Download
the alliance’s overview handout [136 KB
]
Partnership Objective
Many Black students excel academically and draw on resources such as supportive
peers and teachers, as well as strong family ties. However, along their path to
educational success, Black students face many hurdles that can prevent them from
reaching their full potential. Research shows that Black students are less likely
than their peers to have access to high-level mathematics and science courses,
more likely to face harsher school discipline, and more likely to attend schools
with higher concentrations of inexperienced teachers. These inequities in learning
opportunities and environments have been described as opportunity gaps, educational
debt, and achievement gaps.
The REL Midwest Achievement Gap Research Alliance (MAGRA) leverages data from state
education agencies and other key stakeholders to increase the region’s capacity
to access, conduct, interpret, and make sense of achievement gap research and to
support the use of this research in state and local decisionmaking to significantly
and meaningfully improve opportunities for Black students. MAGRA’s primary
focus is addressing educational outcomes for Black students in Wisconsin. In addition,
a community of practice connects key stakeholders across the region and is an active
partner in the research process.
Wisconsin’s overall high school graduation rate ranks among the top in the
nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics 2015 Condition
of Education report. However, the gap in scores between White and Black students
on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress was the widest in the country.
To address this disparity, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is prioritizing
improving educational outcomes among Black students.
Training, Coaching, and Technical Support Projects
Oak Park and River Forest High School Coaching on Systems Change and Curriculum Evaluation
In Illinois, REL Midwest is working with staff from Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 as they implement a curriculum change and remove an academic tracking program. REL Midwest is providing coaching on the development of a logic model to guide implementation of the new curriculum and increase capacity of district leaders to ensure alignment among school, district, and community visions.
Racine Unified School District Coaching on Equity Foundational Factors
In partnership with the Wisconsin Urban Leadership Institute and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, REL Midwest is providing in-depth coaching and consultation to staff from the Racine Unified School District on the foundational factors necessary for establishing educational equity identified in the first-year evaluation of the Wisconsin Urban Leadership Institute. This project aims to work with district leaders to identify problems of practice and understand the root causes related to the recruitment and retention of a diverse teaching workforce; develop logic models that use research to guide the design, selection, and implementation of evidence-based approaches; and move through a continuous improvement cycle to implement and evaluate the fidelity, effectiveness, and sustainability of implemented practices over time.
Madison Metropolitan School District Training With High Hopes and Higher Education: Honoring Black Students’ Aspirations Documentary
REL Midwest is conducting a training with staff at Madison Metropolitan School District to highlight and share research-based strategies for encouraging postsecondary education opportunities to educators working with Black students. This training session features the REL Midwest documentary High Hopes and Higher Education: Honoring Black Students’ Aspirations and interactive activities to allow participants to work individually and collaboratively. In the training, participants reflect, discuss, and develop action plans on their schools’ capacity and readiness to implement the strategies highlighted in the documentary.
Culturally Responsive Instruction Professional Development Coaching With Evanston/Skokie School District 65
REL Midwest is providing in-depth coaching and consultation to district leaders in Evanston and Skokie, Illinois. Evanston/Skokie School District 65 is providing educators with professional development related to culturally responsive instruction as a way to improve outcomes for students of color and students with disabilities. REL Midwest is working with district leaders to develop a logic model for the professional development approach to identify evidence-based practices, ensure fidelity of implementation, and determine measurement points for evaluation.
Reducing Disparities in Student Discipline Coaching With the Minnesota Department of Human Rights
The Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) identified 43 districts and charter schools that suspend or expel students of color or students in special education programs at a higher rate than their peers. Most of these districts and charter schools entered formal agreements with MDHR and developed plans to meet the agreements’ requirements. Although similarities exist across the plans, the differences challenge MDHR’s ability to identify best practices and draw inferences on the effectiveness of the plans. In this project, REL Midwest is providing in-depth coaching and consultation to help MDHR provide formative feedback to participating districts and charter schools and identify the elements of the plans that are most associated with reducing disparities and improving outcomes.
School Board Administrator Equity Training
REL Midwest worked with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and partner
organizations to train school board members on understanding and applying research
to increase educational outcomes among Black students. MAGRA members requested this
training project to support stakeholders in making evidence-informed decisions
and highlight the interventions identified in REL Midwest’s systematic literature review. The training materials were designed to increase
school board members’ knowledge and skills about how to use available research
to improve educational outcomes among Black students. A recording and slide deck from the training are available online.
Madison Metropolitan School District Environmental Scan of Literacy Interventions
REL Midwest partnered with the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD),
a member of MAGRA, on in-depth coaching and consultation to conduct an environmental
scan of programs and interventions used by MMSD’s 48 schools to support K–12
literacy development. District leaders requested coaching to better understand what
literacy interventions are being used, how they are being targeted toward students,
and how they are being implemented and supported. MMSD plans to use the results
of this scan as an important first step in developing stronger policies and program
guidance to support students’ literacy skills overall and address racial literacy
gaps in particular. The slides from each session are available online.
Environmental Scan on Closing the Black-White Achievement Gap
REL Midwest provided in-depth coaching and consultation to support the Wisconsin
Department of Public Instruction’s continued efforts to close the achievement
gap between the state’s Black and White students. REL Midwest’s environmental
scan included state and district profiles outlining existing policies, programs,
and practices aimed at closing the achievement gap. REL Midwest also created an
infographic
that details the process for completing an environmental scan.
