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Factors that contribute to narrowing the achievement gap for elementary age students: a case study

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FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO NARROWING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
FOR ELEMENTARY AGE STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY

by
Mary Elizabeth Westendorf

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITYOF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2009

Copyright 2009 Mary Elizabeth Westendorf

ii

DEDICATION

This project is dedicated to my wonderful husband, Phil, my inspiration and
my very best friend. His unwavering support and ability to always do that “one little
thing” that makes everything better, has been the key to my journey. My children,
Lyndsey, Lauren and Sam, have always supported me and inspired me to pursue my
dreams. Their understanding of this process and willingness to help along the way has
made a difference in my journey and I will forever be thankful. To my parents, who
have taught me the value of education, and to my sisters Jane and Julie, and my
brothers, Chris, Bill, and Peter, who have inspired me to see beyond four walls and
measure success by the quality of my relationships.
I am especially grateful to my life-long friend, Jeanne, who has been by my
side for over 30 years. We have certainly been through life’s journeys together and
the better part of my life and dreams have been shared with her. I am thankful for her
patience, her understanding, her sense of humor, and her support, and for always being
there with Sunday dinner. To Kym, who brings light to my life and reminds me
regularly that our hope is in everlasting life.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the support that I received through the University
of Southern California and the Trojan family. Dr. Stuart Gothold as chair of my
committee was instrumental in guiding me and supporting me in the completion of my
dissertation. I especially appreciate Dr. Gothold’s inspiration as to the value and
contributions that this particular research can make in California. Dr. Kathy Stowe
has been a tremendous supporter and encouragement to me throughout my program,
and I will always be grateful to her for her kind words along the way, some days they
were the main things that kept me going. I feel very fortunate to have been part of an
outstanding research cohort for my final dissertation project. Special thanks to Dr.
Sue Kaiser, Dr. Mark Brown, Dr. Tammy Steele, Dr. Michelle Doll, Dr. Katherine
Fundukian, Dr. Vicki Soderman-Roloff, and Dr. Ed Trimis.
I am so thankful to my friends and colleagues in the Fruitvale School District.
My journey began when I was principal at Discovery Elementary and I cannot thank
the Discovery staff enough for allowing me the time to pursue my dreams. So many
of us have grown up together and have shared in the joys and sorrows of life. I truly
count them as blessings in my life and am indebted to each and every one of them.
Dr. Carl Olsen has been a tremendous mentor in my life. He is the most
outstanding educational leader I know and he combines this with incredible wisdom
and compassion. He encouraged me to begin this program and I will always be
thankful to him for his faith in me and his support. John Hefner was my first principal
and a role model for how successful administrators treat staff, students, and parents.

iv

He showed me the importance of establishing connections and he is a lifelong friend.
Dan Peeler is my colleague and friend and he is often the first I turn to for advice.
Finally, I must thank my colleague and my friend, Dr. Matt Torres. Matt and I
began the doctoral program together and for two and a half years, we drove weekly to
the University of Southern California. I am inspired by his passion for education, his
tremendous grasp and focus on important issues, but most of all his friendship. I truly
would not have completed this program if not for Matt, and we have formed a lifelong
friendship that I value tremendously.

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii
LIST OF TABLES vii
ABSTRACT viii

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Introduction 1
Statement of the Problem 4
Purpose of the Study 6
Research Questions 7
Importance of the Study 8
Summary of the Methodology 10
Assumptions 10
Limitations 11
Delimitations 11
Definitions of Related Terms 12
Organization of the Dissertation 17

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Introduction 19
History of the achievement gap 20
Factors that contribute to the achievement gap 26
Home/Community factors 27
School Factors 29
Teacher Quality 30
Challenging Standards Based Curriculum 32
Leadership 34
Assessment Data and Accountability 36
What Has Worked to Close the Achievement Gap 37
What the Literature Says – Conclusion 41
Additions to Existing Research 44

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
Introduction 46
Sample and Population 48
Summary of Research Design 52
Instrumentation and Data Collection 53
Research Questions, Case Study Instruments and Formal
Evaluation Documents 57
Conceptual Framework 58
Data Analysis 60

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CHAPTER FOUR: THE FINDINGS
Introduction 64
Description of District 64
Description of School 65
Doc’s Charge 67
Presentation of Findings 68
Findings Based on Bolman and Deal 95
Structural Frame 95
Human Resources Frame 97
Political Frame 98
Symbolic Frame 99

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction 101
Purpose of Study 102
Analysis of Findings 103
Theme One – Access 103
Theme Two – Culture and Climate 106
Theme Three – Expectations 108
Theme Four – Strategies 109
Recommendations for Further Study 111
REFERENCES 113
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Doc’s Charge 117
Appendix B: Administrator Survey 119
Appendix C: Staff Survey 125
Appendix D: Staff Interview 131
Appendix E: Administrator Interview 132
Appendix F: Data Collection 133
Appendix G: Observation Tool 135

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Achievement Gap among California Student Subgroups 4

Table 2 California and U.S. School Populations 5

Table 3 Third Grade Math Scores for Subgroup Populations 6

Table 4 Student Demographic Groups at Salaton Elementary 50

Table 5 Academic Performance Index for Salaton Elementary 51

Table 6 Percent Proficient and Advanced in E/LA & Math 51

Table 7 Alignment of Research Questions with Case Study
Instrumentations 58

Table 8 Salaton Elementary Staff Leadership Team 62

Table 9 Goals for Student Achievement on E/LA STAR Test 76

Table 10 Survey Results for Research Question #1 80

Table 11 Survey Results for Research Question #2 86

Table 12 Survey Results for Research Question #3 94

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ABSTRACT
Throughout California, schools struggle to provide students of color, poverty,
second language, and special needs the educational services they need to master
academic standards at the same level as their white, Asian, and affluent classmates.
California has the most diverse student population group in the nation and represents
both tremendous wealth and tremendous poverty. In addition, California’s most
rapidly growing student populations are those who have traditionally been the lowest
achieving. These factors combine to create what is the most pervasive problem facing
California schools and educators; the Achievement Gap. Unless solutions are found,
the problem will continue to grow and have long-lasting effects on the economic
health of the state of California and more importantly, will define the opportunities for
California students based on their zip code, family income, or home language.
The purpose of this project was to study a California school with significant
subgroup populations that were outperforming expectations. Specific criteria were
developed that guided the selection of the case study school. In addition, there was a
focus on documenting the programs, practices, and strategies that were contributing to
high achievement. Classroom observations were conducted in twenty-two classrooms
and nine teachers representing the Leadership Team were interviewed. In addition,
both school site administrators, the after school program administrator and a district
level area administrator were interviewed. A review of pertinent school and district
documents and achievement data, and teacher and administrator surveys also provided
data for an analysis of effective school factors.

ix

Seven findings, validated through the triangulation of data, both supported and
added to existing research. Findings included a commitment to student intervention
programs, standards based learning, assessment as an instructional tool, high
expectations and a genuine belief that all students are can learn, hiring practices
designed to assemble supportive and talented staff members, a student assessment
platform widely used for the analysis of student performance and planning instruction,
and a commitment to offer extra-curricular and co-curricular activities to all students,
regardless of financial status. The impact of the district culture cannot be overstated
as a contributing factor to the success of the school.

1

CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in
education. Our requirements for world leadership, our hopes for
economic growth, and the demands of citizenship itself in an era such as
this all require the maximum development of every young American's
capacity. The human mind is our fundamental resource. (Kennedy, 1961)

American education has a clear, consistent, and unmistakable mission: to
educate all children, regardless of family background, ethnicity, or income, to a level
where they have multiple choices about their life path and can contribute in a
meaningful way to a democratic society. The failure of schools to do so has resulted in
decades of inequality for many of our nation’s children and little, sustainable progress
towards narrowing a gap in achievement between white and Asian children and
children of minority, color and poverty.
The historical evolution of the achievement gap has wound down many paths
over the past century. It has had many causes, some of which can be attributed to
economic conditions such as a farm based economy which didn’t require a an
extended education, or an industrialized economy with clear delineation of labor and
management, often dependent upon ethnicity. The effects of early racism which
caused separation of public schools, clearly contributed to gaps in educational quality
and achievement. In 1954, the Brown vs. The Board of Education decision overturned
the “separate but equal” doctrine and Chief Justice Earl Warren decisively stated that
segregation was unconstitutional. By 1985, the civil rights era had advanced the rights

2

of African Americans, the desegregation of schools was complete, and the
achievement gap had its narrowest margin.
However, by the late 1980’s voluntary residential segregation began to undo
many of the gains made by forced desegregation. As groups chose or were forced to
live in areas where they shared a common language, culture, race, or employment,
their schools became segregated again and the United States Supreme Court released
schools from court ordered busing. Soon neighborhood, segregated schools became
more the rule than the exception, and “white flight” out of urban areas caused great
inequities in schools. Researchers vary in their diagnosis of the causes of the
achievement gap, arguing that it may be a societal problem, a cultural problem, or an
economic problem. But most agree that clearly it is also an educational problem.
We can’t ignore the damage done by what we as educators do: we take
the children who have less to begin with, and then systematically give
them less in school, too. In fact, we give these children less of
everything that we know makes a difference. (The Education Trust,
Inc., 2001, p. 2)

California has the largest population of ethnically socioeconomically diverse
students in the nation. In the last ten years, the California student population has
changed dramatically. In 1997-98, California was educating 5.7 million children, of
which 62% were non-white. Now, ten years later, in 2007-08, California teachers are
educating over a million more students, and 72% are non-white, 50% receive free and
reduced lunch and 25% are English Language Learners.
Surprisingly, despite large increases in student enrollment, a growing diversity
in demographics, difficult state academic standards and a lack of increase in school

3

spending, California students and teachers are doing better as a group. Data from the
National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) show that California’s fourth
graders are making consistent, steady improvement in math and reading, even though
they still lag behind the rest of the nation. Graduation rates have been fairly consistent
over the past four years; however the number of graduates has increased, except in
2006 when the High School Exit Exam was introduced. Unfortunately, despite
progress in raising student achievement across all groups, there has been little progress
made in closing the achievement gap between white and Asian and Hispanic and
African-American students. (Source: California Dept. of Education)
Recently California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell
directed a group of educators, business men and women, and community members to
explore the Achievement Gap in California. This group came to be known as the P-16
Council, (Pre-kindergarten through Higher Education) and their charge was to
examine strategies for closing the achievement gap in the state of California. Led by
Chairman Dr. Barry Munitz, a Trustee Professor at California State University, Los
Angeles, this group worked hard to “reach a consensus – indeed unanimity- on a series
of core recommendations.” (California P-16 Council, 2008, p. iv)
Because it affects so many students, the achievement gap has become the most
pressing and overwhelming problem in California education. The achievement gap is
defined as a persistent disparity between the achievement of white and Asian students
and students of color, minority, poverty, and second language learners. To put that in
practical terms, today in California, white and Asian students make up only 37% of

4

the student population, while non-white or African American students account for
63%. Sixty-eight percent of Hispanic and African American seventh graders do not
score at the proficient level in English Language Arts (ELA), while only 29% of the
Asian students and 34% of the white students are not proficient. California is failing
millions of its children by not identifying and implementing significant changes that
will impact the achievement of this ethnically diverse population.
Table 1
Achievement Gap among California’s Student Subgroups:
Relative Proportions of Students Scoring Proficient and Above
On the California Standards Test 2006

(Source: California 2006 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program)
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In the United States, there are 36.5 million people currently living in poverty,
with about 35% of them under the age of eighteen. In California in 2006-07, there
were over three million students who received free and reduced lunch and they
0 20 40 60 80
White
Af.Amer.
Amer. Ind
Asian
Filipino
Hisp./Lat.
SED
Engl. Learners
Spec. Educ.
Math
E/LA

5

represent just under 50% of the public school population. In addition, 25% of
California’s public school students are second language learners and they comprise
one-third of all English Language Learners in the United States. Just under 30% of
California’s students are white and 48% are Hispanic.
In comparison to the rest of the United States, California educators face
immense challenges. The sheer number of students in California has increased by
over one million students in the last twelve years and it is the most diverse student
group in the nation. (Imazeki, 2008, p. 2)
Table 2
California and U.S. Public School Population
2005

California Rest of U.S.

Total Enrollment

6,437,202

42,676,272
Non-White Students
% of Total
4,521,753
70.2%
16,835,837
39.5%
Students in Poverty
% of Total
3,063,766
47.6%
17,271,896
40.5%
English Learners
% of Total
1,571,463
24.4%
2,651,652
6.2%
(Source: National Center for Education Statistics)
In spite of the tremendous demographic challenges and demands that educators
face in California, resources allocated to education have not kept pace. “Despite the
high cost of living in California, most of the state’s students attend schools where per
pupil spending falls below the national average.”(Imazeki, 2008, p. 3) In addition, in
2008, California schools are facing one of the worst budget crises to occur in many
years and will be forced to make decisions regarding staffing and programs that may

have long lasting effects. The mounting challenges
demographics are compounded by the difficult state
Unfortunately, despite progress in raising student achievement across all
groups, there has been little progress made in closing the achievement gap betwee
white and Asian and Hispanic and African
Dept. of Education) As seen in the graph below, there is still a marked difference
between Asian and white students and their Hispanic and African American
counterparts on the CAT/6 in third grade math.
progress, but have yet to see a systematic improvement process that guarantees a
closing of the achievement gap for all students.
Third Grade Math Scores for Subgroup Populations
California Standardized Testing and Reporting
(Source: California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program)
If we are to consistently address the problem of the achievement ga
schools, we must find
making sustainable improvements that close
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2003
have long lasting effects. The mounting challenges of school finance and changing
demographics are compounded by the difficult state academic standards.
Unfortunately, despite progress in raising student achievement across all
groups, there has been little progress made in closing the achievement gap betwee
Hispanic and African-American students. (Source: California
As seen in the graph below, there is still a marked difference
between Asian and white students and their Hispanic and African American
he CAT/6 in third grade math. California educators are making
progress, but have yet to see a systematic improvement process that guarantees a
closing of the achievement gap for all students.
Table 3
Third Grade Math Scores for Subgroup Populations:
fornia Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)

(Source: California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program)
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
If we are to consistently address the problem of the achievement ga
examples of schools, programs, strategies, or practices that are
making sustainable improvements that close – not just narrow- the achievement gap.
2004 2005 2006

6

school finance and changing
standards.
Unfortunately, despite progress in raising student achievement across all
groups, there has been little progress made in closing the achievement gap between
(Source: California
As seen in the graph below, there is still a marked difference
between Asian and white students and their Hispanic and African American
California educators are making
progress, but have yet to see a systematic improvement process that guarantees a

(STAR)
If we are to consistently address the problem of the achievement gap in all
ools, programs, strategies, or practices that are
the achievement gap.
Asian
White
All Students
Hispanic
African Amer.

7

The purpose of this study was to examine a high achieving school in the California
central valley to determine those strategies and practices that have successfully
impacted student achievement. The outcomes, those programs, practices or strategies,
that are making a real difference have been documented with the idea that they can be
replicated in other settings to begin to globally affect change for the purpose of closing
the achievement gap. Education is a profession that has the power to influence lives.
It is crucial that its practitioners are persistent and tenacious in their efforts to find
programs that will make a difference for all students.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The thematic dissertation group from the University of Southern California
collaborated in the development of the research questions. These questions are
designed to identify specific practices, programs, and strategies that were present in a
school and contribute to the narrowing of the achievement gap. They are the same
questions used by all researchers in this thematic group. The research questions are:
1. Which school wide programs promote student achievement and
contribute to the closing of the achievement gap?
2. Which school wide practices promote student achievement and
contribute to the closing of the achievement gap?
3. Which instructional strategies were implemented to target the closing
of the achievement gap?

8

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
The future of the American democracy, the American free market and the
American economy depends on the education of our young people, and not just some
of the young people, but all of our youth. Those citizens who are not able to stand up
and help shoulder the burden of citizenry become part of that burden. The states with
the best school systems will end up with the best jobs. The Association of Supervision
and Curriculum Development define the achievement gap differently than some. They
state:
To interpret the achievement gap to mean that categories of students,
defined by economic or racial status, are failing to achieve at the same
levels as their white or more affluent peers is missing the complexity of
the issue. What the achievement gap actually shows is that poor, black,
and Hispanic students are more disadvantaged than their white and
affluent peers by a range of factors that tend to inhibit academic
achievement. These factors-not those of being poor, black, or
Hispanic-drive the achievement gap. (Ramirez & Carpenter, 2005, p. 3)

This study and a similar one done by Educational Testing Service identify
factors that are most crucial to school success. These factors seem to be more
deficient in minority students or students that are economically disadvantaged. It is
critical to the success of the democratic society that all students are afforded not only
an equal opportunity to learn, but are provided with high quality teachers, challenging
curriculum, modeling of healthy behaviors and a sense of connection to their schools
in order to keep them present and motivated. American education is at a crossroads.
The implementation of the No Left Behind Act of 2002 has provided an accountability
system that measures subgroup performance and systematically highlights the
achievement of all students. We now know their names and we now know their

9

families. Even if we achieve a lofty goal of 90% proficient, which child are we
willing to leave behind?
California Superintendent O’Connell’s P-16 Council’s focus on the
achievement gap began with the question, “Why does this matter?” They determined
that it matters to the individual family and child because it is a responsibility of states
to provide a high quality educational environment in order to develop well-educated
citizens. But more important, they determined that it matters because it is imperative
to the future success of the state.
A strong education system ensures:
Quality of life for Californians
Economic growth and a competitive advantage for California
Viability of a diverse, pluralistic, and democratic society to power
California’s prosperity. (California P-16 Council, 2008, p. 2)
The identification of programs, practices, and strategies that are effectively
being implemented in a California school will be documented and described with the
goal of replicating best practices in other schools with similar populations. There is an
urgency to find replicable strategies and a moral responsibility to the children of
California to not have them spend one day more in a classroom that can’t help them
achieve their future. The timeliness and importance of this research cannot be
overstated as the very population that is being researched is the population that is the
fastest growing in the state. In addition, this study is one of nine generated by the

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thematic dissertation group and the commonalities of the findings increase their
validity.
SUMMARY OF METHODOLOGY
This study is a qualitative study which uses a triangulation approach in the
collection of data. It is a qualitative design and primarily depends upon the collection
of rich, descriptive data to identify those programs, practices, and strategies that are
effective in closing the achievement gap. Data collection instruments, interview
questions, survey questions, and observation tools were developed collaboratively by a
group of nine doctoral students from the University of Southern California in a
thematic dissertation group lead by Dr. Stuart Gothold. Data collected from these
instruments and information gleaned from the literature review and conceptual model
were analyzed and conclusions drawn to further the research in the area of the
achievement gap.
ASSUMPTIONS
The assumption for this study is that the programs, practices, and strategies
utilized by the study school will align closely with information gleaned from the
review of the literature. It is further assumed that the data collected, including
interviews and surveys, was presented honestly and was sufficient in quality for the
conclusions to be drawn. Also assumed is that the data collected from public sources
is accurate and reflective of the true achievement of all student groups attending this
elementary school.

