first generation immigrant families of the surrounding neighborhood who walk their children to school, are welcomed to create community events on the campus and to shape school policies, and who know that their school has received recognition in local and national media for its rapid improve- ment of student achievement data. While once this school was maligned for
its poor performance, Amber is now consid- ered a jewel of the community. The school’s 810 API was the second highest among its 100 most demographically similar Califor- nia schools. Amber School’s improvement has been dramatic. The school improved 208 points from 2006 to 2010, and the school’s similar schools ranking improved from the first decile to the 10th. The school’s demographics are distinct
from the district’s other schools. Amber is the Mason District’s only designated Title I school. While 78 percent of its students par- ticipate in the federal free and reduced lunch program, only 28 percent of district students participate in the program. Similarly, while 66 percent of Amber students are English language learners, only 19 percent of district students are classified as English learners. Seventy-six percent of Amber students are Hispanic, while in the district only 32 per- cent of students are Hispanic. Only 13 per- cent of district parents reported that they did not graduate from high school, compared to 52 percent of Amber School parents.
Ryan School Ryan School serves about 400 kinder-
garten through fifth-grade students in the San Marcos Unified School District, a K-12 district of more than 10,000 students. The former and new principals and teachers take pride in the school’s reputation for out- standing academic achievement. They note that though Ryan is one of the three highest poverty schools in the district, its 894 API in 2010 was the district’s third highest API and was the highest API among its 100 most de- mographically similar schools. The neatly arranged rows of classrooms,
the expansive blacktop and fields, and the school’s multi-purpose room and office are clean, well maintained and inviting. The surrounding neighborhood feels much the
same: quiet, carefully planned, and spa- cious for a school and neighborhood with “urban” demographic characteristics. Four- plexes and single family homes surround the school. A visitor to the school might assess Ryan
as typical of public elementary schools in San Vicente County. Like many of the county’s schools, the largest ethnic group is Hispanic/ Latino, with 51 percent of the student popu- lation. The rest of the school’s population
progress, since she suspects her care for her students might blind her to the truth of their achievement.
A rigorous testing timeline Standards, assessment and data are the
most prominent concepts at Amber, but these elements of accountability are aligned with coaching, collaboration and profes- sional judgment. The school’s rhythm – from professional development to grade-
resembles the diversity of the county: 13 per- cent of the students are Asian, 11 percent are Filipino, 9 percent are white, and 6 percent are African American. The school serves a decidedly underprivileged community. At Ryan School 76 percent of students qualify for the federal free and reduced lunch pro- gram and 52 percent of the students are not yet fully English proficient.
How data supports teacher effectiveness Principals at both schools have created
data and accountability systems that their teachers describe as significant supports to their effectiveness. Melissa, a fourth-year teacher at Amber, said that praise for her effectiveness as a teacher, as measured by achievement data, buoys her sprits, espe- cially when she considers the challenging nature of her assignment. She is also praised for her skill using data to differentiate in- struction based on student needs. Gloria, a 14-year veteran teacher at Ryan
School, noted that assessment data gives her an unbiased gauge of her students’ academic
level Professional Learning Community meetings, to day-in-day-out observable, in- the-classroom activities – reflect the pre- eminence of these concepts. Teachers at Amber School feel the ur-
gency of the standards and accountability mandates, but now that they have seen the dramatic rise in their test scores, they em- brace accountability because it measures and documents their effectiveness. Tanya, the new principal at Amber, has
worked at the school for more than 15 years. When reflecting on the shift in culture that occurred just four years ago, she recalled her first year as a teacher on special assignment, and she described her new principal and as- sistant principal as supporting instructional improvement through coaching focused on measureable results. She said, “The three of us made decisions, trained people, coached people and pulled data.” Amber School’s Susan, the senior-most
teacher on the staff, explained that though the prevalence of data contributes to mak- ing teachers feel successful, “the data is re-
January/February 2012 33
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