Group Continues Demand to Establish African-Centered Curriculum at Kingsley School

By Larry Gavin

The School Board’s March 20 decision to implement an African-centered curriculum (ACC) at only Oakton School remains a contentious issue. On April 24, 19 persons urged the Board to reconsider its decision and to implement the ACC at two schools, Oakton and Kingsley. Under either scenario, the ACC would be implemented on a pilot basis in one classroom at each of the K-2 grade levels.

In a March 7 memorandum, Superintendent Hardy Murphy said the administration recommended implementing the ACC at both Oakton and Kingsley schools, referred to as "Model A." The administration also included the option of establishing the ACC at only Oakton School, which was the option approved by the Board on March 20.

On the night before the March 20 meeting, Board President Mary Rita Luecke emailed Board members a third option: establishing the ACC at a non-elementary school site. The administration listed this as an alternative in a Feb. 6 memorandum.

The Demands for Model A
Peter Braithwaite, a District 65 parent who spoke on behalf of a group of concerned black parents at the Board’s April 24 meeting, said, "I am here to remind you there was a very deep, hard blow of disrespect thrown at the black community on March 20." He said, "We demand respect for the District 65 Superintendent. We ask Board President Mary Rita Luecke to resign. We demand the implementation of ACC Model A."

Mr. Braithwaite listed other demands which include establishing equity in busing, hiring more black teachers, retaining a consultant to review classroom materials as it relates to culture, and providing cultural sensitivity training to teachers. He added, "Finally we’re not giving up on our dream to have an all-black school that will provide a nurturing environment for our black students."

Three of the demands listed by Mr. Braithwaite, namely hiring more black teachers, retaining a consultant to review classroom materials, and providing cultural sensitivity training to teachers, were approved by the Board on March 20.

Eighteen other persons urged the Board to reconsider its March 20 decision and implement Model A. Most of these persons had advocated for the ACC program before on multiple occasions. Their tone and name-calling became more vicious on April 24.

Former District 65 School Board member John Chatz read a statement signed by seven former Board members asking Ms. Luecke to resign as Board president, saying that she has shown continued disrespect toward Superintendent Hardy Murphy and that she developed the third option for the ACC without discussing it with the superintendent or the District’s African-American Student Achievement Committee.

Evan Girard told Board members toward the end of the four-and-one-half hour meeting, "While obviously there is a group of Evanston citizens who come to the podium meeting after meeting to let you know how disappointed and angry they are at your decision, you are all sitting at this table because thousands of people voted for you." She added, "Parents of students in District 65 want you to ask tough questions, to wrestle with small details rather than letting them slide, demand well-defined plans to hold the Board and administration accountable for decisions."

Difference in the solution
On an overall basis, District 65’s black students have made little progress on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test in the last seven years. On the 1999 ISATs, 47 percent of black students met State standards compared to 57 percent in 2005.

In reading, scores have been flat. On both the 1999 and 2005 ISATs, 46 percent of black third graders met reading standards. During the same period, the percentage of black fifth graders who met reading standards increased from 40 to 44 percent.

The reading scores of black students on the 2005 ISATs varied widely, depending on the school they attended. At Lincoln, Walker and Willard Schools, between 69 and 75 percent of black third graders met standards in reading; at Timber Ridge, Oakton and Washington, between 29 and 32 percent met standards.

Proponents of the ACC say the District’s curriculum has not worked for black children. They say the ACC has promise and point to an ACC program at Woodlawn Elementary Community School in Chicago as an example.

Proponents who have visited the Woodlawn school say children are excited about coming to school, that they are well-behaved, that they have high self-esteem, and that their academic performance is increasing. On the 2005 ISATs, 76 percent of the school’s black third-graders met standards in reading; 50 percent of black fifth-graders met standards. In news accounts, school officials attributed gains on the ISATs to redoubled use of Direct Instruction, a scripted reading program used at the K-2 grade levels.

District 65 School Board members who did not support Model A have all acknowledged that the District needs to improve the achievement levels of black students and have all supported District-wide efforts to do so. They have expressed concern, however, whether the ACC is well-planned, whether it is the best way to improve achievement of black students, and whether the potential benefits of the ACC outweigh the benefits of a diverse education.