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LIMITATIONS
The limitations of this study are dependent upon the somewhat limited
availability of schools that meet the criteria and are actually making sustainable
headway in closing the achievement gap. The school selected is in a large district and
therefore some practices and programs may be dictated by a district and not
necessarily reflect the decisions that individual sites would make based upon student
need. The principal is in her first year at the school, replacing a principal who had
been at the school for an extended period of time and may have been responsible for
programs, practices, and strategies. Additionally, limitations may be found in the
researcher’s ability to identify and interview stakeholders that have significantly
impacted the closing of the achievement gap.
DELIMITATIONS
This study specifically focused on an elementary school in a large district that
has been found to employ programs, practices, and strategies that have been effective
in narrowing the achievement gap. A delimitation is the definition and criteria of
schools closing the achievement gap used in this study. The criterion was developed
jointly by a thematic dissertation group comprised of nine doctoral students from the
University of Southern California, which may cause disagreement from outside
readers and/or researchers. Additional delimitations are the external factors that the
researcher has identified as causing the achievement gap and the criteria that have
been used to choose the focus schools.

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DEFINITIONS OF RELATED TERMS
A variety of educational terminology will be used in the context of this study.
Below are the definitions of frequently used terms.
API (Academic Performance Index)
Per the California Department of Education, “the Academic Performance Index is the
cornerstone of California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 (PSAA). The
purpose of the API is to measure the academic performance and growth of schools. It
is a numeric index (or scale) that ranges from a low of 200 to a high of 1000. A
school's score on the API is an indicator of a school's performance level. The
statewide API performance target for all schools is 800. A school's growth is measured
by how well it is moving toward or past that goal. A school's API Base is subtracted
from its API Growth to determine how much the school improved in a year” (CDE
Website).
Growth Targets
Per the California Department of Education, “Schools must meet their annual
schoolwide API growth target as well as API growth targets for each numerically
significant ethnic/racial, socioeconomically disadvantaged, English learner, and
students with disabilities subgroup at the school. If the school's (or subgroup's) Base
API is between 200 and 690, the growth target is 5 percent of the difference between
the school's (or subgroup's) Base API and the statewide performance target of 800. If
the school's (or subgroup's) Base API is between 691 and 795, the growth target is a

13

gain of five points. If the school's (or subgroup's) Base API is between 796 and 799,
the growth target is the following:
API of 796 - a gain of four points
API of 797 - a gain of three points
API of 798 - a gain of two points
API of 799 - a gain of one point
If the school's (or subgroup's) Base API is 800 or more, the school (or
subgroup) must maintain an API of at least 800” (CDE Website).
AYP
Per the California Department of Education, “The federal No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) Act of 2001 requires that California determine whether or not each public
school and local educational agency (LEA) is making Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP). (An LEA is a school district or county office of education.) AYP criteria
encompass four areas: participation rate, percent proficient (also referred to as Annual
Measurable Objectives or AMOs), API as an additional indicator for AYP, and
graduation rate. Each of these four areas has specific requirements. Participation rate
and percent proficient criteria must be met in both English-language arts (ELA) and in
mathematics” (CDE Website).
Four Frames
Bolman and Deal (2003) research focuses on the four aspects or traits that a leader
may or may not posess; structural, human resource, symbolic or political.

14

High Performing School
A High Performing School is a school that has large percentages of students who
traditionally perform in the upper deciles of standardized tests such as the California
Standards Tests and the High School Exit Exam. Often such schools have high
numbers of students who excel in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate
programs. Often such schools are recognized by the United States Department of
Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools or the California Department of Education
as California Distinguished Schools.
Outperforming School
An Outperforming School is a school that has consistently performed in the upper
deciles of similar schools rankings for two or more years. “Outperforming” is a
relative term; it means the school is outperforming other schools like it (schools of the
same type and similar demographic characteristics).
Similar Schools Ranking
Per the California Department of Education, “The similar schools rank compares a
school to 100 other schools of the same type and similar demographic characteristics”
(CDE Website).
Urban School
An Urban School is a school that either 1) is located within the city limits of what is
considered a large city, or 2) has two or more traditional demographics or
characteristics of schools that are located in large cities. A dictionary definition of
urban is 1) of, pertaining to, or designating a city or town, 2) living in a city, or 3)

15

characteristic of or accustomed to cities; citified (Random House, 2008).
Characteristics that are typical of large city schools are a diverse student body or high
numbers of non-white students, a diversity of commonly spoken languages, low
attendance rates, high suspension rates, low test scores, low teacher attendance, high
numbers of uncredentialed teachers, high drop-out rates and low graduation rates, low
college-going rates, low parent participation, and high rates of crime in the areas
surrounding the school.
National Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program
operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions.
It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school
day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by
President Harry Truman in 1946 (United States Department of Agriculture, 2008)
Achievement Gap
According to the University of Southern California’s thematic dissertation group, the
achievement gap is the persistent disparity in academic performance between groups
of students, particularly between White and or Asian and affluent students and
students of color, minority, poverty and second language learners.
SARC (School Accountability Report Card)
Per the California Department of Education, “In November 1988, California voters
passed Prop.98, also known as The Classroom Instructional Improvement and
Accountability Act. This ballot initiative provides California's public schools with a

16

stable source of funding. In return, all public schools in California are required
annually to prepare SARCs and disseminate them to the public. SARCs are intended
to provide the public with important information about each public school and to
communicate a school's progress in achieving its goals” (CDE website).
CST (California Standards Test)
Per the California Department of Education, “The California Standards Tests in
English-language arts, mathematics, science, and history-social science are
administered only to students in California public schools. Except for a writing
component that is administered as part of the grade 4 and 7 English-language arts
tests, all questions are multiple choice. These tests were developed specifically to
assess students' performance on California's Academic Content Standards. The State
Board of Education adopted these standards that specify what all California children
are expected to know and be able to do in each grade or course” (CDE STAR
website).
ELL (English Language Learners)
Per the California Department of Education, "English learner" is defined as an English
learner or as a reclassified-fluent-English-proficient (RFEP) student who has not
scored at the proficient level or above on the CST in ELA for three years after being
reclassified” (CDE website).
SES (Socio-economic Status)
Per the California Department of Education, “Socioeconomically disadvantaged" is
defined as a student whose parents both have not received a high school diploma OR a

17

student who participates in the free or reduced-price lunch program (also known as the
National School Lunch Program)” (CDE Website).
ORGANIZATION OF THE DISSERTATION
Chapter one provides an introduction to the achievement gap and background
information regarding it. It also includes a statement of the problem, the purpose of
the study, research questions, and the methodology of the study, as well as limitations,
delimitations, assumptions, and definitions of terms discussed in the course of the
study.
Chapter two is a review of the relevant literature as it pertains to the history of
the achievement gap, factors that contribute to the gap, and possible strategies that
have been successful in closing the gap. It also provides a working definition of the
achievement gap and the specifics of this gap in California.
Chapter three describes in detail the methodology of the research project. The
design of the research study, the conceptual framework, the population and the sample
school are described, and the data instrumentation and collection process are included
in this chapter.
Chapter four presents the findings of the study. It breaks down the three
research questions and discusses in detail the specific answers to each. It also includes
personal reflection, insight, and analysis about what the significance of the findings to
California education.

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Chapter five summarizes the findings and draws conclusions about the
implications of these findings to both theory and practice in narrowing the
achievement gap. It outlines areas where more specific research is needed.

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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
By 2014, all children in the United States must meet state standards in reading
and math according to the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This mandate
puts increasing pressure on states and districts to close the achievement gap and
creates in them a sense of urgency about raising test scores and student achievement
for all students in all demographic subgroups. Many schools, districts, and even
whole states, are having great difficulty in eradicating the large differences between
affluent and white students, and poorer students and students of color. To most
people, the term achievement gap means the persistent difference in academic
achievement among groups of students. The National Governors’ Association stated,
“Across the U.S., a gap in academic achievement persists between minority and
disadvantaged students and their white counterparts,” and describes it as one of the
most pressing problems that states face in determining their educational policy.
“Closing the gap is widely seen as important, not just for our education system but
ultimately for our economy, our social stability, and our moral health as a nation.”
(Evans, 2005, p. 1)
But gaps or difference are also prevalent in other school factors such as climate
and discipline, and those schools who are making progress in these areas are seeing a
comparable increase in student achievement. True progress towards closing the

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achievement gap means not only raising achievement for all students, but also
accelerating the growth of low performing students.
Some experts disagree about the subgroups represented in a discussion of the
achievement gap, saying that it is more a condition of poverty and not race. “Since
African-American and Latino children are disproportionately like to be poor, the
differences in achievement reflect differences in family and school circumstances, not
racial disparities.” (Rothman, 2001, p. 2) However, most educators generally agree
that white and Asian children are outperforming Latino and black children, and some
even believe that it is happening at both the high end and the low end of achievement
measurements. “Though they make up one-third of high school seniors, African-
American, Hispanic, and American Indian students accounted for only one in 10 of the
12
th
graders who scored at the “advanced” levels on the most recent National
Association of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading, mathematics, and science tests.”
(Johnston & Viadero, 2001, p. 4) Jack O’Connell, the California State Superintendent
of Public Instruction, stated, “The nation’s schooling system was developed to educate
white children and remains today most advantageous to white children.”
HISTORY OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
For many years after the United States declared its independence from
England, education wasn’t widespread among many Americans. The farm-based
economy didn’t require most Americans to pursue more than an elementary grade
education, “in fact in 1805, more than 90% of Americans had completed a fifth grade
education or less, and education for richer people was often conducted by private

21

tutors.” (Wynn & Mark, 2005, p. 350) As the demand for public education grew,
schools became more and more segregated along racial and ethnic lines. Questions
about equality arose, first for black students and then for immigrant students. From
the 1820’s to the 1900’s when immigration was peaking, there were many
controversies about educating low income, non-English speaking children who often
represented ethnicities hated by natural citizens, including the Italians, Germans,
Chinese, Russians, Poles and others.
It was easy to establish a two-tier education system; an academic track and a
general/vocational track. The general/vocational track catered to the poor, minority
students who were destined to work on the assembly line and the academic track was
for white, native born American children who were deemed to be the ones that would
lead.
The American education system has consistently seen “persistent” gaps
between the achievement of white, native born students and minority, immigrant, and
socioeconomically disadvantaged students. All three branches of the United States
government have attempted to address this issue within the scope of their respective
powers and their efforts can be studied through the history of the American education
system.
Beginning with the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, the judicial system began hearing
cases that challenged laws in order to determine constitutionality. In 1896, the United
States Supreme Court upheld a decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court that affirmed
“separate but equal facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they

22

were ‘equal.’” This decision was based on a case brought by 30 year old Homer
Plessy when he was denied the right to sit in a “white” train car and ordered to move
to the “colored” car. The only dissenting opinion in this 7-1 majority vote was Justice
John Harlan who, with understanding beyond those of his day, wrote, “Our
Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In
respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.” (Cozzens, 1998, p. 1) The
fears of Justice Harlan came true as the Plessy decision set the precedent that
“separate” facilities were constitutional as long as they were “equal.”
Though the Plessy decision was the first by the United States Supreme Court to
address the doctrine of separate but equal, a decision from a1849 Massachusetts case
was cited at this trial and named as a precedent case. The Roberts vs. The City of
Boston case involved a black man and his attempt to enroll his five year old daughter
into the all white neighborhood school, based on state law that said students should
attend the school nearest their home. Even though the little girl passed five white
schools on her way to the black school, the district maintained that special provisions
had already been made for “colored” students and an “equal” school was available.
The plaintiffs had two talented young attorneys, Charles Sumner (later a U.S. senator)
and Robert Morris who argued that “racially segregated schools and equality of
education are mutually exclusive, that segregation is unconstitutional because it
infringes on the civil rights of individuals, and that it is socially and emotionally
damaging to both black and white students.” (Horton & Moresi, 2001, p. 3)

23

The Roberts case and ultimately the Plessy vs. Ferguson case led to this
separate but equal doctrine being adopted by restaurants, movie theatres, restrooms
and public schools and gave Americans a “legal” way to maintain segregation based
on color. Further, these decisions foreshadowed the philosophy that guided
segregationist law in the 1900’s. Both the Roberts decision and the Plessy decision
contributed to the perception among white citizens that the blacks were fundamentally
different than the whites and this difference could not be changed by laws being
enacted. The Plessy decision stated, “Legislation is powerless to eradicate racial
instincts or to abolish distinctions based upon physical differences. If one race can be
inferior to the other socially, the Constitution of the United States cannot put them on
the same plane.” (Horton & Moresi, 2001, p. 5) Justice Brown in the Plessy decision
even went on to say, in essence, that if blacks felt inferior, it was because they chose
that perception.
This separate but equal doctrine would stand in public institutions until 1954
when The Brown v. the Board of Education decision overturned it. Historian Richard
Kluger in his book, Simple Justice, asserted “Probably no case ever to come before the
nation’s highest tribunal affected more directly the minds, hearts, and daily lives of so
many Americans.” (Kluger, 2004, p. 84) The Brown v. The Board of Education of
Topeka, Kansas (1954) decision essentially overturned the Plessy decision which had
legitimized the harmful ideas and policies of separate but equal. Chief Justice Earl
Warren struck down Plessy with his clear and decisive statement that “separate
educational facilities are inherently unequal.” (Ehrlander, 2002, p. 1) It was clear that

24

it was unconstitutional for states to support dual school systems. Desegregation was
required and although there was initial resistance, progress was being made in all parts
of the country, and particularly in the south.
The end of World War II and the evolution of the civil rights era through the
late 1980’s saw a growing parity between the achievement of African-American
students and white students. The desegregation of schools, particularly southern
schools, caused the gap to narrow by more than half in 1985. Even though
desegregation orders were in place and school districts had elaborate methods of
busing to force integration, by the 1980’s residential segregation began to undo many
of the effects of forced desegregation. Districts found themselves basically busing
students from one predominantly minority area to one just a little less predominantly
minority. While the decision of the Brown v. the Board of Education ended
government segregation, many demographic groups chose residential segregation and
steadily segregated schools again. “Residential segregation on the basis of race and
socioeconomic is both a highly visible phenomenon in the United States and one
perceived to have important social implications.” (Bayer, McMilan, & Rueben, 2001,
p. 2) Further, in the case of minority and low income families, this has resulted in
schools that continue to achieve at significantly lower levels than white children.
Just as school segregation contributed to inequality of educational
opportunities for students, residential segregation that is based on either race or
socioeconomic status makes it difficult for students to perform well in comparison to
their suburban counterparts. Racial segregation has once again been achieved by

25

middle class families moving to the suburbs and leaving large groups of poor,
minority students in urban schools or by racial groups moving to areas where they
share language, culture, and or employment.
By the early 1990’s, the federal courts ended their active involvement in the
enforcement of school desegregation plans. Even though districts were under a
mandate to end segregation in their schools, the United States Supreme Court ruled in
1991 that “once a previously segregated school district has implemented ‘practicable’
strategies to eliminate segregation, it can be declared unitary and released from court
ordered busing.” (Ipka, 2003, p. 294)
The Reagan administration marked the beginning of the end of Justice
Department efforts to force states’ compliance with desegregation mandates. For
urban schools, efforts to close the achievement gap have been especially
disappointing. Despite research that points to the fact that children who attend racially
integrated schools perform better than their counterparts in segregated schools,
districts are slowly migrating further and further back to the neighborhood school
philosophy that in urban schools, ultimately causes school segregation.
For example, “of the non-achieving schools in New York State, 90 percent are
in cities and 80 percent in the states five biggest cities.” (Clemmitt, 2007, p. 3) More
students of color attend urban schools with a high concentration of low-income
students and very few white students. It is becoming increasingly clear that the notion
of “separate but equal” which was so bitterly fought has once again surfaced in
schools in large American cities.

26

It is important to note that there is convincing research that states that while
reading scores for integrated students of color are somewhat higher, math scores for
the most part are unaffected. This raises the question of whether minority students’
achievement is higher because of better instruction, higher expectations and levels of
competition, or from “the interaction with teachers and peers who speak the
mainstream dialect.” (Ferguson & Mehta, 2004, p. 66)
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Experts have described a variety of factors that contribute to the development
and persistence of the achievement gap. It was initially measured with the first mass
administered achievement test given to US Army recruits during World War I. Even
though the tests were crude, they “measured an achievement gap between white and
black recruits that persists today, in spite of everything we have tried.” (Gardner,
2007, p. 542) Through the years, there have been extensive attempts to identify
reasons why the achievement gap persists. There are those who believe that fault
mainly lies with the walls of the schoolhouse and there are those who believe that it is
a result of inequitable funding. Others believe it is a result of home and community
factors, while another whispered explanation is that some teachers believe students of
color are just not as capable and their teaching strategies and expectations reflect this.
In reality, reasons for the achievement gap are as varied as the students
themselves and to simply categorize them and apply like solutions to all groups does
each a disservice. For the purpose of this literature review, the factors that lead to the

27

achievement gap are grouped into three significant categories: home/ community
factors, school factors, and student factors.
HOME/COMMUNITY FACTORS
The home/community factors which include parental education level, income,
second language, language development experiences, prenatal and early childhood
health care, family dynamics and family size, are traditionally disparate in white,
African-American and Hispanic families due to historical racial and socioeconomic
circumstances. The 1998 Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) showed
sizable gaps in school readiness between young white children and young black and
Hispanic children in the United States. (Duncan & Magnuson, 2005, p. 36) This study
found that the average socioeconomic level of African American kindergartners was
more than two-thirds of a standard deviation lower and Hispanic children were even
lower in comparison to white children.
Children of poverty experience many dramatic effects that ultimately influence
their preparedness for learning. Pregnant women in poverty are rarely well nourished
and rarely receive the proper prenatal care necessary for the physical and intellectual
development of the fetus. Young children don’t receive the consistently healthy diet
that is so crucial to the continued development of their bodies and brains, either for
lack of resources or lack of knowledge by the parent of the importance. Families in
poverty also lack other resources that contribute to a healthy pre-school environment.
They are often lead by a single parent with inadequate education who must work long
hours or two jobs with low prestige, reducing the time they spend with young children.

