Arizona?
The first step is to believe that all students, including Latino students, can achieve positive educational outcomes. Next, school principals and teachers should recognize that they have it within their grasp to take the lead in instituting the necessary changes in their schools to improve educational outcomes, as outlined in the report. In the coming months the Center for the Future of Arizona will be working to get these messages out to schools and principals and to develop action plans to implement the study findings.
6. Do the report findings apply to other schools with different ethnic or socioeconomic composition?
Although the report focuses on schools serving predominantly Latino and predominantly low income neighborhoods, there is no reason to believe that the study findings could not apply to schools serving students from other ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The schools that Beat the Odds do so by focusing on strategies that improve the educational outcomes of all students, not just strategies designed to reach the Latino or low-income students in their schools.
7. Did the report’s authors get input from the community? Are the views of the Latino community represented?
The study’s authors took steps to include members of the community, scholars in education research, and Latino education research specifically, as well as state and local policy makers in the research process. A research advisory committee was convened to voice community concerns and included individuals such as Deborah Dillon of the City of Phoenix Youth and Education Programs, and Dr. David R. Garcia of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University, among others.
8. What can I do as a school principal, teacher or parent to benefit from this report?
Over the coming months, the Center for the Future of Arizona will be working to disseminate the results of the report and implement recommendations resulting from this research, including creating leadership programs for principals and teachers and creating a resource center to support the ongoing implementation process.
More specifically, principals and teachers can work together to develop an educational program that can be embraced and implemented by every teacher, to create a system for evaluating and re-evaluating students throughout the school year rather than waiting for end-of-the-year test results and to take responsibility for the academic performance of every student in every classroom. Parents and other concerned citizens can work with educators to encourage strong leadership and collaboration within the schools and to create a community focused on the educational achievement of each individual student.
9. Are there other data sources on school performance that can be useful in comparing success among schools with similar demographics?
Although this study employs a unique methodology in analyzing success among schools with similar demographics, other analysts are interested in similar questions. One web site that makes such information available is Just for the Kids at www.just4kids.org, sponsored by the Arizona Business and Education Coalition.
Back to the Beat the Odds Report