Sharon Sheehan said, "I do understand the seriousness of the low levels of achievement of many African-American children in Evanston. But I know that far deeper structural changes are critical to creating positive outcomes. Just because we favor different solutions does not mean we are far apart in our understanding of the concerns."

At the March 20 meeting, Ms. Sheehan suggested the District consider lowering class sizes at the K-3 grade levels or balancing schools by income level to improve minority achievement. She said some school districts in the Minority Student Achievement Network had made these types of changes and had successful results.

As an example, in the Madison Metropolitan School District, the percentage of black students who met reading standards increased from 31 percent to 67 percent between 1999 and 2005, after the school district reduced class sizes at the K-3 grade levels and partnered in a massive tutoring program.

Dr. William Sampson, an associate professor at DePaul University and a former District 65 School Board member, states in a guest essay on page 7 of this paper that there is almost no research suggesting an ACC program can make any significant difference. He adds that the literature suggests that reducing class size and providing quality pre-school education are some of the few school-based programs that make a difference and also states that parental involvement is critical.

Reconsideration of Model A?
Board member Jerome Summers moved that the Board reconsider its March 20 decision and implement Model A, so the program would be available at Kingsley School and accessible to students in the Fifth Ward. He said the program should be available to students in the Fifth Ward because "all of the north side schools are desegregated on the backs of the kids in the Fifth Ward. Those are the kids that pay the toll. They should have this program."

Ms. Luecke ruled that Mr. Summers could not make a motion to reconsider the March 20 decision because he voted for Model A and under Roberts Rules of Order only a person who voted against the proposal is allowed to move to reopen the decision.

No Board member who voted against Model A moved to reconsider the vote.

Board member Mary Erickson said she planned to visit the Woodlawn school to gain a better understanding of the ACC. She added, "I think we need to continue on with the conversation, and I’m open to that because I think we need to have some healing here; we can’t go on like this…As of right now I’m not going to change my mind. But I’m certainly going to look much more carefully at what these programs are and what we feel can be done about them."

Ms. Sheehan said, "I am willing to listen. I hope we are able to communicate and I am open to explore differences on the philosophies, opinions and positions. I am not, however, willing to give up my expectations of well planned educational programs and a clear educational vision for our students."

Ms. Luecke said she had a profound sense of sadness coming away from the March 20 Board meeting. She explained she worked on a third option for the ACC to generate support for the program amongst Board members whom she believed did not support it.

Responding to persons who called for her resignation, Ms. Luecke said her term expired on May 1, and she had previously decided she would not run for another term as president.

Choice Schools?
In discussing the expansion of the Two Way Immersion program several months ago, Ms. Luecke suggested that the Board should consider whether to establish one or more magnet schools to house the TWI program.

At the April 24 Board meeting, Board member Jonathan Baum raised the stakes. "There really is no consensus or even a majority view in our community on what we want our schools to look like," he said. "Some people want neighborhood schools, some want language academies, some want African-centered schools, some want schools that are diverse or integrated, and so on. Realizing this has caused me to wonder if we shouldn’t make trying to accommodate these various preferences the focus of the District-wide long range planning process that I hope we will begin…"

Mr. Baum floated the idea of converting some attendance area schools into choice schools, such as a language academy, an African centered school, an art school, and so one. Recognizing the significance of such a change, Mr. Baum suggested it be done only if approved in a referendum.

Holocaust Remembrance at ETHS and District 65

ETHS will honor the memory of Holocaust victims with a weeklong series of programs May 9-12. Various academic departments will offer lessons on how the Holocaust evolved including Hitler’s rise to power (history), and a virtual Holocaust art museum and Nazi-endorsed music (fine arts), as well as information about contemporary holocausts such as in Darfur. Survivors of the World War II Holocaust will speak to students on one of the days.The remembrance activities will culminate in programs that foster acceptance and ask students to act on their convictions, including serving in the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. At King Lab School last week, Sarah Figman spoke of her experiences in Nazi-occupied Europe. Her daughter, Mary Pomerantz an artist and a teacher a King Lab, created an exhibit at King Lab based on Ms. Figman’s experiences, titled "There Were Many Anne Franks." Photo by Claire Bryant

Scholarships Available Through CEDA/Neighbors at Work

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs is offering scholarships of up to $1,000 for college or vocational training within Illinois. Each applicant must be a high school senior or graduate or hold a high school equivalency; be enrolled in or planning to attend an accredited college or seek occupational training; demonstrate financial need and meet income guidelines; and be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Cook County. Applications are available at CEDA/Neighbors at Work, 1229 Emerson St.; contact Viru Joshi, 847-328-5166.