28

They often live in inadequate housing in unsafe neighborhoods. Other factors are also
strikingly more frequent in families of poor children versus families of non-poor
children. These include: large family size, frequently moving the family, harsh
discipline with more negative interactions, fewer learning materials, low birth weight,
young parents and high rates of maternal depression. “With the exception of
residential instability, black and Hispanic children are much more likely to experience
these hardships than white children.” (Duncan & Magnuson, p. 37)
Many researchers believe that these factors have proven to be, in most cases,
insurmountable, and that regardless of the quality of the school or the quality of the
intervention strategies in place, what really matters is the home and community
environment. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states, “whether children learn
does not depend primarily on what happens in school, but on the experiences, habits,
values, and ideas they acquire from the environment in which they live.”
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1995, p.107) By the time a student is 18 years old, they have only
spent ten percent of their life in school and none of the first four formative, developing
years. For some students, K-12 schooling can have enormous impacts on their lives
and can even be a life-changing experience for others. But this is not true for most
students. Howard Gardner observed, “We can accurately predict a child’s chances of
completing college and her eventual income by her zip code.” (Evans, 2005, p. 3)
“And all of the experiential factors that exert an enduring effect on a child’s I.Q.
appear to stem from the family environment-the presence of two parents, the cognitive
stimulation and nurturance they provide, their income and education levels, and so on.

29

Not one stems from school.” (Armor, 2003, p. 32) This information was not new and
was studied and confirmed by researchers such as James Coleman in the Coleman
Report from the 1960’s and by Christopher Jencks from Harvard in 1972. Jencks and
his team were even more disparaging about the role of the school, calling the school’s
influence, “marginal.” He was convinced that the success of the school depended
entirely on the status of the child entering school. He stated, “everything else – the
school budget, its policies, the characteristics of the teachers – is either secondary or
completely irrelevant.” (Evans, p. 3)
These early critics were soon joined in the discussion by those who felt that
there were tremendous potential with the quality of the urban public schools. These
experts, including Ron Edmonds, who founded the Effective Schools Movement,
were insistent that schools could be powerful influences on the lives of students and
that the “failure of poor and minority students were really failures of educators.”
(Evans, 2005, p. 3) Robert Marzano also disagreed and stated that recent studies
“demonstrate that effective schools can make a substantial difference in the
achievement of students.” (Marzano, 2007, p. 1)
SCHOOL FACTORS
As stated above, there are many home and environmental factors that
profoundly influence the academic readiness of students and the path their educational
journey will take. These are factors that often will be insurmountable to minority and
poor children. The school is not the primary cause of the achievement gap, and will
not be the primary cure of the achievement gap, but it must be the primary source of

30

research based strategies that will most directly attempt to address the affects of it. As
one researcher stated, “Two facts about the gap are clear: its origins lie neither in
students nor in schools. Skin color, ethnic status, poverty-none of these by themselves,
determines a student’s performance.” (Evans, 2005, p. 1) There are several school
factors that can begin to ameliorate the affects of students who begin school at a
disadvantage. These include high expectations of all students by teachers, high quality
teachers prepared to teach their assignment, sufficient assessment information to
diagnose learning problems, elimination of stereotyping based on ethnicity, leadership
that believes in the capacity of all students to achieve excellence and to the
establishment of school practices that will support that excellence, and challenging
curriculum available to all students.
TEACHER QUALITY
Recent research in Texas by Education Trust shows that what many Hispanic,
African-American and low-income students need most to begin to close the gap that
they arrive at school with, is strong teachers. But in reality, what happens is that they
are more likely to be assigned to teachers who are less knowledgeable about their
subject matter, less experienced, less likely to remain at their school site for an
extended period and often, paid less. These students, already coming to school behind
and then receiving an ineffective teacher have almost no chance to achieve at the same
rate as their middle class counterparts. In fact, research in both Texas and Los
Angeles concludes, “having a top-quartile teacher rather than a bottom-quartile teacher

31

four years in a row would be enough to close the black-white test score gap.”
(Education Trust, 2008, p. 2)
It is crucial that states continue to require appropriate credentials for all
teachers. Teachers in poorer schools are far more likely to be less experienced, and
less likely to have majored in the subject area in which they are teaching. And the
“Catch-22” is that usually as soon as a teacher gains experience and or proper
credentials, he/she has either the tenure or the reputation to move to one of the “better
schools.” Resource inequity is also a major reason why teachers pass through the
“revolving door” of the higher poverty schools. “In schools where 90 percent of the
students are poor – where excellent teachers are needed most- just one percent of
teachers are in the highest quartile.” (Calkins, Guenther, Belfiore, & Lash, 2007, p.
29) Students have a right to expect that their teacher will be adequately prepared to
teach them Algebra or Physics or reading. Inadequately prepared teachers, no matter
how strong their teaching strategies are, only decrease the opportunities to learn for at
risk students who need every advantage. Research suggests that particularly with the
shortage of qualified teachers, greater care should be taken in hiring teachers,
assigning teachers and providing staff development to assist them with the unique
challenges of closing the achievement gap. The curriculum of some grades does not
match the preparation of some teachers, and while this does not necessarily mean they
are a bad teacher, it is not the match that will provide students with the best
opportunity to learn. According to Kati Haycock, Director of The Education Trust,
“What schools do matters enormously. And what matters most is good teaching.”

32

(Haycock, 2001, p. 6) Haycock’s research further goes on to say that good teaching
supersedes the barriers of race, social class, or prior achievement levels. Obviously
good schools are closing the achievement gap with a combination of factors, but most
instrumental is the quality of the teachers and the instruction that takes place once
those classroom doors are closed.
CHALLENGING STANDARDS BASED CURRICULUM
Second only to good instruction is the development of strong, standards based
curriculum that holds all students accountable for rigorous grade level benchmarks.
The publication of the national report A Nation At Risk is seen by many educators as
the call to action for the modern standards based movement. A foreboding and
famous quote from that report served as the basis for a wake-up call for American
education. “The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a
rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people…We
have, in effect been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational
disarmament.” (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1991, p. 1)
Since the state of Kentucky began the establishment of state standards in 1991,
all states now have established grade level standards that define what students should
know and be able to do by the time they leave high school. These standards must be
designed and implemented by staff and communicated to both students and parents.
All students, regardless of race or economic status must be held accountable for
mastery of these standards and there must be clear and ongoing communication on
their progress. It is entirely possible that the development and implementation of the

33

standards based movement will ensure that schools have the potential to deliver the
curriculum that is necessary in a way that assures all students achieve. However, these
standards must be “guaranteed and viable” for all, that is every student must have
access to curricular standards that will ensure their preparedness for the education or
career of their choice.
Kati Haycock described one of the successful factors of high performing high
poverty schools as a “laser like focus on academic achievement.” (Haycock, 2001, P.
3) It is obvious when an observer enters a school where academic achievement is
highly prized and where everyone: administrators, teachers, and students, are focused
on raising achievement. There is clear agreement on what students should know and
be able to do. Staff development for new teachers should initially focuses on
classroom management, and then move to effective lesson development and delivery.
All teachers must understand from their first day in the classroom that their most
important goal is ensuring that all students learn. Districts must provide staff
development for all teachers that focuses on standards based instruction,
differentiation and assessment. Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning
(McREL) has helped districts define a common vocabulary and incorporate standards
into everyday instruction. McREL believes this is best achieved by training coaches
to assist with instruction and providing ongoing support of teachers directly in the
classroom.

34

LEADERSHIP
School leaders have tremendous responsibilities in both leading and managing
their individual school sites. While the management of the school consumes
tremendous amounts of time and energy, the real mission and energy of the effective
school principal must be in the role of instructional leader. And increasingly, in many
schools across the country, the most important task of the school principal is helping
their colleagues accept individual and collective responsibility for closing the
achievement gap. Because there are two camps of experts who believe in two
opposing views about the cause of the gap (home and community factors vs. school
factors), the school leader must believe in his/her ability to directly impact student
achievement. Kati Haycock urges school leaders to stop “dragging our heels and
blaming the underachievement problem on the kids or their families, as some of our
colleagues do.” (Haycock, 2001, p. 4)
Most researchers agree that the first and most important first step for school
leaders is a “deep level of commitment on the part of all to ensure the best for each
and every student.” (Navarro & Natalicio, 1999, p. 601) This may or may not be
difficult, but it must be institutionalized before more specific practices can be
implemented. McREL has identified specific traits that are comprehensive and
designed to guide the district superintendent and school leader in leading efforts to
close the achievement gap while providing a summary of much of the literature.
These traits include (Waters, 2007, p. 47-53):

35

1. Collaborative goal setting to develop goals that reflect necessary
changes to enhance student achievement.
2. Ensuring that there are non-negotiable goals for student achievement
and instruction and they are based on relevant research.
3. Ensuring that resources are dedicated to professional development of
teachers and tracking student progress towards district goals.
4. Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of district instructional
program and the instructional needs of students from diverse
populations.
5. Superintendents providing autonomy to principals to run their schools
while expecting alignment on district achievement and instructional
goals and the use of resources for professional development.
In order for school leaders to be successful in leading schools that close the
achievement gap, they must have a concrete plan that identifies measurable goals for
student achievement. They must be systematic and completely focused on the mission
of raising student achievement and eliminating achievement gaps. They must not be
afraid to make difficult decision such as: assigning the strongest teachers to the
neediest students and finding ways during the school day to provide extra remedial
instruction to those students who need it, even if it means giving up another content
area, and monitoring classroom instruction to ensure that it is rigorous and aligned
with standards.

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ASSESSMENT DATA AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The implementation of a standards based curriculum and a clear and focused
commitment to raising the achievement level of all students are crucial steps in
eliminating the achievement gap. However the practical aspects of this
implementation demand that there are assessments to guide instructional decision
making and monitor the progress of all students. An African proverb says, “If you
don’t know where you are going, then any road will take you there.” The goal of
Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is to make certain that all members know
where they are going. As a grade level or department, they will collaboratively create
a focus of the essential learning that is required of all students. Further, the PLC
requires that the students will be assessed regularly to monitor their learning with
common assessments that have the same degree of rigor for all. The members of the
Professional Learning Community will be able to answer three specific questions:
1. What is it we want our students to know?
2. How will we know that they know it?
3. What will we do when they don’t know it? (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, &
Many, 2006, p. 46)
It is crucial that learning teams spend collaborative time developing common
assessments that accurately measure the degree to which a student has mastered a
standard. There must be common agreement among team members regarding the
expected proficiency on an assessment and each formative assessment should have a

37

high degree of correlation to the state assessments. Assessments must be timely in
order to provide additional time and support for those who are having difficulty.
Formative and summative assessments are crucial components of a standards
based curriculum for many reasons, with possibly the most important that they insure
that student progress is not just be judged on an annual standardized test. A system
that uses formative and summative assessments is much more likely to differentiate
instruction and provide for learning differences. School goals cannot be limited to
raising standardized test scores, as this often does nothing to close the achievement
gap. If we rely on the standardized tests given to all students as the only measure of
the achievement gap, educators may not have an accurate picture of student
performance.
For example, test scores can be raised by narrowing the curriculum to
teach the test; the gap can be decreased by a decline in the test scores of
white students; or test scores can appear to be increasing by eliminating
the low test scores of academically neglected students through the
increased dropout and push out rates. We also believe that however
educators decide to define and measure results, unless one of the
primary goals is to close the achievement gap between Black and White
students, the gap will not be closed.”(Denbo & Beaulieu, 2002, part III)

WHAT HAS WORKED TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
Just as there are many varying factors that contribute to the development and
persistence of the achievement gap, there are many factors that help to raise
achievement for all students, and accelerate achievement for minority and poor
students. In discussing the closing of the gap, Kati Haycock states, “both research and
experience make it clear that what schools do matters hugely.” School factors that
increase student achievement and narrow the achievement gap include: A guaranteed

38

and viable standards based curriculum, a rigorous curriculum available to all students,
extra help and intervention, especially in the core subjects of reading and math, and
most importantly, good teaching.
All students in all grades must have clearly defined and well communicated
standards for learning and they must be held accountable for mastery of these
standards. Research shows us that most students will rise to the level of difficulty that
is presented to them. The promise of education is equal access to all curriculum that
will prepare a student to be in a position to make educational and career choices for
himself. “Achievement follows from opportunities.” The opportunity to learn implies
many ideas for all students. It means that teacher and staff expectations for student
achievement must be equal; that brown and black skinned children should
proportionally be represented in all levels of education and all should be taught a
challenging, rigorous curriculum that is aligned with the state standards. Expectations
set the tone for a child’s self-efficacy. If he is given support and encouragement, he is
much more likely to achieve at levels commensurate with his peers.
Poverty, background, parental education level, second language, or ethnic
heritage; none of these factors should be considered in the determination of a child’s
ability to learn. Opportunity to learn also means that rigor is consistent from the
suburbs to the urban areas, from high wealth schools to high poverty schools. Once a
student leaves the educational system, employers will demand well-qualified workers
and they will not care where they came from, if they can contribute to the success of
the company. According to most researchers, since 1983, progress has been made in

39

increasing the number of students who take a college prep curriculum, but the pace is
not quick enough.
Not all students learn at the same pace and with the same type of instruction.
Students who do not learn in traditional time blocks or with standard methods must be
given additional time and strategies to guarantee their opportunity to learn. Extra time
to learn means more time and more quality direct instruction in those areas that are
crucial to their success, particularly reading skills. For example, San Diego schools
created more time, mostly within the regular school day, by doubling-even tripling-the
amount of instructional time devoted to literacy and mathematics for low-performing
students and by training all of its teachers. (Haycock, 2001, p. 4)
Teacher effectiveness is key, specifically and critically in the academic realm
but also in the relationships teachers establish and the environment they build in their
classrooms. In addition, the most troubling issue is that the schools are not all that
equal; either in spending, facilities, or teacher quality. “In Illinois, 88 percent of the
schools that were virtually 100 percent minority ranked in the lowest quartile of the
Teacher Quality Index.” (The Education Trust, 2006, p. 8) In a recently released
report from Education Trust (The Education Trust, 2008, p. 2), Texas mirrors the state
of Illinois with the poorest, most needy students receiving the least experienced
teachers. If we are truly to hold the students equitably to mastery of high standards,
the quality of teachers must be equitable across the states.
In schools where the achievement gap is closing, teachers not only know their
subject matter, they understand good teaching strategies that challenge students to

40

higher order thinking skills and to mastery of content. In a study of Texas school
districts, it was found that there were some districts attempting to reverse the
traditional practice of putting the best teachers with the highest performing students
(usually the most affluent). Instead, districts with traditional low-performing students
(usually low-income) were able to hire the teachers with higher ratings from the
teacher pool and the wealthier students received teachers from the lower end of the
teacher pool. The results showed that by the time students reached high school,
student achievement ranks had traded places. Good teaching matters!
The students of the El Paso School District are also beneficiaries of a focus on
high expectations for all students, a commitment to excellence in teacher preparation
and staff development, and a rigorous standards based curriculum delivered
consistently to all students at all schools. The results are promising: no more low
performing schools, increased achievement for all students, and most importantly,
bigger increases for those groups who have traditionally been behind.
The Kennewick School District in Washington is committed to all students
being a grade level reader by the end of third grade. They have a shared agreement by
all stakeholders, including school board members, that resources will be allocated to
ensure that goals are met at each school. A community education group developed a
component that focuses on target skills for children ages 0-5. They are active and they
reach out to all parents providing resources, education and materials. Instruction is
focused and direct and assessments play a huge role in determining the ongoing
progress of students towards meeting their goals. They are single minded and accept

41

no excuses. They share with El Paso schools, San Diego schools, New York schools
and others, the relentless focus on academic core
Contrary to the Colemen Report and researchers such as Christopher Jencks,
schools do matter, good teachers matter, and children are not doomed to lives that
mirror their parents if they don’t want to be. And although there is great variance in
the ability of American schools to educate all students, what do we really have, if we
don’t have hope or the promise of something better for our children through our public
schools. Closing the achievement gap has to be a shared goal of all Americans. “To
do otherwise is to admit to failure, tolerate racial differences, and give up on the very
fundamental ideals of America.” (Johnston & Viadero, 2000, p. 5)
WHAT THE LITERATURE SAYS – CONCLUSION
While research has established many factors that have lead to the development
and persistence of the achievement gap, and also begun to prove that there are certain
factors that have shown promise in narrowing the gap, there does not seem to one
general accepted approach that will guarantee success for all students. One would
expect that different students and communities would have different needs and require
different solutions. However, a review of the literature highlights several factors that
can be generalizable to any situation: good teaching, high standards, rigorous
curriculum, supportive culture, and high expectations for all, and a non-standard
approach to non-standard difficulties.
Some students from impoverished backgrounds enter school already two to
three years behind their peers. The achievement gap is defined for them on the first

42

day of school and unless focused direct instruction with ongoing progress assessment
is implemented and extra direct instruction is provided, the gap will continue to widen
until it is insurmountable.

About 3.4 million students entered kindergarten in U.S. public schools
last fall (1999), and already, at the dawn of their educational careers,
researchers foresee widely different futures for them. Whether they are
white, black, Hispanic, Native American, or Asian-American will, to a
large extent, predict their success in school, whether they go to college,
and how much money they will earn as adults.” (Johnston & Viadero,
2000, p. 5)

Early and intense intervention in the area of reading support is the key to
success for those students who are at risk of reading failure, and ultimately school
failure. “Irony is discovering that the most cost-effective way to diminish low
achievement in high school occurs between birth and age five.” (Fielding, 2007) Low
income and minority students are most likely to benefit from good schools if they
enter these schools ready to learn. Often, however, these students enter kindergarten
at age five and they are two to three years behind their white, more affluent peers. The
gaps are evident in many areas: vocabulary development, nutritional and physical
health, parents who believe in the value of education, and early readiness skills.
Further compounding the gap is the traditional school schedule still followed
by American schools. Based around the agriculture age, the long summer break is
particularly detrimental to minority and poor children.
The achievement gap between Black and White children grows the
most during the summer vacations, when middle-class children have
experiences-reading books, going to camp, visiting museums, and
traveling- that reinforce their school-year learning, while lower-class
children fall behind. (Rothstein, p. 6)

43

What do we know about the achievement gap? We know that it is persistent;
that it has many causes and that many of those causes are beyond the control of
educators. We know that despite the best intentions of well meaning teachers and
because of the persistent prejudice of other teachers, many minority and poor students
do not attend schools where there is a belief that they will achieve. We know that
efforts to eliminate gaps must be comprehensive, focused, sustainable, driven by high
expectations, equitable and creative. We know that a “one size fits all” approach
won’t work, that students learn at different rates and with different amounts of effort,
and that teachers must not only be technically sound, they must be tenacious in
diagnosing student learning problems and persistent in their instructional strategies.
We know that for the most part, students want to learn, they want to please, they want
to succeed, and that if they are involved in planning for their learning, they will work
hard to achieve. We know that consistent, rigorous standards are the promise of
public education and we know that it is important to monitor student progress
frequently and communicate that progress to them and to their families. We know that
children enter school with vastly different levels of readiness and early, research based
intervention is crucial to their success.
We know a lot about the achievement gap, but so far, we don’t know enough to
put a plan into place in every classroom and every school to eliminate it. The
implications of not finding and replicating a solution for every child are enormous.
Not only are we in danger of losing another generation of students, but “for the nation
as a whole, the economic and cultural implications of a continued failure to fully

44

prepare millions of minority children for a complicated and technology-driven
economy is huge.” (Johnston & Viadero, 2000, p. 5) While there are many challenges
facing American education, the most persistent and most challenging, and the one with
the most far-reaching implications is assuring that all students have opportunity to
learn and experience academic success in all schools, in every state.
The need for a solution to this problem has new urgency now--here in
the increasingly diverse United States--as the relationship between
educational success and social and economic opportunity steadily
strengthens and the relationship between educational differences and
social conflict becomes more manifest. (Schwarz, 2001, p.1)

It is time to fulfill the great promise, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution
which guarantees an excellent education for all students.
ADDITIONS TO EXISTING RESEARCH
The completion of this study has confirmed much of the existing research
regarding programs, practices, and strategies that are effective in the closing of the
achievement gap. However, this study has also identified factors that have been key to
the success of this particular school and district.
The value of expectations and teacher belief in the capacity of all students
cannot be understated. While the research addresses this extensively, the findings of
this study point to not only a school wide belief, but one that is a foundational belief at
the district level and guides the hiring practices. Secondly, this study points out the
importance of a district wide pervasive understanding of “what great looks like.”
Districts, schools, and staff that have never experienced systemic high performance go
through growing pains as they develop a common understanding of what true high

45

achievement for all students looks like, not just relative high achievement in
comparison mediocre or low achievement.

