My of my best friends works at Roxbury Prep school in Roxbury, MA. Roxbury is right outside of Boston. She graduated with me here at ASU and then received her Masters in Educational Leadership from Harvard. We talk and share a lot with one another about what is happening in our schools. Yesterday, she sent me the following press release. I thought I would share it with you.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact:

September 24, 2003 Joshua J. Phillips, Co-Director
P: (617) 566-2361, Ext. 101
F: (617) 566-2373
jphillips@roxburyprep.org

PRESS RELEASE
MCAS Achievement in Roxbury
September 24, 2003. Roxbury, MA. A decade since passage of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 there remains a substantial achievement gap between urban students of color and their White suburban counterparts. Nevertheless, while closing the achievement gap may seem impossible to some, it has become a reality for one school. Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, a 6-8 public school in Boston, has bridged the deep MCAS divide with its 180 Black and Latino students and 65% free or reduced price lunch population.
•On the 8 th grade math test, Roxbury Prep had the highest percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient (58%) of any predominantly Black school in the state and the 2 nd highest percentage of any non-exam public school in Boston. More Roxbury Prep students scored advanced or proficient than students in Tewksbury (47%), Lincoln (54%), and Chelmsford (56%).
•On the 8 th grade science test, Roxbury Prep had the highest percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient (58%) of any predominantly Black school in the state and the highest percentage of any public school in Boston including Boston Latin School (53%). More Roxbury Prep students scored advanced or proficient than students in Brookline (49%), Harvard (49%), and Marblehead (49%).
•On the 7 th grade English test, Roxbury Prep had the 2 nd highest percentage of students
scoring advanced or proficient (82%) of any predominantly Black school in the state and the 3 rd highest percentage of any non-exam public school in Boston. More Roxbury Prep students scored advanced or proficient than students in Medford (69%), Wakefield (73%), and Beverly (76%).
•On the 6 th grade math test, Roxbury Prep had the highest percentage of students scoring advanced or proficient (76%) of any predominantly Black school in the state and the highest percentage of any public school in Boston. More Roxbury Prep students scored advanced or proficient than students in Concord (64%), Weston (66%), and Newton (72%). “At Roxbury Prep, we do not shy away from the MCAS because we believe in accountability. The MCAS provides a standard by which families, communities, and lawmakers can evaluate the quality and effectiveness of education across the state. Roxbury Prep’s 2003 MCAS results are proof that, with access to a high quality education, urban students of color can excel academically,â€

Daphne, I agree that great strides are being made in some schools. It sounds like your friend's school is doing great things, and I would like to know more about their results. I am doing some number crunching at my school trying to identify any gains in closing the gap. If you could I would like to learn more about the discrepancy, if any, between the achievement of white students versus the achievement of the minority students. Is there any disaggregated data that could be shared? The press release just had numbers for the whole school. I would like to see what differences there are between the minority and the white populations in that one school.

I had the same question. I have emailed Lauren to ask for specific data/ information.

Another interesting way to look at data is to compare similar students in different teachers classrooms over a period of time. Some kids may be growing more in a particular teachers classroom, or the gap may be closing at a greater rate. Great staff development could happen with the teacher who is closing the gap helping others see how it can be done.

Thanks so much for starting this thread, Daphne. The work your friend Lauren is doing is exactly the sort we want to replicate. Hurrah! Cindy's comments regarding disaggregating the data to the level of the individual teacher, not to reward or punish, but for the purposes of building on that teacher's skills for the benefit of other members of the staff is such an astute observation.

Are we talking about the Roxbury section of Boston, ie where all the cross-town bussing to "Southie" happened in the late 70's early 80's?

Dr. Turner-
In reply to your question, I believe so!

Cindy's comment about comparing data of similar students with different teachers is very beneficial. At the middle school where I currently work this is one way data is compared. Teachers then share their strategies of success with other teachers to strengthen the whole group. This has proven to be great staff development, but its important to note that the faculty has to be one able to admit weaknesses and accept suggestions to improve, otherwise the staff development will not create success.