Evaluations Mixed for District 202 Reading and Math Support Programs

By Jennie Berkson

Two programs designed to help underachieving students at Evanston Township High School improve their abilities in reading and mathematics have had mixed results, according to reports presented at recent School Board meetings.

The School Board goal, "Improve student achievement, particularly for students who are not yet meeting standards," was the impetus for revising the 1 Algebra curriculum and developing the freshman reading/enriched course. Extra class periods were added for some students and specially designed computer software packages – Agile Mind for 1 Algebra and Read 180 for reading – were incorporated into the curriculum.

Students taking 1 Algebra have either eight periods a week in first semester and seven periods a week in second semester or 10 periods a week for the entire year. Students who score below the 50th percentile on the EXPLORE test given to eighth graders take the 10-period Algebra 1 class. Students who score above the 50th percentile and who have not yet taken 1 Algebra take the class with the 8/7 periods.

Freshmen make up 90% of the 343 1 Algebra students; 60% are black and 15% are Hispanic. There is an equal number of males and females.

Assessment of 1 Algebra
Administrators compared final exam and first semester grades of students in this year's classes with those of last year's classes, in order to assess effectiveness of the new curriculum and schedule in 1 Algebra.

Students in the classes with 8/7 periods per week had better first semester and final exam grades than students who took the class in the 2004-2005 school year, which might be expected since last year's students had only five periods a week for 1 Algebra. Students in the classes with 10 periods showed only slight improvement over the previous year's students who also had a 10-period class schedule. Teachers reported that 10-period classes had more behavioral problems, which may have contributed to the lack of progress in those classes. They felt that the increased class sizes resulting from budget cuts made classroom management more difficult, especially in the 10-period classes.

Evaluation of literacy program
The Literacy Program for ninth and tenth grades at ETHS was implemented in the 2003-2004 school year. Students who score below the 42nd percentile on both the eighth-grade EXPLORE test and the Degrees of Reading Power test also receive some support in reading at the high school. The most intensive support is given to students who fall below the 29th percentile on both tests: They take a double-period reading class that includes the use of the computer software and an Enriched Humanities course that meets for 10 periods a week.

There are 51 students in the Humanities Enriched/Read 180 classes, 69% of whom are black and 23% of whom are Hispanic. To provide an initial evaluation of the inclusion of the Read 180 program, administrators compared first semester grades for the last three years. Many of the students were still lagging.

Dr. Laura Cooper, assistant superintendent for curriculum and Instruction said, "There are many variables that can impact student achievement." Jennifer Fisher, history department chair, said, "We don't know why F's and NC's [no credit] are increasing."

Among the suggestions for poor performance were absenteeism and a lack of understanding of what it takes to succeed in school.

"Many of these students do not have good study habits. They don't know the basics, that one should move from class to class, do homework, come to class every day, how to use study hall," said Judith Ruhana, English department chair.

Discipline in the classroom is not a problem, said Dr. Cooper. The Read 180 classes tend to be smaller than average, however, and there is a full-time aide assigned to the classes.

Board members were frustrated that discipline and absenteeism seem to be consistent problems affecting achievement. "It's cropped up in every report," said Mary Wilkerson, Board president. "We're spending money on support programs and still seeing this as a problem."

Summer school recommendations
The administration also presented recommendations for summer school which would address some of the students' limitations.

Board member Margaret Lurie asked if summer school could be made mandatory. Superintendent Allan Alson said that would be possible but questioned whether there could be meaningful consequences if students did not attend.

Board member Jane Colleton suggested that perhaps District 65 might withhold diplomas from students identified for the summer school program who did not register. Dr. Alson replied that maybe that could be arranged.

"It's time for tough love," said Board Vice-President Ross Friedman.