46

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
The Achievement Gap that exists in the United States is one of the most
serious challenges that this country will face in the next twenty five years. It is
pervasive throughout the nation and it affects the populace at many levels: the rights
of all citizens to a free, appropriate, and equal public education, the effect on
employment opportunities, earning potential and social class, and finally the impact on
the quality of the democracy in an increasingly global society as determined by the
skill level of those making contributions to it. The implications of an undereducated
population on the economic stability of the United States are staggering. Even more
concerning, however, are the implications to the promises of the American Dream:
equal opportunity for all to succeed. It is crucial to the future of this nation that an
investment is made in policies and practices in our schools that will bridge the ever
widening gulf, instead of continuing to grow apart economically, educationally, and
socially.
This case study is one of nine from a thematic dissertation group at the
University of Southern California examining the Academic Achievement Gap that
occurs between white and Asian students, and students of color, minority, and poverty.
It is designed to comprehensively answer three research questions and identify through
the triangulation of data, promising programs, practices, and strategies that have a
positive impact on narrowing this gap. The three questions guiding this study are:

47

1. Which school wide programs promote student achievement and contribute to
the closing of the achievement gap?
2. Which school wide practices promote student achievement and contribute to
the closing of the achievement gap.
3. Which instructional strategies were implemented to target the closing of the
achievement gap?
Specifically, this study examined an elementary school in central California
that has demonstrated effectiveness over time in narrowing the achievement gap
between their significant subgroups, while raising performance for all students. It
also specifically explores the impact (if any) of intensive reading intervention
strategies implemented at the kindergarten and first grade level had on reducing the
performance gap in the school chosen for this study. Special attention was given to
evaluating the assessment tools that identified potential at risk students and the reading
intervention strategies that were successfully implemented to close the gap for all
kindergarten and first grade students at the school.
Once this school’s effective strategies were identified, they were compared
with the research based strategies identified through a review of the literature
regarding the academic achievement gap and reading intervention in order to more
closely define and describe those strategies that are most effective in closing the gap
for all students. The final analysis will describe practices, programs, and strategies
that can be replicated in other school settings and add to the body of existing research
on this topic. The protocols for this study were guided by information gathered from

48

research questions, a survey, interviews, document reviews and observations
developed by the thematic dissertation group.
In addition, this researcher served as the primary researcher on this study,
although a colleague served as a co-researcher. Both researchers participated in two
case studies and shared thoughts after interviews and observations were completed
regarding both schools. Not only did this confirm observations that were made, but it
made for strong comparisons of effective programs, practices, and strategies.
SAMPLE AND POPULATION
Salaton Elementary School was selected based upon the demographics and
descriptors meeting the specific criteria generated by the thematic dissertation group.
In order to accurately research programs that are working to eradicate the achievement
gap, schools chosen for the study must be considered high performing for all students.
A high performing school for this study was defined as a school that outperformed its
Academic Performance Index growth target expectation for two consecutive years,
was at least a 5 in the statewide ranking of schools, and a 7 in the similar schools
ranking from the California Department of Education. In addition, the dissertation
group determined that schools must have at least 40% of the student population
receiving free and reduced lunch, as this would satisfy the criteria of studying a high
poverty school.
After contacting the principal and then the Director of Accountability and
Assessment for Olan School District, permission was granted to conduct research at
the selected school site. The study commenced after it was approved by the

49

Institutional Review Board (IRB) from the University of Southern California and the
Director of Assessment and Accountability for the Olan School District. The study
utilized a mixed method approach, or triangulation of data approach in which data was
collected, organized, and analyzed around a specific variable.
Criteria were selected to narrowly define schools demographics in order to
closely mirror those schools in California that are having the most difficulty educating
high risk populations. The intent is to identify strategies that are working in these
schools and provide enough information that they can be replicated in similar settings.
The validity and reliability of results are also increased through the comparison of
findings with the other eight members of the dissertation group investigating case
studies using the same research questions and data collection instruments.
Once the criteria for acceptable schools were established, Salaton Elementary
school was chosen for the study. According to the School Accountability Report Card
(SARC), Salaton is over fifty years old, originally built in 1953. Recent remodeling
expanded the kindergarten classrooms and teacher workrooms and constructed a new
administration building. In addition, the 493 students have permanent classroom
buildings, five portables, and a library media center. There are currently 24 full time
credentialed teachers on staff serving grades K-6. The student demographics list 39%
of the population as white, 34.5% Hispanic, 13% Asian, and almost 5% African
American. Seventy eight percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

50

Table 4
Student Demographic Groups at Salaton Elementary

Student achievement data was collected for Salaton Elementary from the
California Department of Education website and the School Accountability Report
Card. This school clearly meets the established criteria with a Hispanic population of
over 34% and over three fourths of the students qualifying for free and reduced lunch.
Once these criteria for selection were satisfied, API scores were viewed to determine
if the school was making significant progress towards narrowing the achievement gap
in these subgroup populations. The table below clearly outlines the achievement gains
made by all students, by Hispanic students and by poor students. Each of subgroups
significantly outperforms state averages and each are making consistent annual
growth. In particular, the Hispanic students outperformed the general population in
2006-07 and the poor students made 12 API points gain, while the general population
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45

51

made only four points. Evidence points to a school that is not only narrowing, but
coming close to eliminating the achievement gap for those students most at risk.
Table 5
Academic Performance Index (API) for Salaton Elementary

(Source: California Department of Education)
In addition to overall gains, the Hispanic and SED student populations are
increasing their proficiency levels in English language arts and mathematics. Notably,
the Hispanic students surpassed the level of performance of the all students in English
Language Arts in 2006-07, and the SED students equaled the level in mathematics in
that same year.
Table 6
Salaton School Percentage Proficient and Advanced in E/LA and Math

(Source: California Department of Education)

School
API
2004-05
State
API
2004-05
School
API
2005-06
State
API
2005-06
School
API
2006-07
State
API
2006-07
School
API
2007-08
State
API
2007-08
All
Students
766 738 793 751 797 761 815 776
Hispanic
Students
754 672 784 687 804 702 811 722
Free&
Reduced
Lunch
758 670 773 684 785 697 804 717

2005-06
E/LA
%Pro/Ad

2006-07
E/LA
%Pro/Ad
2007/08
E/LA
%Pro/Ad
2005-06
MATH
%Pro/Ad
2006-07
MATH
%Pro/Ad
2007-08
MATH
%Pro/Ad
All stud 46 49 50 61 65 63
Hisp.
student
46 50 51 57 59 58
SED

41 46 45 58 65 61

52

An additional criterion for inclusion in this research study was the rankings
assigned by the state of California. Salaton Elementary has consistently been a high
performing school in its similar schools band, scoring a nine in each of the last three
years, and it has increased its state ranking from a six to a seven in 2006. Evidence
points to a school that is not only narrowing, but coming close to eliminating the
achievement gap for those students most at risk.
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH DESIGN - INSTRUMENTATION
This study is a mixed-method qualitative case study. Robert Stake states, “As
a form of research, case study is defined by interest in individual cases, not by the
methods of inquiry used.” (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003, p.435) This case study involves
the three major components of qualitative research as identified by Strauss and
Corbin: “data collection, the procedures used to organize the data, and the written
reports.” (Strauss & Corbin, 1998, p. 3) For the purposes of the study, researchers
identified criteria for potential case study schools that were specific and measurable.
These criteria defined a high performing school as having outperformed its Academic
Performance Index growth target for at least two consecutive years, having a statewide
ranking of at least a five, and a Similar Schools ranking of at least a seven based upon
results from the State Testing and Reporting Program on the California Department of
Education website. In addition, the school must meet subgroup requirements of at
least 40% or more of the student population receiving free and reduced lunch.
“Case study research is defined by four characteristics:
1. The study of phenomena by focusing on specific cases
2. An in-depth study of each case
3. The study of phenomena in its natural context

53

4. The study of the unique perspectives of each participant.” (Gall
et al., 2003, p. 436)

The studies undertaken by the thematic group researchers all meet the above
characteristics and are case studies of the achievement gap phenomena. Because case
studies occur in the natural setting, there is the possibility of many aspects. This
researcher chose to focus on programs, practices and strategies that could be positively
linked to narrowing the achievement gap. In schools, there are many “units of
analysis,” the students, the credentialed staff, the parents, the support staff, etc.
In this study, the credentialed staff was the unit of analysis. Their perspective,
not the students or parents, was the specific unit of analysis for the purpose of this
study. Their perspective was gathered through the triangulation of the data sources, a
composite of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The importance of collecting
and analyzing multiple sources of data cannot be understated as it supplies the
researcher with rich and inter-related data from which conclusions are drawn and
corroborated. The validity of the study is enhanced through the collection of data
from multiple methods that supports conclusions.
INSTRUMENTATION AND DATA COLLECTION
Data collection in a qualitative study consists of “quotations, observations, and
excerpts from documents.” (Patton, 2002, p. 47) These quotations, observations, and
document excerpts were gathered using instruments collaboratively created by
thematic dissertation group and found in the Appendix. Because this is a case study,
the data was collected in the naturalistic setting, the school site. Case study research is
particularly important in this instance because the quantitative data has demonstrated

54

that this school is making the types of gains that reflect practices, programs and
strategies that are clearly successful for the identified student populations. The
quantitative data included the School Accountability Report Card, longitudinal
standardized testing data broken down by demographic groups, and demographic data
of both students and staff members.
Further study of the setting and personnel provided a more rich description of
the nature and causes of successes than what was available by looking at test scores.
This study gathered qualitative data through teacher and administrator surveys,
interviews with school and district staff, a review of relevant assessment and testing
information, and an observational tool generated by the thematic dissertation group.
The document review was the first step in data collection. Many of the
documents, including the SARC, the Single School Plan for Student Achievement, the
School Safety Plan and the Williams information were all made available by the
school principal. Other achievement data was collected from the California
Department of Education website and included API scores, STAR test scores, AYP
data, and student and staff demographic data. Additional documents requested and
reviewed were student discipline plan, staff development plan, Healthy Kids Survey
results, and leadership team minutes.
Next, the quantitative survey that was developed by the dissertation group and
was aligned with the established research questions. (Appendices A and B) was
administered to twenty four teachers and one administrator at the school site. The
survey was designed to gather information that reflected on the correlation between

55

successful identified research based strategies and those factors that have been
successful at the school site. The survey is broken into three sections. Questions one
through six addressed the first research question: “Which school wide programs
promote student achievement and contribute to the closing of the achievement gap?”
Questions seven through twenty five were tied to research question number two:
“Which school wide practices promote student achievement and contribute to the
closing of the achievement gap?” Questions twenty six through forty gathered data on
the third research question: “What instructional strategies were implemented to target
the closing of the achievement gap?
The survey questions used a four-point Likert scale. It asked the staff member
participants to rate their degree of agreement with the statements on a scale of 1-4.
This type of rating system was chosen so that answers could be quantified.
The third data collection source was the interview process using the
predetermined interview questions. Patton states, “The purpose of interviewing, then,
is to allow us to enter into the other person’s perspective.” (Patton, 2002, p. 341) As
important as observation and actual experiential data are, they do not let the researcher
understand the thoughts, the feelings, or the background experiences that shape a
person’s beliefs. However, reliable data collection through interview can best be
assured by the skill of the interviewer and their ability to question and listen. The
interviewer practiced interview techniques prior to the actual sessions with specific
techniques in mind. According to Patton, a genuine interest in the people and the

56

setting are as important, as a “disciplined and rigorous inquiry.” (Patton, p. 341)
Anonymity was guaranteed for all participants.
Two interview documents were cooperatively developed by the dissertation
group, one for the administrators and one for the teaching staff. (Appendix C & D)
The interviewer took detailed notes based on the question sets. With prior permission,
the interviews were recorded. These records allowed the researcher to more
accurately and richly describe the perspectives of the staff at the school and
authenticate those practices that are contributing to student achievement, in particular
student achievement for at risk student groups. The interviewer discussed factors that
were consistent in research and made correlations between previous knowledge and
good practices. In addition to the group research questions that were designed to align
with the interview questions, the interviewer was specifically interested in
instructional factors early intervention in reading for kindergarten and first grade
students. As research discusses, early and focused instruction for at risk kindergarten
students may result in needed “catch up” growth that may prevent the widening of a
gap.
Site visits and observations were conducted over a period of five days.
Observation is a tool used by researchers to record information that cannot be
quantified such as descriptions and impressions and reflections. It describes setting,
attitudes, culture, and artifacts pertinent to the study. The observations were
designed to focus on specific criteria and were organized according to programs,
practices, and strategies. An observation form (Appendix E) was developed

57

collaboratively by the dissertation group and incorporated the Four Frames research by
Bolman and Deal. (1977) The four frames; structural, human resource, political and
symbolic, gave the researcher a structure to study the school’s organization and
identify the strengths and weaknesses of the interactions. According to Patton,
observation can also include:
description of program setting/physical environment, description of the
social environment, capturing historical perspectives, describing
planned program implementation activities and structured interactions,
observing informal interactions and unplanned activities, recording
participants special program language, observing nonverbal
communication, commenting on notable nonoccurrences, documenting
individualized and common outcomes. (Patton, 2002, p. 302)

The quality of the observations, the variety, the field notes, the time spent, the
depth of questioning, and detail of the descriptions, all contributed to the richness of
the study as it related to student achievement.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS, CASE STUDY INSTRUMENTS, AND
FORMAL EVALUATION DOCUMENTS
It is important to ensure alignment between the research questions, case study
instruments and the formal evaluation information. The collection of this data is
displayed in the table below.

58

Table 7
Alignment of Research Questions with the Case Study Instrumentation

Teacher
Survey
Questions
Teacher
Interview
Questions
Document
Review
Observ.
Tool Quest.
District
Admin.
Interview
Questions
Site
Admin.
Interview
Questions
Research
Questions

1. Which
schoolwide
programs
promote
student
achievement
and contribute
to the closing of
the
achievement
gap?

1-6

2,3

1,2,3

1,2,3

2,3

2,3
2. Which school
wide practices
promote
student
achievement
and contribute
to the closing of
the
achievement
gap?

7-22

7,8,9

1,2,3

1, 2, 3

2,3

2,3
3. Which
instructional
strategies were
implemented to
target the
closing of the
achievement
gap?

23-32

4,5,6

1,2,3

1,2,3

2,3

2,3

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
The thematic dissertation group collaboratively designed and agreed upon the
conceptual model based upon a review of the literature. The conceptual model was a
pictorial depiction of the central problem (difference in academic performance
between white and Asian students and poor and minority students), the proposed
factors that influence the problem, and the strategies that the group hypothesizes will

59

impact the closure of the gap. The qualitative model is particularly appropriate for this
study because it examines the role the school plays in closing the gap in a realistic
setting. It matches data with attitudes, strategies, home-school collaboration methods,
and sustainability across the years.

Figure 1 – Conceptual Model
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Crucial to the study was an extensive review of the literature. This led to a list
of major factors that contribute to the Achievement Gap. Although this list is not
exhaustive, major contributing factors are represented in the conceptual model:
leadership, quality of instruction, quality of staff development, the expectations
communicated to students through the school culture, and the practices of school

School
Personnel
Practice

School
Programs

School
Culture
School-
wide
Professiona
l
Developme
School
Teacher
Instruction
and
Practice

School
Leadership

Achieveme
nt
Performanc
e
Federal
NCLB
State
Testing
Community
Expectations
Global
Community
School
Populatio
Accountabilit
y
Parent
Communication

Improve Teacher
Quality

Early Intervention

Collaboration/
Data Analysis
Achievement
Gap
Student
Achievement

60

personnel. In addition, the research revealed practices that have been shown to be
effective in narrowing the achievement gap. These factors represented in the model
include the collaborative effort of staff in analyzing data, early intervention strategies,
the level of parent involvement and communication, and most importantly the quality
of the teaching staff. These factors depicted on the model are aligned closely with the
three research questions. The dissertation group also identified variables such as:
globalization, state testing and accountability, NCLB, community and family
expectation, and student demographic information, as possible factors of influence on
student achievement and worthy of investigation.
As stated, the triangulation of data collection aligned with the focus of the
conceptual model gives the researcher a common base with the other eight members of
the dissertation group. This was beneficial not only to the research process, but gave
more credibility to the results when commonalities were found. With the goal of
replicating the findings in other settings across California, the task is to find and
document common findings of successful practice.
DATA ANALYSIS
School site, classroom, and program observations occurred at Salaton
Elementary on four separate days, with a goal of being in every classroom and speak
to every teacher at least once. Classroom observations were organized using a form
that allowed the researcher to sort themes, comments, materials, and classroom set-up
into the four frames defined by Bolman and Deal. The field notes from the
observations were typed and coded according to correlations to the symbolic, human

61

resource, political, or structural frames. There were many documents to review and
thanks to the information age, they were readily available on the internet through the
school and district websites and the California Department of Education. Documents
were factual, presenting data and facts, statistics, and test scores. Documents were
also collected that communicated the culture, the mission, the beliefs, and the goals of
the school and the district.
The factual and data documents were examined for trends, for growth
according to subject matter and demographics, and for comparison to similar schools.
The district and school descriptive documents gave great insight to the factor that was
later determined to be a primary finding for school success in closing the achievement
gap, that of the district culture. Documents included the Single Plan for Student
Achievement, The School Accountability Report Card, API, AYP and STAR test
results, the District and School Mission Statements, the Strategic Plan which Included
Nine Aims (or goals), the School Principal’s Message, and the Title I Parent Survey.
The interviews were a tremendous source of specific information and gave
both new insight to school attitudes and validated observations and conclusions.
Interviews were conducted with the School Leadership Team made up of the
following staff members:

62

Table 8
Salaton Elementary Staff Leadership Team
Years in Educ. Years at Salaton Male or Female
Teacher A 22 22 Female
Teacher B 9 6 Male
Teacher C 15 15 Female
Teacher D 23 16 Female
Teacher E 10 6 Female
Teacher F 6 5 Female
Teacher G 21 20 Male
Teacher H 28 18 Female

The data analysis and interpretation of all data sources used in this qualitative
case study of a high performing elementary school in Central California focused on
themes that emerged from a triangulation of the available data sources. It followed the
steps outlined by Creswell (2003) where generic steps and specific research steps were
combined to give ordered meaning to findings. The case study began with a school
that met the specific criteria as outlined by the University of Southern California
cohort group. Once documents were reviewed, observations, surveys, and interviews
completed, it became obvious that the findings pointed to a specific strength outside of
school factors, the district culture. This led the researcher to an interview of the
District Area Assistant Superintendent, who provided great insight to the role that the
traditions, culture, and expectations established at the District level played in the
success of the individual schools. In addition to the detailed analysis of data, an

63

attempt was made to provide thick and rich description in order for readers to have a
visual grasp of the details that made this school so special.

64

CHAPTER FOUR
THE FINDINGS
INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to identify those specific programs, practices, and
strategies implemented in an elementary school in Central California that have
significantly impacted achievement for all students. It is crucial to the success of
California students that a systematic solution (as much as it is possible to be
systematic) is found to guide educators in the challenging goal of ensuring high
achievement for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.
This chapter analyzes the findings of the case study school and presents them in the
context of the three research questions identified by the researcher and the dissertation
cohort group.
DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT
Salaton Elementary is a relatively small school in a large district that is
comprised of five comprehensive high schools, five junior high schools and thirty one
elementary schools, serving over 36,000 students. The average size of the high
schools is approximately 2800 students, the junior high schools average 1150 and the
elementary schools average approximately 625 students. The district is guided by a
motto displayed by all schools that says, “Be the best you can be in mind, body, and
spirit.” This motto was developed by the founding superintendent of the District and
exemplifies their commitment to academics, co-curricular activities and
extracurricular competitions. The District Academic Performance Index (API) score

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was 841 last year and only 4 of the 41 schools scored below an 800 API, while one
third of the elementary schools scored above 900 API. Fifty one percent of the district
students are white and twenty four percent are Hispanic and approximately 30% of
district students qualify for free and reduced meals. It is clearly a district that
challenges schools to go from “good to great,” and it clearly understands what great
looks like. This is exemplified in the District Vision Statement, “Olan School District
strives to be America’s benchmark for excellence in education.”
DESCRIPTION OF SCHOOL
Salaton Elementary is one of the oldest elementary schools in the Olan District.
It is located in a mature neighborhood and was built in 1953. Last year it celebrated
its fifty fifth anniversary. A beautiful mural, painted by a long-time parent covers the
wall of the lobby. It depicts the neighborhood children and culture and serves as a
reminder to everyone that students are the center of this school. In the last couple of
years, Salaton has undergone modernization and has a new cafeteria, library, and
office building. It is inviting and welcoming to parents and visitors, many of whom
are Spanish speaking. Staff members are out on campus, even doing the morning and
afternoon crossing guard duties on adjacent street corners. When one enters the large,
open office, they are warmly greeted by one of two school secretaries, one of whom is
Spanish speaking. A school-community liaison assistant has an office just off the main
office and she is available to assist parents on a daily basis. The school health room is
also located just off the main entrance and students and parents are observed to be in
and out before the bell rings for health assessments, rechecks, and minor care. The

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campus is open and many mothers and fathers are seen walking their children to the
playground or classrooms. Teachers and administrators stop and talk informally to
parents about their students, and parents are obviously comfortable communicating
concerns or asking questions of all staff members. This researcher was introduced to a
Spanish speaking parent who was communicating as best she could, her happiness that
her son was doing so well in his fourth grade class. She talked about the boy and his
sister and their success at the campus. She was particularly complimentary of the
teacher who had obviously had the sister the previous year.
The interior of the campus is well maintained, classrooms are obviously not
new, but are modernized and equipped with the latest technology and equipment.
Most classrooms have the Promethean technology board which provides for cutting
edge interactive lessons. Portable classrooms line the back of the campus and are used
for the large music program, intervention groups, and preschool. There is a well-
maintained large grassy playground, blacktop, and softball/baseball field which
reflects the district commitment to athletics.
The CBEDS (California Department of Education, Educational Demographics
Office) for Salaton Elementary for 2006-07 reports 493 students enrolled. Thirty nine
percent of those students are white, thirty five percent Hispanic, thirteen percent are
Asian and five percent are African American. The Hispanic population for Salaton
Elementary is much greater than the district average. Fifteen percent of the students
are English Learners, with Hmong and Spanish as the most common second
languages. Sixty seven percent of students receive free or reduced meals.

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This year, there are two administrators on campus, a principal and a Guidance
Instructional Specialist (GIS) who “functions as an administrative vice-principal.”
During the administrator interviews, it was also learned that there is a full-time
“resource specialist teacher/administrator” whose position is funded out of categorical
monies and who is responsible for “intervention programs, EL programs, grant
programs, and development of special programs.” The teaching staff is comprised of
20 self-contained classroom teachers, two music teachers, and two special education
teachers, all of whom are fully credentialed. Seventeen of these teachers are white,
three are Asian, three are Hispanic and one is American Indian. The district employed
psychologist, nurse and speech therapist are on campus a minimum of two days per
week, and the principal can choose to purchase an extra day with categorical monies,
which she has done in some years. There are nineteen classified staff members, 8 of
whom are paraprofessionals working with bilingual, special education, and preschool
students.
Resources in this school are allocated towards people that interact with
students and impact student achievement. It is noteworthy that there is not an over
abundance of custodial services, playground aides, or cafeteria aides. These services
are not neglected, in fact students were observed to be both well-supervised and well-
behaved, but the culture and resources support an academic environment.
DOC’S CHARGE
The Olan School District is relatively young to have such a large student
attendance area. It reflects rapid economic growth, a tremendous amount of new

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housing, and the desire for parents to bring their students to this district. “On
December 22, 1959, voters in an incorporated area of Central California approved a
plan to merge six smaller school districts with Olan High School to form the Olan
Unified School District” (Lippert, 2008, p. 1). The first superintendent, Dr. Phillip
Maxwell set a course for academic excellence that promised Olan schools would not
only be a “benchmark for excellence” in California, but nationally as well. He wrote
what has come to be known as “Doc’s Charge,” a simply written philosophy that
outlined his values and the challenges he gave to staff, students and families of the
Olan School District. Even when, after 31 years of service, his contract was not
renewed in 1991, he remained an icon to the community and that charge is part of the
current district mission. (Appendix A). Doc’s Charge although over 40 years old, is
remarkably relevant to current educational research about effective schools and is
reflected wholeheartedly on the Salaton campus. As this researcher dug deeper into
the culture of the school and district, it became increasingly clear that the findings
supporting the closure of the achievement gap in this little elementary school in
Central California were research based and reflective of current best practices, but
surprisingly linked to the foresight of this “Charge.”
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
Data collection included a review of relevant school and district documents,
teacher and administrator surveys, classroom and program observations, and
interviews of teachers, site administrators, and the area assistant superintendent. Once
the data was compiled and coded, significant findings emerged and these will be

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presented according to the research question they most closely align with. In addition
to aligning findings with one of the three research questions, they will also be
considered according to the Four Frames presented by Bolman and Deal: the symbolic
frame, the political frame, the human resource frame, and the structural frame. The
following roadmap will guide the presentation of findings:
Research Question 1.What school wide programs promote student achievement – in
particular the closing of the achievement gap.
Finding 1: Salaton Elementary has developed significant student intervention
programs that clearly affect student achievement for typically underserved
populations.
Finding 2: The Edusoft student assessment platform is used by an overwhelming
majority of staff members in the collection and analysis of significant student data and
can be attributed to an increase in student performance.
Finding 3: There is a commitment to excellent supplemental or extra-curricular
programs for all students regardless of economic status.
Research Question 2. What school wide practices promote student achievement- in
particular the closing of the achievement gap?
Finding 4: The expertise and collaborative nature of the teaching staff at Salaton
Elementary does not happen by chance. Hiring practices reflect a commitment by
school and district staff to recruit and hire the top teacher candidates.

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Finding 5: The district culture is one of historically high expectations, pride in “who
we are,” and this is passed onto the individual school sites, including Salaton
Elementary.
Research Question 3. What instructional strategies were implemented to target the
closing of the achievement gap?
Finding 6: The teachers at Salaton Elementary believe wholeheartedly in a
standards based system, they demonstrate effective instructional practices,
classroom management skills, and effective use of assessment to drive their
instruction. Each of these skills has a great impact on the achievement of all
students.
Finding 7: The staff uses frequent formal and informal assessments tied to
standards based instruction, informs and diagnoses student progress.
SCHOOL WIDE PROGRAMS (Research Question #1)
Finding 1: Salaton Elementary has developed significant student intervention
programs that clearly affect student achievement for typically underserved
populations.
The Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA),the School Accountability
Report Card and teacher and staff interviews identify funds allocated at Salaton
Elementary that support a high quality intervention program. It is designed to meet the
needs of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Response to Intervention students and students identified by
their teachers as at risk of not meeting grade level standards. This program is multi-

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faceted and occurs during the school day and extensively afterschool with an
innovative program developed in conjunction with the local state university.
During the school day, priorities are for a model of “push-in” support to assist
teachers in providing quality core instruction to all students, with additional help by
hourly credentialed teachers on a daily basis to assist all students meet grade level
expectations. This program is implemented in grades K-6, although it is strategically
implemented in different grades during the year to give maximum impact. Early
intervention occurs from the beginning of the year in language arts in grades K, one
and two. According to the principal,
We hired push-in teachers to double dose the students, so in that
situation we have a push-in teacher in kindergarten, first and second
grade. The students are seen by the core curriculum (classroom
teacher) and by the push-in teacher so it was not a one time, one day
thing. Kindergarten students are seen one on one and first and second
grade are seen in groups no larger than five per group.

There are specific district approved, research based programs that are used to
support struggling students for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Intervention. Students that score
below basic on the previous year’s STAR test participate in the school’s key
intervention program, READ 180, enthusiastically supported by staff and used in both
regular education intervention and with the special education population. Students
take a diagnostic assessment generated by this computer based program and receive
regular ongoing assessments to assess progress. Training has been provided for both
intervention teachers and special education teachers. Teacher A reports,
There is high interest and good progress with the intervention students
in the READ 180 program. The general education students in the
classroom who are getting the core curriculum, but are not able to keep

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up and are struggling, can go to the READ 180 lab and get some
indepth help right on target, right at their reading, vocabulary and
spelling level.

An observation of the READ 180 lab shows the teacher highly enthusiastic and
engaged with the students working in three groups. Group A composed of three boys
and two girls is working with the teacher, group B, composed of four boys, is working
with print materials and word cards from the program and Group C, two boys and two
girls, are working on the computer assisted learning portion of the program. All
students are engaged and motivated, and it is obvious that the high interest reported by
staff is shared by the students. One girl, obviously an English Learner, was using the
audio portion of the computer program, and making excellent progress which was
immediately reinforced by the computer. She was highly motivated to keep up with
the speed of the story as she read along and very proud of herself when her high score
popped up. Stories and work was interesting and upon observation, it was obvious to
the researcher that students were progressing according to their own rate of
accomplishment. The teacher stated, “Kids enjoy coming to this program, there is no
pressure and they make excellent progress. We are able to provide excellent data
documentation for the teachers to track their progress.”
The district also allocates funding for a credentialed teacher to provide
additional push-in support for students in grades four, five, and six who do not qualify
for the READ 180 program and yet still need extra assistance in language arts and
math. This teacher has a 100 day contract, working four days per week for three hours
per day, averaging 60 minutes per classroom.

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The afterschool intervention program is run by a full time resource specialist
teacher/administrator. It has been named the Afterschool Academy (ASA), because
“we wanted out students to feel like it was an elite, special thing to be able to do.” It
serves approximately 125 students in grades 1-6 from 2:25 p.m. until 6 p.m. It is
funded by a state grant and specifically targets those students who are in the greatest
need academically, in danger of being retained or have been retained, and who have
applied to be a part of the program. If there are additional spots, any student who
applies is eligible to attend. It is staffed by school employees and “teaching fellows”
from a partnership established with the local university.
Although it offers enrichment activities in the way of sports for grades 3-6 and
arts, drama and board games for grades 1-2, it is primarily an academic program with
“at least half the time academic and or homework.” The “teaching fellows” component
ensures that students have college students helping them with academics or
homework. The afterschool program administrator told this researcher:
The teaching fellows are paid from a scholarship fund at their
university that is funded by the Olan Elementary. The fund pays the
students as a scholarship so they take care of workmen’s comp and
taxes, and there is no paperwork for the district because it paid as a
Scholarship for the Teaching Fellows Foundation. Students pay no
fees. It is completely grant funded and is dependent on careful records
of attendance.

This program provides academic and homework help and a snack for students
at no charge. The state grant is renewable every year and allows the program to offer
research based academic help and enrichment programs such as Bellworks Language
Arts and Math, Standards Plus, SRA, and Weekly Readers. A technology component

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is being added through the addition of a laptop lab. The teaching fellows (college
students) are supported with staff development provided by the program administrator
in a Saturday academy one day per month provided by their university.
Finding 2: The Edusoft student assessment platform is used by an overwhelming
majority of staff members in the collection and analysis of significant student data and
can be attributed to an increase in student performance.
The staff at Salaton Elementary believes in ongoing assessment and analysis of
student data. They use the Edusoft web-based student assessment platform which
helps track student performance across three kinds of tests: state exams, district
benchmarks, and classroom tests. Unlike some districts the researcher has observed,
the Edusoft assessment system is widely used at Salaton Elementary to help teachers
make informed decisions about student progress. Staff comments about their usage
revealed that it was “no big deal” to routinely assess students and measure their
progress using Edusoft assessments. Many of their district and grade level tests were
aligned to standards and placed on the Edusoft system and this allowed for ease of use.
When the Area Assistant Superintendent was asked how the district had ensured usage
of Edusoft, she said,
It is not simple to get it started and get everybody using it. The
first couple of years we were struggling, we had what we call
our horses and we had our rabbits or snails, there are some who
take charge full speed. But what we try to do, and what we try
to do with all kinds of data pieces, not just Edusoft, is, if I can
show you as a teacher something that came out of Edusoft and
is a valuable tool for you to use, the odds are much greater that
you are going to want to learn how to use it. We do have one
person who is our kind of lead Edusoft person at each of our

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school sites, they get a technology stipend and helps teachers
with Edusoft.

The assessment system at Salaton Elementary is very systematic. Teachers
give district benchmark assessments in Math once a month and Language Arts
benchmarks at least three times per year. The math benchmarks generally cover one
to two standards and students are required to pass with an 85 percent. Those who do
not achieve a passing score have extra small group instruction in the specific standards
and then take form B or form C of the assessment. The goal is for mastery of all
students on the benchmark standards. One fifth grade teacher motivated his students
by having a chart posted in his classroom that measured how many students achieved
an 85% on the first assessment and another measured the class average of each
assessment, always reaching for a pre-determined goal. One fourth grade classroom
had a chart with “Look at me, I passed my math benchmark.” Students are very aware
of the mastery level and have developed personal responsibility for achieving the
required score. Classroom observations revealed small group instruction that both
remediated and accelerated student progress. Seventy percent of parents reported on
the Title I Parent Survey that they agreed that the services offered helped their
children’s progress in reading, language, and/or mathematics.
The Olan School District has clearly outlined performance goals on STAR
tests for their “focus group” students (Hmong, Hispanic, African American, and
American Indian.) For example, Aim I of their District Strategic Plan states:
Maximize Student Achievement. The specific goal for Salaton Elementary and all
elementaries is: The percent of the focus group students, grades 2-6, scoring at or

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above proficient on the CST in ELA will equal or exceed the District average. The
specific goals for percent proficient on the English Language Arts Star test show
expectations for annual increases in student performance.
Table 9
Goals for Student Achievement on ELA STAR test (gr. 2-6 percent proficient)

Year All
Students
Hmong Hispanic African
American
American
Indian
2007-08 56 48 57 62 58
2006-07 50.7 43.3 51.7 56.6 52.8
2005-06 49.7 39.9 51.3 55.0 50.3

The Edusoft platform assists teachers in the breakdown of students according
to many factors, including demographic groups, and gives clear performance data to
inform their instruction. The staff at Salaton believes in the benefits of the established
assessment system. Teacher D stated, “We use all the reports that are available to us
and we pinpoint the standards that that they are not meeting or they need to master.”
Teacher C stated:
I think that we let our assessments drive our instruction. I mean we
look at what our assessment looks like and if a student is not
performing well in a certain area, we know that we have to spiral back
and help bring that student up to the level of the other kids. So we are
constantly assessing and letting that assessment drive our instruction so
that we can get those kids where they need to be by the end of the year.
It is constant.

Teacher F discussed the benefits of the systematic assessment system as it applied to
informing the next year’s teacher:
And because those assessment pass on with the students, for example a
student that is coming to me from third grade, those assessments are
passed on and the I use those assessments at the beginning of the year

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in planning my program for that child, an individualized program. It’s
an ongoing thing, prescriptive in what every child needs.

District benchmarks, standardized tests, Language Arts Formative Assessments
(LAF), and other standards based assessments are available on the Edusoft system and
give the teachers at Salaton Elementary the tools they need to effectively use
assessments to increase student achievement. An additional program in place at
Salaton is the Teacher Grade Level Estimate (TGLE), a systematic approach to the
assimilation of data from multiple sources to make instructional decisions for each
child. This program is individualized and targets those students who score basic,
below basic, and far below basic on the STAR test in grades 3-6 and below grade level
on the District Reading Assessment for grades K-2. It requires teachers to diagnose
the specific needs of each student and make recommendations (prescriptions) for
above and beyond core instruction and intervention instruction. Teachers meet with
the principal in October of each year for their TGLE conference regarding their
individual students.
Finding 3: There is a commitment to excellent supplemental or extra-curricular
programs for all students regardless of economic status.
Salaton Elementary as part of the Olan School District provides a variety of
extra-curricular activities for all students. The music program is a prime example of
this commitment. The music teacher is on campus two full days per week where he
provides instrumental and vocal music. The school has instruments for over 75% of
the students who are interested, and the teacher reports that he typically has an
instrument available for everyone who is interested. He conducts classes for students

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during the school day and holds them to a high standard. Every year in the Olan
School District, the Salaton school bands, strings, and choirs perform for a review
board and are given ratings based on that performance. Teachers regularly judge
themselves and their students against others in the district.
The Salaton music teacher was particularly proud to announce that his group
had scored equally as high as a group from a more affluent school. He said, “I have
great musicians who may not have private lessons, but are very talented and work hard
in our school program.” He invited the researcher back to observe a classroom music
class where there was a grade level textbook for each student, and there was
significant instruction occurring. Students were asked about the measures where a rest
could be located or how long to hold a particular note. They received extra points
when they kept rhythm with the music and if they sang along, although for the older
students, that was not mandatory. The teacher had moved down to the elementary
school after being a high school music teacher and he stressed his pride and happiness
with the number of interested students and their performance levels.
Anyone who knows this district knows that athletics are very important to
them. They have tremendous facilities at their “complexes” which are often an
elementary, junior high and high school on the same large area of land. They commit
money for coaches and for playgrounds and the field at Salaton is representative of
that focus. The softball/baseball field is top-knotch, there are afterschool sports
beginning at 2:20 for students who are interested, and the afterschool intervention
program waits for students to be finished with their athletic team practice. According

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to the weekly newsletter available in the office, game days begin at 2:00 on Fridays
and in the fall, cross country, football and girls volleyball is offered. Salaton students
play other schools in the district and staff members often serve as coaches. One fifth
grade teacher was a football coach, and the back of his classroom was lined with
jersey covered shoulder pads. The district supports a shared responsibility in
developing its athletes and advertises the area high school football game schedules on
their elementary weekly newsletters.
The classroom technology is cutting edge and teachers have been given staff
development opportunities to learn it. A majority of the classrooms have the
Promethean systems, which is similar to a smart board, but is much more interactive
and can be pre-programmed with power point type presentations. Students in many
classrooms were observed being involved with interacting with the Promethean center,
guaranteeing not only high interest, but innovative lessons as well. It has a built in
student response system which gives the Salaton teachers one more way to constantly
check for student understanding. As one teacher stated, “Nothing at Salaton or in the
Olan School District is second rate,” and this rings very true with the supplemental
programs.
These supplemental programs, athletics, music, and technology, contribute to
the capacity of each student to feel successful and that he or she can compete on many
levels with some of the very best in their county. While they may not directly affect
student achievement, they greatly increase the attitude that students have about their
place in the school and their ability to achieve. It also increases the opportunities for

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the staff to further the connections they make with students through their involvement
as coaches. These connections are spoken about as key to student achievement by
both district and school administrators.
Staff survey results for Question #1 revealed that there was a strong
commitment to providing timely, focused assistance to students who were not at least
proficient or advanced on the academic content standards. The survey demonstrated
an almost unanimous agreement among staff members that this type of help was
available to struggling students. The lowest agreement came on questions regarding
school wide staff development programs for effective instructional strategies and
classroom management. However, discussions with the leadership team reflected a
different response to this question, indicating that teachers had many opportunities
presented to them for staff development in both instructional strategies and classroom
management, although it was not mandatory for all.
Table 10
Survey Results for Research Question #1
VALID MISSING MEAN
1. My school has a school-wide professional development
program or programs for teachers to enable all children in the
school to meet the academic content standards.
22 0 3.18
2. My school has a school wide program or programs to increase
parental involvement through means such as family literacy
services.
21 1 3.09
3. My school has a school wide program or programs providing
training to teachers in effective instructional methods and strategies.
21 1 2.85
4. My school has a school wide program or programs that provide
effective, timely assistance for students who experience difficulty
in attaining the proficient or advanced level of the academic
content standards.

21

1

3.42

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Table 10 Continued

5. My school has school wide programs that provide
effective, timely assistance to provide information about
and to improve the achievement of individual students
and the overall instructional program.

22

0

3.18
6. My school has a school wide program or programs that provide
teachers training in effective classroom management and
discipline strategies.
21 1 2.85

SCHOOL WIDE PRACTICES (RESEARCH QUESTION #2)
Finding 4: The expertise and collaborative nature of the teaching staff at Salaton
Elementary does not happen by chance. Hiring practices reflect a commitment by
school and district staff to recruit and hire the top teacher candidates.
Salaton Elementary is a relatively small school and the size seems to be a
benefit to one of the strongest factors in closing the achievement gap, that of teacher
collaboration. The staff is very close-knit, as they have for the most part, been
together for a long time and yet they welcome new staff members easily. Part of that
welcoming atmosphere comes from the fact that the school and the district view hiring
practices as one of the most essential factors in leading to student achievement. The
Olan School District has an outstanding reputation and therefore attracts many
potential candidates. Teachers take pride in working in the district and take particular
pride in their own school. Teacher R states, “And the nice thing is, and I speak for
myself, we’re here because we want to be here. We choose to be here.” The
philosophy developed by Doc over forty five years ago still rings true for staff
members. Doc’s Charge says:

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We’re looking for role models, and we’ve learned an interesting thing –
if you really want to develop winners you’ve got to surround children
with winners. And a lot of people think you are a winner or you
wouldn’t be sitting here. Nobody gets this far without being
recommended by a building administrator. And that administrator’s
reputation is on the line because he or she has recommended you and
hopes you reciprocate a little bit by trying to make his or her judgment
look good.
The hiring practices have changed little over the years. According to the Area
Assistant Superintendent:
Candidates begin with a panel interview with grade level colleagues at
the school site. The leading candidate is recommended to the principal
and he/she might see one or two of the finalists. The principal
recommends the top candidate to the area assistant supt., then to the
Deputy Superintendent and finally to the Superintendent. It is a team
building structure. They even do a mini-lesson.

This hiring philosophy is a building block practice that leads to a staff that values
collaboration. According to both staff members and the principal, great care has been
taken in building the staff at Salaton Elementary. It is evident when teachers speak
about their colleagues and their collaboration. Staff survey results show that teacher
collaboration is the area in which the staff most strongly agrees (see survey question
#7). The district provides early release days every Wednesday. These days are used
for grade level meetings, staff meetings and professional development. Teachers do
not work in isolation; they understand the value of working together on behalf of
students in their grade level. Because the staff has a say in hiring practices, they
readily accept new teachers and work to bring them up to speed to what works.
Teacher B stated,

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I think that part of it is that we have a lot of veteran teachers
that are willing to take new teachers….I think the upper grades
are really good about embracing the new teacher and showing
them the ropes and bringing them in and I think all the training
that we have had we have been able to keep what works and get
rid of what doesn’t work. We get to decide what is positive and
what is really working for everyone. As a team, with new
teachers, as well as veteran teachers, everybody is open to new
ideas, we’re willing to learn, to see what else we can try to
make thinks work better for kids and us.

Teacher D echoed that statement with, “What is great here is that you are able to
collaborate, even with the principal, and say, you know, I’m going to try this for my
group of kids, and they are interested and supportive.” It is obvious when visiting
classrooms that there is a great deal of collaborative planning occurring. Lessons,
bulletin boards, charts, and even daily schedules are the same for many of the
classrooms at a grade level. Teachers are willing to take leadership roles at grade
levels and this facilitates the discussion about what works, how to share materials, and
which lessons and instructional strategies are most effective. It truly represents the
Professional Learning Community model where there is shared responsibility for all
students at a grade level.
Finding 5: The district culture is one of historically high expectations, pride in “who
we are,” and this is passed onto the individual school sites, including Salaton
Elementary.
Salaton Elementary reflects a culture of high expectations in everything they
do. They truly believe that as part of the high performing Olan School District, they
will excel academically, musically, and athletically. The motto on the School

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Accountability Report Card states, “Be the best you can be in mind, body and spirit.”
Teachers talk about a “no excuses” environment. There is no excuse for them as
teachers to not give students everything they need to achieve academically and there is
no excuse for students not to perform to their highest potential. The staff believes that
all children can learn and as teacher D stated:
I really think it has a tremendous amount to do with what kids think
they can aspire to do. So, it starts with a mindset, it starts with
expectations and high standards, and it is about knowing what our kids
need.
As stated previously, Salaton is located in a very high performing school district. The
district leaders and school leaders know what high achievement looks like, and with
one third of the elementary schools achieving an API score of over 900, they know
that high achievement is possible. Five of the nine Olan School Districts foundational
beliefs outlined in their strategic plan deal with student achievement:
All children can learn and we can teach all children.
Everyone is reader and a teacher of reading.
Hard work promotes achievement.
We hold ourselves accountable to achieve high standards.
Success is an individual journey of continuous achievement.
The belief that all children can learn is heartfelt and was communicated with
great feeling by the Area Assistant Superintendent when she said:
My own background is very blue collar, so I am one of those people
who believe kids can do it, because I was one of those kids. So, I really

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believe that kids aspire to what you help them believe they can achieve.
And when we do an interview that is one of the things I talk about
when I meet with teacher candidates, because I really believe it is about
skills a teacher has and it is about whether that teacher can translate that
into a personal relationship with a child. And if you’re my teacher and
I know you believe I can perform up here and you are not going to
settle for me to fly below the radar in a lower level of achievement,
then I will perform for you because you believe in me.

The district gives strong guidance and support to their principals and teachers
in the form of staff development that targets the specific needs of their individual
school. In the case of Salaton Elementary, the staff communicated a need of learning
how to work with students of poverty. High expectations do not exist just for the
schools with economic advantages, it exists for all schools and the resources will be
made available to help staffs be successful. The principal had discussions with her
staff about what they needed to help close the achievement gap. Those resources,
mostly focused on people, have helped to make a difference. The Area Assistant
Superintendent echoes the feelings of the staff when she validates their efforts by
stating, “What happens with your kids in intervention is only as good as the teachers
and individuals working with them.”
Survey results related to research question #2 reflected a strong commitment
by almost all staff members to collaboration and assessment. It would also be
important to note that much of their collaboration focused on the review of their
assessments and planning instruction that addressed specific learning deficits.
Collaboration was formal through the Early Release Days every Wednesday, but the

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sense of a tight, close-knit staff who communicated across and between grade levels
was both observed and documented.
Table 11 - Survey Results for Research Question #2

VALID MISSIN
G
MEAN
7. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with
other teachers on instructional matters on a
regular basis.
22 0 3.68
8. Teachers have an active role in
identifying and implementing
professional development goals and
objectives.

22

0

2.9
9. I regularly discuss my teaching with my
administrator.
22 0 2.72
10. The evaluation feedback I
receive from my administrator assists
me to improve my teaching
effectiveness.

20

2

2.95
11. I am aware of specific areas of interest that
my administrator looks at when visiting my
classroom.
22 0 3.36
12. Assessment of student learning is
designed to improve rather than just
monitor student learning.
22 0 3.54
13. The assessment of student
learning is based on specific, clearly
identified academic standards for
student performance.
22 0 3.63
14. Teachers seek feedback from
other teachers to improve their
performance.
22 0 3.2
15. Decisions about school
improvement are always based upon
our school improvement plan.
21 1 3.0
16. Teachers at this school have comparable
expectations regarding student academic
performance.
22 0 3.54
17. Professional development
training over the past year has
provided useful information helping
me to increase my teaching
effectiveness.
22 0 2.9

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Table 11 Continued

18. Teachers at this school are
encouraged to use the same or similar
instructional strategies.
21 1 3.54
19. There is an intentional effort to
improve home-school relations and
parent participation.
22 0 3.36
20. Academic content you expect your
students to learn is dictated by district
adopted curriculum.
21 1 3.33
21. Academic content you expect your
students to learn, you and your
colleagues select.
21 1 2.66
22. Academic content you expect your
students to learn is selected by your
students.
22 0 1.63

Research Question #3 What instructional strategies were implemented to target
the closing of the achievement gap?
Finding 6: The teachers at Salaton Elementary believe wholeheartedly in a
standards based system, they demonstrate effective instructional practices,
classroom management skills, and effective use of assessment to drive their
instruction. Each of these skills has a great impact on the achievement of all
students.
Culture, collaboration, high expectations, intervention programs, and data
assessment programs are all important themes that have emerged during the case study
of Salaton Elementary School. Each of these contributes in major ways to making this
school a great place for kids and families and where learning truly takes places for all
students. However, the overwhelming factor that stands out at Salaton is the strength
and the skill of the teachers. Their instructional strategies, designed with their

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particular population in mind and based upon their knowledge of their students, what
they need to know, and how to get them there, makes the difference at Salaton. This
staff understands the three essential questions of a professional learning community;
1) What do we want our students to know, 2) How do we know that they know it, and
3) What will we do when they don’t know it?
The staff at Salaton has a deep commitment to standards based education and
instructing at the level of rigor demanded by the standard as based on the district
competency. They believe in the standards for their grade level and they have moved
beyond questioning whether a particular standard should be taught, to teaching the
critical standards and then reteaching if a student lacks mastery. They do not spend
time questioning essential standards, or deciding if something is important. They are
mature in their belief in what they are teaching and they spend their time in
instruction.
Kindergarten teachers have individual assessments for each child that are
administered weekly throughout the year. These are based on goals established by the
district with teachers at Salaton supplementing based on their experiences with their
population. As teacher F stated:
In kindergarten, we have a large assessment book that comes from the
district which kindergarten teachers got together and created so that we
know exactly what our kindergarten kids need by the end of the year
and we do weekly assessments and we have an individualized
homework program we use to help cover those assessments to that we
get the parents working with us also.

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They use volunteers very effectively with all adults having a clear focus on
learning goals and student progress towards meeting them. Kids gain entry to special
“clubs” by mastering a skill such as the ABC Club or Math Facts Club.
Teacher collaboration is also reflected in the commitment to standards. Grade
level teachers share posters of standards which they have converted to student friendly
language. Lessons are similar from room to room and reflect the standard
communicated by the grade level teacher to the students.
Classrooms are very visually attractive, but are also very purposeful. Teachers
post charts of important grade level information including the writing process, spelling
hints, proof reading strategies, and rubrics for student performance. Mountain Math
and Mountain Language are supplemental programs used in most grades and provide a
standards based program to reinforce skills. Standards Plus is available in district
created work books, along with the resources that accompany the text books. SRA
kits, dictionaries, thesaurus, Scholastic News, Arithmetic Developed Daily, and
cursive writing practice books are in evidence in the majority of classrooms. The
district is responsible for copying of theme skills tests and other assessment materials
and these are delivered to classrooms. Writing for Excellence is a district writing
program and many bulletin boards feature components of this process. Every
classroom has a class library and students are often engaged in reading books from
these libraries. Some primary grade classrooms designate the level of the book a
student should be choosing.

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Teachers and administrators at this school reflect that attitude of the Area
Assistant Superintendent, who said:
We are big believers in skill development. And that is one thing that I
think sets us apart, because we believe you have to have a fundamental
set of skills to build upon to go further in your learning process. We
really believe that you have to have that stuff intact, and if you don’t
have it when you get out of third grade, you are in trouble, and you will
be in trouble throughout your educational career unless you have all
that stuff pretty well wired by the time you exit third grade.

The teaching staff shared that attitude with their discussion about math facts. Teacher
A stated:
One of the practices that I think has been very effective and it is school
wide is working with math facts…and everybody does it, from first
grade through sixth grade, and then following up on that, giving them
the basic foundation to know their math facts, so that they can go on to
higher level math.

Classroom observations reveal teachers who understand strong instructional
strategies. There was strong evidence of direct and explicit instruction. As the
principal said, “Our teachers hone in on the goals that have been set for each student.
They provide strong core instruction and check learning outcomes to see which
students need small group help.”
There was evidence of cooperative grouping; a group of students were working
on math word problems and had specific job assignments. Teachers were also using
technology in many ways to engage students and promote a more global exposure to
their learning. Instructional minutes are not wasted. Teachers were observed using
timers to keep kids progressing on drills and in writing exercises. One teacher crafted

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a writing lesson out of a discussion she had with her students after it was reported to
her that they had poor behavior in the cafeteria. Many teachers were observed using
small group, ability based instruction, to provide core learning in the classroom before
the pull-out teachers were utilized or students went to the READ 180 lab. There is no
morning recess at Salaton Elementary. All students in grades 1-6 begin their day at
7:40 a.m. and end at 2:25 p.m. There is a one hour recess and lunch break for a total
of 340 instructional minutes every day. There is no teacher’s union in this large
district and teachers say that there is a general respect for their time and their ability,
so there hasn’t been a huge outcry for the formation of a union.
There was very little misbehavior observed in these classrooms. Teachers had
established procedures, classroom behavior plans, and built in positive reward
systems. Rarely in the three days of classroom observations did this researcher
observe a child that was disciplined more harshly than a reminder or a teacher moving
closer to the child. The playground supervisors were remarkably effective with their
commands to line up and wait quietly for the teacher. On one recess with at least two
grade levels on the playground, there was only one supervisor and students were in
perfect order when the bell rang. It was obvious that procedures had been practiced
and reinforced and students followed rules very effectively.
Staff members had great respect for their students. They gave them choices
about their type of learning activities, they designed lessons that appealed to many
different learning modalities and they allowed for physical interaction. They were very
directive and specific about their procedures, they challenged their students with

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difficult vocabulary and constantly reinforced their positive behavior and learning
with statements such as “If you are a Master of Algebra, stand up,” or “all great
readers, raise your hands.” Classroom goals for behavior were posted, along with
behavior goals for the playground and the cafeteria.
Teachers at Salaton Elementary demonstrated strong personal connections with
their students. At least up through grade three, students came and sat on the floor with
the teacher for circle time and discussions. They used white boards to respond to both
academic and personal questions from their teachers. The principal talked about the
connections that teachers had to students:
The programs that we have are supporting kids, but I really think the
people that we have doing the programs are making the difference.
They’re connecting the kids that maybe normally would not be engaged
in school or feel connected and I think they do a great job of building
confidence in students that perhaps have never felt success. You
couple the right programs and resources with people who care and have
high expectations and I think that makes the difference.

Finding 7: Frequent formal and informal assessments tied to standards based
instruction, informs and diagnoses student progress.
The staff members at Salaton Elementary are firm believers in frequent
ongoing assessment that is tied to their instruction. They use standardized tests and an
impressive array of benchmark tests developed by the Olan School District to
constantly monitor student progress. Their collaborative efforts also result in common
assessments for their grade levels so that all teachers are expecting a similar level of
rigor for their students. They are made aware of assessment results from other schools

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around the district, some are very high performing schools, and they work hard to help
their students achieve similar results. As teacher F stated:
I think that we let our assessments drive our instruction. I mean we
look at what our assessment looks like and if a student is not
performing well in a certain area, we know that we have to spiral back
and bring that student up to the level of the other kids. So we are
constantly assessing and helping that assessment drive our instruction
so that we can get kids where they need to be by the end of the year.

Assessment is just as crucial a part of their instructional program as their direct
instruction is. They practice checking for understanding with white boards and with
their Promethean interactive boards. The Language Arts Formative Assessments
(LAF) and district math benchmarks ensure that there is a standard of rigor for all
students. The principal notes that the district helps to assemble the data and then
makes it available for individual staffs to use. This is positive for two reasons:
It’s nice to be able to see where you’re falling in relationship with the
other schools. So, we were excited that our fourth grade was up, we
were tenth in our writing out of the thirty one elementary schools. We
were pretty excited.

In addition, when teachers had the district assembled data, they were able to
utilize their grade level meetings to analyze the data and make instructional decisions
and not have to worry about collecting the data. It is an efficient system that
maximizes the teacher’s time and puts them in charge of using all available
information to make the crucial instructional decisions for their students. The staff,
from the administrators, to the teachers, to the director of the afterschool program, to
the intervention teachers, relies on the information gained from the assessments. It
truly informs their instruction and makes it more efficient and more focused on

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individual learners. Without their shared commitment to assessment, their ability to
use every instructional minute effectively would be lessened.
Results of the teachers’ survey results indicate that instructional strategies are
not only the section that they have the most common agreement on, it is the area
where they have almost unanimous agreement on their implementation of effective
instructional strategies. On a scale of 1-4, with four being the highest, their scores
range from a 3.36 to a 3.64 on the fourteen questions related to instructional strategies.
Table 12
Survey Results for Research Question #3

VALID MISSING MEAN
23. When developing my lessons, I consciously
select content that meets the district’s student
competencies and performance standards.
22 0 3.64
24. When developing my lessons, I consciously
select instructional materials based upon my
knowledge of my students’ developmental needs
and learning styles.

22

0

3.64
25. When developing lessons, I consciously select
teaching methods and strategies that accommodate
individual student needs and interests.
21 1 3.52
26. When developing my lessons, I consciously
prepare lessons with high expectations designed to
challenge and stimulate all students.

22

0

3.54
27. When developing my lessons, I consciously
build upon my students’ existing knowledge and
experiences.
22 0 3.54
28. When developing my lessons, I consciously
consider how to create active learning experiences
for my students to facilitate engagement.
22 0 3.59
29. When developing my lessons, I consciously
consider how to create cooperative learning
experiences for my students.
22 0 3.45

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Table 12 Continued

30. When developing my lessons, I consciously
create lessons that require integration of content
from more than one content area.
22 0 3.41
31. When teaching, I monitor students’
understanding of the content and make adjustments
accordingly.
22 0 3.64
32. When teaching, I move among the students,
engaging individually and collectively with them
during the learning experience.
22 0 3.59
33. When teaching, I consciously employ teaching
strategies and instructional materials that stimulate
higher order thinking skills.
22 0 3.45
34. When teaching, I create social interaction
among students by requiring students to work as a
team with both individual and group responsibilities.
22 0 3.45
35. When teaching, I vary the size and composition
of the groups.
22 0 3.36
36. When a student is having difficulty with an
activity or assignment, I am usually able to adjust it
to his/her level.
22 0 3.50
37. Peer tutoring is used to help struggling
students.
22 0 2.86

FINDINGS BASED ON BOLMAN AND DEAL’S FOUR FRAMES

THE STRUCTURAL FRAME

“Organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives.” (Bolman &
Deal, 2003, p. 45) The Olan Unified School District is a very formally structured
organization with a very clear delineation of responsibilities and a very clear statement
of what the expectations are for both the internal workforce (the district office, school
site administrators, teachers, and classified employees) and the external constituents
(students, parents, community members.) This organization has a mission statement,
specific AIMS, a “Charge” that defines their culture, and rewards such as Exemplary
School Award based on school “reaching or exceeding set standards” outlined in their

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Assessment System for Sustained Improvement. This Assessment System for
Sustained Improvement has three components in their pursuit of “effective, well-
rounded programs”:
1. Pupil Achievement Goals, Multiple Assessments, and Composite Index
2. School Management, Student/Parent Involvement, and Co-Curricular Ratings
3. Site Review, Self-Study, Self-Rating, and Site Visitations
The staff at Salaton works very effectively within the structure of the district; they
appreciate the high expectations for both their students and themselves. They
understand that the structural framework in areas such as hiring practices, assessment
tools, staff development, and grade level competencies allow them to be productive
and focused on their main goal of instruction. Bolman and Deal stated, “formal
structure enhances morale if it helps us get our work done.” (Bolman & Deal, 2003, p.
47) The structure of the hiring practices seems to be at the heart of this organization.
As Doc’s Charge states,
So what we’re really saying to you is we think education revolves
around teamwork and trust. We want you on our team, and we want to
know that you want to be here. So we spend a lot of time telling you
about the people and facilities you are going to work with and in-the
school staff, the community, and the children, as well as the supplies,
equipment and materials – so from the first day of school it’s all
forward. We don’t want you to look around at the beginning of the
school year and say, “My gosh, if I’d known it was like this, I would
never have signed with this district.

The effort the district and school sites expend to hire the “best people” makes it easier
for the district to continue to implement its mission of being nationally recognized for
its high performing schools.

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The District has made concerted effort to maintain a small school and district
atmosphere, despite their large size. The elementary schools average 625 students and
Salaton is under 500 students. The district has incorporated area superintendents who
are “actually like the superintendents of a small district.” They have responsibility to
one high school, two junior high schools and eight elementary schools. They act as
resource and a mentor for their schools and they oversee staff development and
student achievement as it relates to the specific needs of their schools. This allows the
structures of the individual school site to operate based on what is in the best interests
of their students and not respond to the large scale needs of a district. According to the
Area Assistant Superintendent:
It is built into our structure to give teachers at the elementary level that
collaboration time to work together. In addition, our structure has
allowed us to collaborate between the area elementaries and the
Intermediates and then to the High School.

THE HUMAN RESOURCE FRAME
The Olan Unified School District sets the tone for excellence through their
well developed and consistently implemented structure and their hiring practices
certainly contributes to that excellence. The real strength however, lies in the strength
of the people that their hiring structure produces. Bolman and Deal state,
“Organizations exist to serve human needs rather than the reverse.” (Bolman & Deal,
2003, p. 115) Just as the district and school seek to hire the most talented and capable
people, the candidates that choose to apply are those who seek an environment of
excellence that demands the most from them, and in return gives them a high level of
satisfaction. The Area Assistant Superintendent outlined that belief,

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And so it really is about a climate of belief, we had a motto in our
district for years, a motto that said, “Be the best you can be in mind,
body, and spirit, and there is just a mentality, and a mindset that when
you come to Olan, this is what the expectations are. Whether it is a
student, staff member, parent, we just have high really high standards
of operation and expectation. And we expect the same of ourselves.
We have a culture of people who are willing to roll their sleeves up and
work alongside their staff.

During interviews, staff members talked equally about the high expectations, the hard
work they expended and the fact that this was where they wanted to be.
It’s nice to have a smaller staff; you can talk to each other every day.
And the other thing is that we’re here because we want to be here. We
have teachers like T.R. who have here for 20 years and L.L. who has
been here for 15 years and when you put it together, that is a lot of
educational experience and people who enjoy what they do.

Abraham Maslow (1954) developed a theory of the hierarchal categories of
basic human needs, with self-actualization at the top. This is described as the “need to
develop to one’s fullest, to actualize one’s potential.” This school satisfies that need
for its teachers and as it seeks to provide a wealth of different opportunities for its
students (excellence in academics, strong intervention programs, music, athletics,
character development, afterschool opportunities, etc.) it provides an avenue for
teachers to find fulfillment.
POLITICAL FRAME
On the surface, the Olan School District could be judged as not being very
political in the most important way that most school districts are judged to be political,
they are the largest school district in California without a teacher’s union. They think
that treating people with respect, rewarding hard work and listening to their concerns
have served them well, outside the structure of a union.

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That is what our mentality is about, we have to take care of our people.
What is it about Olan that keeps us from having a need for a teacher’s
union? We have a faculty senate. We have a teacher that is released
from the classroom for a full year. There is a representation group, just
not a union group. Each school has representatives to an area faculty
senate, 1 from each elementary, intermediates have 3 and high schools
have 4 representatives. They meet once a month as a district entity and
once a month with faculty senators. We do a lot of things that provide
open dialogue, including agendas that are collaboratively created.

Inside the school, there is clearly a lack of political maneuvering. There is a great deal
of mutual support, collaboration, and if there is discontent, it was not evident.
THE SYMBOLIC FRAME
“The symbolic frame seeks to interpret and illuminate basic issues of meaning
and belief that make symbols so powerful. Culture is the glue that holds an
organization together and unites people around shared values and beliefs.” (Bolman &
Deal, 2003, p. 242) In the Olan School District and at Salaton Elementary, that
symbol would have to be “Doc’s Charge.” This document, written by the first
Superintendent, outlines in very simple, non-educational language, the hopes and
dreams for the students and staff of the District. It talks about personal values such as
winning with class and losing with dignity. It talks about setting high standards, about
the value of competition against oneself and against others. It reminds people to enjoy
students, to remember that kids are the most important reason to be a part of the
district, and that schools belong to the people of the community. It talks about being
role models for children and in return, finding personal satisfaction. It talks about
working harder than anyone else, but experiencing the best of what education has to
offer in the way of personal fulfillment.

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The staff at Salaton believes in the Charge and all the more modern
educational philosophies that have evolved since it was first drafted. It is a school and
a district where the spirit of excellence permeates not only throughout its own, but to
other districts in California. The symbol of excellence in education is alive and
growing at Salaton Elementary and in the Olan Unified School District. The first
superintendent is a symbol that his successors have held onto as they have built the
culture of the district and instilled in each individual school, the power of his ideas.

Remember only this one thing
The stories people tell you have a way of taking care of them.
If stories come to you, care for them.
And learn to give them away where they are needed.
Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive.
That is why we put these stories in each other’s memories.
This is how people care for themselves.
(Lopez, 1998)

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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This qualitative research study was begun with the researcher as a member of a
group of eight doctoral students at the University of Southern California. All students
were conducting similar case studies that were looking at factors in schools that have
been effective in closing the achievement gap. In addition, the researcher served as a
co-investigator for a colleague during the case study visit at another elementary
school. That colleague served as a co-investigator at this researcher’s case study
school. While dissertations were written independently, important discussions took
place regarding common findings or findings that weren’t seen at both schools.
As the research questions were formulated and the criteria for eligible schools
was finalized, it began to become evident to the group that many schools in California,
although experiencing great diversity in its populations, were having difficulty in
assuring achievement for all student groups and narrowing the achievement gap. The
schools that were chosen for case studies were schools that were high performing or
outperforming school, with traditionally underserved populations outscoring
predictions.
The purpose of this chapter is to summarize and analyze the findings of this
study and to make recommendations for further study. Part One of this chapter will
again review the purpose of the study, Part II will report the findings and attempt to
analyze them in light of the research questions and Part III will make
recommendations for further study.

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PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
As California sees a dramatic increase in the student populations that have
traditionally been underperforming, it is crucial that it find systematic solutions to
closing the educational achievement gap between white, Asian, and affluent students
and those students of color and poverty and second language. Across the globe,
governments, health organizations, and even the United Nations are preaching that an
investment in education results in an increase in good health and prosperity. In the
United States, research has shown that the education level of a person is an excellent
predictor of their health, income, employment and housing opportunities. Students
who leave sixth grade significantly behind their peers will have limited opportunities
to the same levels of high school and college education and in turn, the same potential
for economic stability and growth. In addition, students who lack a high school
diploma often become a drain on the resources of their state and nation. “Poor
education leads to large public and social costs in the form of lower income and
economic growth, reduced tax revenues, and higher costs of such public services as
health care, criminal justice and public assistance.” (Levin, Belfield, Meunnig, &
Rouse, 2007, p. 2)
In addition, we have a moral responsibility to the students and parents who
attend California schools, to give each of them the best our educational system has to
offer, and to make certain that our expectations for their performance match their
dreams for their futures. An inability to reform California schools not only dooms our
students to lives of unrealized dreams, but ensures that the majority of educational

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funding will be spent on remediating the lower end of the bell curve and leaving the
most talented and dedicated students without the resources to experience significant
learning opportunities.
ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP
As this researched assimilated the data, it became clear that each of the seven
findings could be grouped into one of the four themes outlined by California
Superintendent O’Connell’s P-16 Council. These themes are:
Access
Culture and Climate
Expectations
Strategies
THEME ONE – ACCESS
Many experts, including Robert Marzano and the P-16 Council agree that for
all student demographic groups to be successful at a high level, they must have access
to a rigorous core curriculum, be taught by highly qualified, dedicated teachers, and
have interventions that address the different learning rates and styles of all students.
Finding #1 Salaton Elementary has developed significant student intervention
programs that clearly affect student achievement for typically underserved
populations.
Salaton Elementary is a school that understands and appreciates the diversity
of the students it serves. The staff understands that their students do not always have
support at home for significant help. They understand that their students must have

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individualized programs that meet their specific needs and that in order to remediate
these needs; teachers have to be committed to extra time for struggling students.
Therefore, their afterschool intervention program, READ 180, and the commitment to
funding a credentialed teacher to provide “push-in” support and extra time for
struggling students are all examples of school wide programs that made a difference in
student achievement.
Teachers at Salaton are not dependent upon the parents of their students to
provide extra help in academic areas and they do not use the home situations as an
excuse for poor student achievement. These teachers are focused on what can be done
for their students during the hours of the day that they are in their care. They utilize
additional resources in addition to the high quality curriculum resources provided by
their district and they often improvise materials to reach the non-traditional learner.
Resources allocated to this school are overwhelmingly used in support of
student achievement. There is not a lot of fluff or spending on programs that make
things easier for the teachers. They truly believe that all children can learn, and they
truly believe they can teach all children. They are not afraid to engage with their
students and develop relationships that will help their students work harder and longer.
The students know their teachers care about them, before school, during school, and
after school.
Finding #2 There is a commitment to excellent supplemental or extracurricular
programs for all students regardless of economic status.

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Many of the community members that live in the area surrounding Salaton
Elementary have made the choice to be in this school because of all that it offers their
students. They express their satisfaction with the total program; great teachers who
provide an excellent academic program, and great teachers who are involved in
coaching and musical opportunities. These parents want the best for their children in a
district known for its broad range of student programs. They express the fact that their
students are better prepared for the real world when they learn to compete not only in
academic, but sports and speech and music competitions as well. They know that the
Olan Unified School District has excellent programs, programs that are not just
relatively excellent, but are excellent in comparison to some of the top districts in
California.
Students must keep a standard grade point average to participate in all
extracurricular activities, and this also contributes to their classroom success. These
extracurricular activities are school wide programs that impact achievement for all
students, and inspire those students not naturally prone to academic success to aim
higher. Because sports are such a big part of the culture of the school, students find a
great deal of satisfaction and personal achievement when they are successful and
teachers report this has a strong effect on their classroom effort. While academic
success is at the heart of Salaton Elementary, sports and music are its soul, and both
combine to make well-rounded, connected students.

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Finding #3 The Edusoft student assessment platform is used by an overwhelming
majority of staff members in the collection and analysis of significant student data and
can be attributed to an increase in student performance.
Edusoft has become a program that is very finely woven into the instructional
program at Salaton Elementary and is a school wide program that helps to improve the
accountability for student achievement. Teachers are comfortable and adept at
navigating through this program and they use it very effectively in assessing and
analyzing the performance of their students. These teachers have a comprehensive
view of good instruction. They understand that it doesn’t end with “what has been
taught.” They are focused on “what has been learned,” and the Edusoft program helps
them to have a clear picture of that learning, standard by standard. The district is
committed to making data analysis easier for the teachers and they pay a stipend to
one person on each campus to provide staff development and coordinate the usage of
Edusoft with all teachers. Because the teachers have standard based assessments
already incorporated into the Edusoft system, they are easily able to teach, and then
assess the students’ knowledge of standards. They are dependent upon the knowledge
that Edusoft gives them and they use it as an integral tool in the goal of mastery for all
students.
THEME 2 – CULTURE AND CLIMATE
The culture of the district and school is an important factor of the high
achievement of all student groups at Salaton Elementary. Teachers go through a
rigorous hiring process as there is a shared commitment to only hire teachers who

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have a belief in the potential of all students and who can work collaboratively with the
existing staff members. Teachers at Salaton want to be there, they understand the
impact they have on students lives, not only academically but in the connections they
make with them.
Finding #4 The expertise and collaborative nature of the teaching staff at Salaton
Elementary does not happen by chance. Hiring practices reflect a commitment by
school and district staff to recruit and hire the top teacher candidates.
Salaton Elementary has an outstanding teaching staff that has not been
assembled accidentally. There is great effort expended by both the school and the
district to hire not only the best candidates, but the candidates that will most closely
share the values of hard work, collaboration and belief in student potential as the
existing staff. This school wide and district wide practice of hiring quality, talented
teachers, impacts positively the achievement of all students at Salaton. The
administrators and teachers do not attempt to “clone” the technical ability of the
teachers, but look for the heart of the teacher that matches the district philosophy.
That heart translates into the effort the district looks for and it gives teachers the base
they need to work collaboratively with the other staff members. The school and
district culture support the belief that “all children can learn” and it is important to
them that they hire people who share that philosophy. The Area Assistant
Superintendent talked about hiring people that they can have confidence in “when the
classroom doors are shut.” Therefore, the hiring practices are taken very seriously and
shared among all levels: teachers, school administrators, district administrators and the

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superintendent. They believe that spending the time to hire an excellent teacher will in
the long run, pay off with increased student achievement.
THEME THREE - EXPECTATIONS
Most educators say at least publicly that they believe that all students can
learn. It is the standard stated belief of all schools, but often is it not a true belief, at
least not a belief that encompasses all students. It was obvious to this researcher that
the Salaton School staff and the Olan District truly believed that they could teach all
students and all students could learn. They had examples of the results of this belief in
every one of their schools and they communicated this regularly. Parents bought into
this belief and supported the expectations demanded by the school and it results in a
school and district culture that accepts nothing less that the highest potential for every
student.
Finding #5 The district culture is on of historically high expectations and pride in
“who we are,” and this is passed onto the individual school sites, including Salaton
Elementary.
There is a rich culture in the Olan Unified School District. It is a culture of
high expectations for all students and it is a community that regularly sees its schools
scoring at some of the highest levels in California. They understand what “great”
looks like; they are not searching for schools to emulate, because those schools are
right there in their own neighborhoods. They have replicated practices in their own
districts that have proven to be successful and they collaboratively share these with
each other. They have the confidence of winners, of those who know that what

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they’re doing works well, and they have a strong sense of not being content with the
status quo, but are always self-assessing and improving. This attitude is not only
contagious, it is self-fulfilling and because the district has been so successful, all
schools believe that they are capable of achieving the highest levels. They have a
shared mission for all students in their grade levels, in their schools and in their
district. This practice of establishing and communicating high expectations impacts
student achievement in a very positive way.
At one time, their fear in the district was that as they grew and the students
became more diverse, it would be harder to maintain high achievement. The fact that
they have been able to do so validates not only their self-improvement efforts, but
validates the effect of high expectations on staff and students. Collectively they find
their strength because of their reputation and tradition of excellence.
THEME FOUR – STRATEGIES
Many important strategies are implemented at Salaton Elementary. These
include a focus on the standards based system, research based instructional practices
for all learners, including English language learners, and strong behavior management
that assures an optimum learning environment for all students. The assessment system
has become an additional strategy that is utilized by all staff as one more tool to help
students succeed.
Finding #6 The teachers at Salaton Elementary wholeheartedly believe in a standards
based system, they demonstrate effective instructional practices, classroom

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management skills, and effective use of assessment to drive their instruction. Each of
these skills has a great impact on the achievement of all students.
The veteran teachers at Salaton Elementary are talented and they have
benefitted from excellent staff development opportunities tied to their specific
instructional needs and the needs of their students. New teachers are quickly
incorporated into their grade levels and given extra help in lesson planning, and
standards based instruction. The mindset of the effectiveness of a standards based
system permeates the staff, they don’t question it and they work hard at getting better
in their lesson delivery. Their natural ability, the quality they are often hired for, is the
ability to connect with students, and they do this very effectively, supporting students
at all levels of the learning continuum. Students know what the academic goals are,
they know where they stand in their mastery of those goals, and they know that their
teachers will provide the support and help they need to achieve. The students know
their teachers believe in them and expect great things from them and they obviously
raise their levels of performance to meet the expectations of their teachers. The
instructional skill competency of the teachers at Salaton impacts achievement for all
students, regardless of ethnic or economic background, yet gives the traditionally
underserved population an extra boost in closing the achievement gap.
Finding #7 Frequent formal and informal assessments tied to standards based
instruction, informs and diagnoses student progress.
As stated previously, ongoing formal and informal student assessment is a
major portion of the instructional program at Salaton Elementary and is an

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instructional strategy that impacts student achievement at all levels. Assessments are
key to student achievement at Salaton. They define the level of rigor and expectations
demanded of students, they inform the teachers of the specific areas of weakness or
strength, and they give teachers the information they need to efficiently plan lessons
that will. Results of assessments are shared with students and they buy-in to the goals
that are set for them based on the levels of expected mastery.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
This researcher learned a great deal from the study of this school and district.
Once visitations were complete, teachers and administrators were interviewed, and
documents were reviewed, it became very clear that although Salaton Elementary was
an outstanding school doing extraordinary things for their students, much of their
internal strength came from the structure, reputation and cultural traditions of the
district. The Olan Unified School District has built its structure from the beginning
when Doc’s Charge was first written and shared, through the years of growth and
change, maintaining high expectations, a sense of productive competition, and
constant self-review. They value their employees, their community, and most of all
their students. Further study on the effects of strong district culture, high expectations
and the ability to communicate the rigor demanded by greatness to all staff members
would be beneficial. They have maintained a small district atmosphere in a large
district, and they certainly seem to be guided by an honest belief that “all students can
learn.” They challenges will be the same as many districts in California, can they
maintain this high performance with an increasingly diverse population. Their internal

112

structure suggests that they are aware of the coming challenges and are prepared to
adapt and adjust, because they will settle for nothing less than the best for their
students, their community, and their staffs.

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APPENDIX A
DOC’S CHARGE
We believe in high standards in “Olan” schools. We believe
competition is an ingredient of high standards and an important
motivational tool. We recognize three levels of competition. First, we
want you to make sure that all of our students learn to compete against
themselves; that’s the toughest competition of all. Second, we want you
to encourage our students to compete in specialty areas to help them build
on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses, because that’s the way
they get jobs and that’s the way they have to perform in life. Third, we
want to you to teach our students to work in groups and to compete in
groups because we think that students who can’t work in groups are going
to have trouble in tomorrow’s world.
Competition does not start with schooling. Competition starts with
little children just wanting to play – to catch or hit or kick a ball.
Eventually, they learn a few skills and all of a sudden one of them looks at
the others and says hey, let’s keep score. Now they’re interested in
winning and losing, which is mostly what life’s all about.
While you are working with our children in Clovis we want you to
remember the heart of the Clovis program: We want you to teach
students to win with class and to lose with dignity. But we also want you
to teach them that there is a lot more to being a winner than the final game
score. We want you to teach them to root for the team to win, not for
their other team to lose. We want you to teach our kids what to do when
they lose. We want you to get them off their duffs and get them back in
the fight. Don’t you let them give up. And if we can teach them not to be
quitters by the time they finish the twelfth grade in the “Olan” schools,
they will probably make it through life.
Our philosophy is very simple: A fair break for every kid. We
believe the schools and the students belong to the people. If our
community wants their children to read, write, do arithmetic, sing, dance,
play in the band, or compete in forensics – whatever our community
wants, we are going to do – but we’re going to do it first class.
The professionals who work in our district are proud that we do not
have collective bargaining. We are the only large school district in the
state where the teachers and the administrators can still publicly say they

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like each other. I say that tongue in cheek, but my goodness, it’s amazing
how often you read in the paper of adults fighting over the rights and
benefits of adults. Does anybody remember children anymore?
In “Olan,” we still like children. We make no bones about it.
We’ve got an “Olan” image to keep up, and we’re looking for people a
cut above the average. We’re concerned about your appearance, your
attitude, your teaching skills, your ability to work with students, but most
of all we’re concerned about your character and your values. You are
going to be around our children when nobody else is there. You are going
to see and do things with them that nobody else will ever know about.
We’re looking for role models, and we’ve learned an interesting
thing – if you really want to develop winners you’ve got to surround
children with winners. And a lot of people think you are a winner or you
wouldn’t be sitting here. Nobody gets this far without being
recommended by a building administrator. And that administrator’s
reputation is on the line because he or she has recommended you and
hopes you reciprocate a little bit by trying to make his or her judgment
look good.
So what we’re really saying to you is we think education revolves
around teamwork and trust. We want you on our team, and we want to
know that you want to be there. So we spend a lot of time telling you
about the people and facilities you are going to work with and in – the
school staff, the community, and the children, as well as the supplies,
equipment, and materials – so from the first day of school it’s all forward.
We don’t want you to look around at the beginning of the school year and
say, “My Gosh, if I’d known it was like this I would never have signed
with this district.”
If you are still interested in working at “Olan” under those
conditions, we’d like to offer you a contract. We people in “Olan” get
excited when teachers and students do things nobody thought they could
do. As long as you work in “Olan” don’t you ever lose that spirit…and
never forget our motto, “Sic ‘em!”

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APPENDIX B
ADMINISTRATOR SURVEY

Administrator Survey

Research Question 1: What school wide programs promote student
achievement?

1. My school has a school-wide professional development program or programs
for teachers to enable all children in the school to meet the state academic
content standards.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

2. My school has a school-wide program or programs to increase parental
involvement through means such as family literacy services.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

3. My school has a school-wide program or programs providing training to teachers
in effective instructional methods and strategies.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

4. My school has a school-wide program or programs that provide effective,
timely assistance for students who experience difficulty in attaining the
proficient or advanced level.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

5. My school has a school-wide program or programs to assist teachers in the use of
academic assessments to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement
of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

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6. My school has a school-wide program or programs that provide teachers training in
effective classroom management and discipline strategies.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

Research Question 2: What school wide practices promote student achievement?

7. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with other teachers on instructional matters
on a regular basis.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

8. Teachers have an active role in identifying and implementing professional
development goals and objectives for the school.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

9. I have regular discussions with my teachers regarding their teaching.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

10. The evaluation feedback I give to teachers assists them to improve their teaching
effectiveness.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

11. The teachers are aware of specific areas of interest I look at when visiting their
classrooms.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

12. Assessment of student learning is directed to improving, rather than just
monitoring, student performance.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

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13. The assessment of student learning is based on specific, clearly identified
academic standards for student performance.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

14. Teachers seek feedback from other teachers to improve their teaching.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

15. Decisions about school improvement are always based upon our school
improvement plan.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

16. Teachers at this school have comparable expectations regarding student academic
performance.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

17. Professional development training over the past year has provided useful
information helping teachers increase their teaching effectiveness.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

18. Teachers at this school are encouraged to use the same or similar instructional
strategies.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

19. There is an intentional effort to improving home-school relations and parent
participation.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

20. Academic content students are expected to learn is dictated by district’s
adopted curriculum.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

122

21. Academic content students are expected to learn do teachers select.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

22 Academic content students are expected to learn is selected by the students.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

Research Question 3: What instructional strategies were implemented to target
the closing of the achievement gap?

23. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously select content that meets the
district’s student competencies and performance standards.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

24. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously select instructional materials
based upon their knowledge of their students’ developmental needs and learning
styles.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

25. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously select teaching methods and
strategies that accommodate individual student needs and interests.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

26. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously prepare lessons with high
expectations designed to challenge and stimulate all students.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

27. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously consider how to build upon their
students’ existing knowledge and experiences.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

123

28. When teachers design lessons, they consciously consider how to create active
learning experiences for their student to facilitate engagement.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

29. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously consider how to create
cooperative learning experiences for their students.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

30. When teachers develop lessons, they consciously design lessons that require
integration of content from more than one content area.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

31. When teaching, teachers monitor students’ understanding of the content and
make adjustments accordingly.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

32. When teaching, teachers move among the students, engaging individually and
collectively with them during the learning experience.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

33. When teaching, teachers consciously implement a teaching strategy and
instructional materials that stimulates higher-order thinking skills.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

34. When teaching, teachers create social interaction among students by requiring
students to work as a team with both individual and group responsibilities.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

35. When teaching, teachers vary the size and composition of learning groups.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

124

36. When a student is having difficulty with an activity or assignment, the teachers
are usually able to adjust it to his/her level.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

37. At my school, peer tutoring is often used to assist struggling students.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

125

APPENDIX C
STAFF SURVEY
Teacher Survey

Research Question 1: What school wide programs promote student
achievement?

1. My school has a school-wide professional development program or programs for
teachers to enable all children in the school to meet the state academic content
standards.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

2. My school has a school-wide program or programs to increase parental
involvement through means such as family literacy services.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

3. My school has a school-wide program or programs providing training to teachers
in effective instructional methods and strategies.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

4. My school has a school-wide program or programs that provide effective, timely
assistance for students who experience difficulty in attaining the proficient or
advanced level of the academic content standards.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

5. My school has a school-wide program or programs to assist teachers in the use of
academic assessments to provide information on, and to improve, the achievement
of individual students and the overall instructional program.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

126

6. My school has a school-wide program or programs that provide teachers training
in effective classroom management and discipline strategies.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

Research Question 2: What school wide practices promote student achievement?

7. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with other teachers on instructional matters
on a regular basis.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

8. Teachers have an active role in identifying and implementing professional
development goals and objectives for the school.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

9. I regularly discuss my teaching with my administrator(s).

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

10. The evaluation feedback I receive from my administrator(s) assists me to improve
my teaching effectiveness.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

11. I am aware of specific areas of interest that my administrator(s) looks at when
visiting my classroom.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

12. Assessment of student learning is accomplished to improving, rather than just
monitor, student performance.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

127

13. The assessment of student learning is based on specific, clearly identified
academic standards for student performance.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

14. Teachers seek feedback from other teachers to improve their teaching.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

15. Decisions about school improvement are always based upon our school
improvement plan.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

16. Teachers at this school have comparable expectations regarding student academic
performance.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

17. Professional development training over the past year has provided useful
information helping me increase my teaching effectiveness.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

18. Teachers at this school are encouraged to use the same or similar instructional
strategies.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

19. There is an intentional effort to improving home-school relations and parent
participation.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

20. Academic content you expect your students to learn is dictated by district’s
adopted curriculum.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

128

21. Academic content you expect your students to learn do you (or you and your
colleagues) select.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

22. Academic content you expect your students to learn is selected by your students.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

Research Question 3: What instructional strategies were implemented to target
the closing of the achievement gap?

23. When developing my lessons, I consciously select content that meets the district’s
student competencies and performance standards.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

24. When developing my lessons, I consciously select instructional materials based
upon my knowledge of my students’ developmental needs and learning styles.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

25. When developing my lessons, I consciously select teaching methods and strategies
that accommodate individual student needs and interests.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

26. When developing my lessons, I consciously prepare lessons with high expectations
designed to challenge and stimulate all students.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

27. When developing my lessons, I consciously build upon my students’ existing
knowledge and experiences.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

129

28. When developing my lessons, I consciously consider how to create active learning
experiences for my students to facilitate engagement.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

29. When developing my lessons, I consciously consider how to create cooperative
learning experiences for my students.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

30. When developing my lessons, I consciously create lessons that require integration
of content from more than one content area.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

31. When teaching, I monitor students’ understanding of the content and make
adjustments accordingly.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

32. When teaching, I move among the students, engaging individually and collectively
with them during the learning experience.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

33. When teaching, I consciously employ teaching strategies and instructional
materials that stimulate higher-order thinking skills.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

34. When teaching, I create social interaction among students by requiring students to
work as a team with both individual and group responsibilities.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

130

35. When teaching, I vary the size and composition of learning groups.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

36. When a student is having difficulty with an activity or assignment, I am usually
able to adjust it to his/her level.

Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

37. At your school, peer tutoring is often used to assist struggling students.
Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4

131

APPENDIX D
STAFF INTERVIEWS
Teacher Interview
High School & Middle School – Principal, asst. principal, and teacher leaders (6 total)
Elementary School –One representative per grade level

1. What is your position and role in the school and how many years have you
been a faculty member of the school itself and in education overall?

2. What programs do you have in your department/grade level that promotes
student achievement? (R1)

3. How does the program work?

a. Does it target a specific population? (R3)
b. Does it require any additional funding? – source?
c. How do you measure its success?
d. Has it been successful in reducing the achievement gap? (R3)

4. Do you have any specific instructional practices that your department/grade
level uses to promote student achievement? (R2)
a. What kind of professional development have you received in those
practices?
b. How do you measure the effectiveness of the instructional
practices?
c. Has it been successful in reducing the Achievement Gap? (R2)

5. Does your department/grade level have specific strategies that target the
closing of the achievement gap for all students and what are they? (R3)

6. How do you promote enrollment in your most rigorous courses?

7. How does the school’s leadership team support your efforts in these
programs and practices?
a. Who is on your leadership team and what role do they play?

8. What does collaboration look like at your school?

9. What specific aspects of your schools culture support student achievement?
(R1 & 2)

10. How much parent participation do you receive?

132

APPENDIX E
ADMINISTRATIVE INTERVIEWS
Administration Interview

Principal and Assistant Principal

1. What is your position and role in the school and how many years have you
been a faculty member of the school itself and in education overall?

2. What programs does your school have that promotes student achievement?
(R1)

3. How does the program work?
a. Does it target a specific population? (R3)
b. Does it require any additional funding? – source?
c. How do you measure its success?
d. Has it been successful in reducing the achievement gap? (R3)

4. Does your school have any specific instructional practices that promote
student achievement? (R2)
a. What kind of professional development do you offer your staff?
b. How do you measure the effectiveness of the instructional
practices? (R2)

5. Does your school have specific strategies that target the closing of the
achievement gap for all students and what are they? (R3)

6. How do you promote enrollment in your most rigorous courses?

7. How do you support your teachers’ efforts in these programs and practices?

8. What does collaboration look like at your school site?

9. How do you feel the teachers support these school wide practices and
implementation?

10. What specific aspects of your schools culture support student achievement?
(R1 & 2)

11. How much parent participation do you receive?

133

APPENDIX F
DATA COLLECTION
Document Questions the document answers Question
addressed
School background and
profile
SARC

Single School Plan
• Class Size
• Number of Suspensions/Expulsions
• California Healthy Kid Survey Results
• Population breakdown (ethnicity, SES,
EL’s)
• Supplemental Programs
• Vision and Mission Statements
• Teacher Groups (leadership, advisory,
SSC, etc.)
1, 2, 3
List of teachers and
Support Staff
• Experience
• Credentials
• Grade Levels
• Years at Current Site
1
Professional
Development Plan
• Collaboration Plan, Schedule 1, 2, 3
Instructional
Schedule
• Number of instructional Minutes 3

English Leaner’s
Master, technology
and Safe Schools
Plan

• Plan for ELL and safe campus

3
Achievement Results
CST and Local
Assessments Data
for over a 2 year
period.

Local Benchmarks

SARC

Website: CDE
• CST data
• API, AYP, disaggregated data by
demographics, subgroups, etc.

2, 3
Parent/Community Involvement

134

Appendix F Continued
SARC

School/Parent
handbook

Parent surveys from
school or district

School Website

Single School Plan
• Parent community/outreach education
• Community Partnerships
• Parent Survey results
• Volunteer Hours
• Parent Club
• Parent/Community Communications
(newsletters, websites)

1, 2, 3
Fiscal Information
Single School Plan

CPM Report
• Categorical Documents & Resources /
Compliance Findings
3
Other Information
WASC Action
Plan/Self-
Study/Visiting
Team Report
• Referral process for Special Ed.
• Distinguished School Information
• RtI Strategies
• Teacher Evaluation
• WASC

135

APPENDIX G
OBSERVATION TOOL

Trigger Words: Welcoming Environment
Engagement Rigor
Focus Standards
Programs Practices
Strategies Stakeholders
Four Frames:
Structural: Goals and information are clear, cause and effect understood
Human Resources: Employee morale, resources and creativity
Political: Power, conflict, competition, organizational polices
Symbolic: Culture, meaningful, ritual, ceremony, stories

What is Happening? What do I think is Happening?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Throughout California, schools struggle to provide students of color, poverty, second language, and special needs the educational services they need to master academic standards at the same level as their white, Asian, and affluent classmates. California has the most diverse student population group in the nation and represents both tremendous wealth and tremendous poverty. In addition, California's most rapidly growing student populations are those who have traditionally been the lowest achieving. These factors combine to create what is the most pervasive problem facing California schools and educators

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Asset Metadata

Creator Westendorf, Mary Elizabeth (author)

Core Title Factors that contribute to narrowing the achievement gap for elementary age students: a case study

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 05/11/2009

Defense Date 02/13/2009

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag achievement gap,elementary grades,factors,OAI-PMH Harvest

Place Name California (states)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Gothold, Stuart E. (committee chair), Olsen, Carlye (committee member), Stowe, Kathy Huisong (committee member)

Creator Email mawestendorf@fruitvale.k12.ca.us,mwestend@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m2232

Unique identifier UC1205914

Identifier etd-Westendorf-2813 (filename),usctheses-m40 (legacy collection record id),usctheses-c127-241180 (legacy record id),usctheses-m2232 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-Westendorf-2813.pdf

Dmrecord 241180

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Westendorf, Mary Elizabeth

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Repository Name Libraries, University of Southern California

Repository Location Los Angeles, California

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu