WELCOME! to Little Lights Urban Ministries

WELCOME!to Little Lights Urban Ministries 1

Academicsat Little Lights Urban MinistriesBeth DewhurstAcademic/Programs Directorbeth@littlelights.org

Agenda • Overview – LLUM mission & academics • Achievement Gap & LLUM interventions • Student Data 2010 Highlights • Introduction to Behavior Management • Q&A 3

Our Mission Statement & Academics – who, what and how? Little Lights Urban Ministries empowers underserved youth and families in Washington, DC with the love of Christ. We seek to develop their God-given potential spiritually, socially, and intellectually through academics, life skills, the arts, and discipleship.

Our Mission Statement – who? underserved youth and families in Washington, DC

Our Mission Statement – what? Little Lights Urban Ministries empowers underserved youth and families in Washington, DC with the love of Christ. We seek to develop their God-given potential spiritually, socially, and intellectually through academics, life skills, the arts, and discipleship.

Our Mission Statement – what and how? … empowers … with the love of Christ. … develops… God-given potential spiritually, socially, and intellectually through academics, life skills, the arts, and discipleship.

What’s the achievement gap? • Educational inequity along socioecomonic and racial lines • 43% of students in DC public schools graduate from high school within a 5 year period, as compared to 68% nationally; • DC are lower than the rates for the city as a whole. In Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC 33% of students finish high school and 5% earn a postsecondary degree

In an interview in August of 2009, President Obama said: "If we close the achievement gap, then a big chunk of economic inequality in this society is diminished."

Stakeholders • White House/Congressional Legislation • US Department of Education • OSSE: http://osse.dc.gov/seo/site/default.asp • DC Mayor/DCPS: http://dcps.dc.gov/portal/site/DCPS/ • DC State Board of Education • Traditional Public Schools and Charter Schools • Families • Students

NCLB – impact and current status Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) The Obama administration released its blueprint for revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which would ask states to adopt college- and career-ready standards and reward schools for producing dramatic gains in student achievement. Race for the Top ($4+ billion) DCPS awarded $75 million http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Press+Releases+and+Announcements/General+Announcements/DC+Awarded+$75+million+in+Federal+Race+to+the+Top+Funding 13

And the results are….(drum roll) • Preliminary Reading and Math Proficiency RatesOn the 2010 DC CAS, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS): • 44.4% of elementary students in reading, down 4.4% from 2009 • 43.4% of elementary students in math, down 4.6% from 2009 • 43.3% of secondary students in reading, up 3.2% from 2009 • 43.7% of secondary students in math, up 4.1% from 2009 • In 2010, DC elementary schools dropped; secondary schools indicated some improvement. • City-wide results http://www.dc.gov/DCPS/About+DCPS/Press+Releases+and+Announcements/Press+Releases/DCPS+Secondary+School+Students+Demonstrate+Significant+Gains+for+Third+Consecutive+Year • Tyler ES http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcschools/2010/08/why_did_tylers_scores_tank.html

2009 DC CAS • Student Scores • School AYP / Restructuring • http://osse.dc.gov/seo/frames.asp?doc=/seo/lib/seo/2009_DC_CAS_Results_Presentation_to_State_Board.pdf

2009 NAEP http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/

How does LLUM empower? • We know that the Achievement Gap exists for our students. • At the beginning of each year, we run diagnostic assessments in reading and math to find our students’ skill levels and create individualized learning plans for our students. • We measure over the course of the year and at the end to determine growth along the way (and celebrate it) as well as overall growth by May.

LLUM 2010 Elementary Student Data-Reading Sight word recognition • Started year with 8 students who were 3 grade levels behind; ended with ZERO. • By year end, over 60% of our students on grade level Phonics (letter and sound recognition) • Started year with NO proficient students but ended year with 42% of students scoring proficient. Comprehension • 71% of students improved by year end.

LLUM 2010 Elementary Student Data-Math Average skill gain: 3.7 new math skills • 82 % students gained 2-5 new skills

LLUM 2010 Middle School Student Data Reading Comprehension Skills • 89% improved, with 53% increasing by a grade level or more. Math Skills • Average of students gaining 2.2 math skills. • 55% gained 2-6 new skills by year end.

How does LLUM empower? RELATIONSHIPS 22

Introduction to Behavior Management • Volunteers will develop an understanding of LLUM’s expectations for student behavior • Using a basic knowledge of human development, volunteers will be introduced to LLUM behavior management strategies

What perceptions and beliefs are you bringing to this experience? Turn and list 2-3 with a volunteer near you. List 1 idea on each post-it note—these will be collected and read (no names required).

What perceptions and beliefs are you bringing to this experience? Turn and list 2-3 with a volunteer near you. • Kids that live in the inner city just have too many problems to behave well. • It’s mean of me to make them behave when they have such tough lives. • There’s no way they’ll respond to me when they see so many negative examples. • It’s not cool to be an authority • The kids won’t like me if I make them follow the rules • I am afraid that the kids won’t follow the rules, and so I won’t even try. 26

Guiding Principles • Behavior management is more than just rules and consequences--it’s about the environment that we create for the students. • We believe that adultsset and maintain the tone and expectations for students. • We believe that all children can meet LLUM behavior expectations, and that it is our responsibility to provide an environment in which that is possible.

Myth 1: Student’s emotional problems make good behavior impossible Reality: All students can behave, they may just need someone to teach them how. • You may encounter students who have angry outbursts, throw tantrums or start to cry. These students may have stories that are very difficult, but they can still learn to behave if taught in a firm loving manner. From Assertive Discipline, Canter, Lee and Marlene; Classroom, Management and Culture, Teach for America Curriculum

From Assertive Discipline, Canter, Lee and Marlene; Classroom, Management and Culture, Teach for America Curriculum Myth 2: Inadequate parenting undermines youth workers ability to maintain a controlled environment Reality: We can create an environment that leaves behind the stresses that exist outside its walls. • Despite challenges in their lives, students can rise to your expectations. They can differentiate between the disparate worlds they navigate, and what behavior is appropriate in each. 29

Myth 3: Students who live in a poverty stricken environment are unable to behave appropriately Reality: Students in any environment generally rise to the expectations set for them • It may be tempting to lower expectations for students in poverty, but our students can build their behavioral and academic skills – especially in the context of caring relationships over time. High Expectations Matter! From Assertive Discipline, Canter, Lee and Marlene; Classroom, Management and Culture, Teach for America Curriculum

Recognizing Your Authority: • Effective volunteers recognize their authority and assert it evenly, calmly and authoritatively. • Remember: You are in charge – your students need clear instruction and direction, and they need you to be consistent in applying the rules. • When you accept responsibility, the situation immediately becomes one which you can influence and affect. • Effective discipline is not achieved through yelling, intimidation or humiliation, but through consistency, firmness and love.

Recognizing Your Students’ Needs Our students need different support according to their development “Elementary Programs: Common Characteristics” (handout) “Characteristics of preadolescents and teens” (handout) LLUM program-specific rules and routines are based on our students’ developmental needs. 32

Be an Argument Neutralizer • In other words – de-escalate the situation. • Spend 5 min. or so connecting, but then get to work. • Repeat the rule or expectation • Redirect attention to the activity at hand – “Oh. What’s the next step in our activity.” • Keep your word—if you say you will check on student in 3 min. – be sure to do it. Attention spans matter! • Don’t argue back – give the child a choice “Do you want to do this or that first?” • Think: what does the child REALLY need right now? (see “Mistaken Goal Chart”)

Discipline – Common Missteps • You offer the rules as a question – be careful that your voice doesn’t rise at the end of your command, or that you don’t say “okay.” • You step out of your “adult self” and lose control. • You don’t intervene early enough – (catch the little things before they become big things)

Quick Easy Prevention – Catching the little things • If you see that two students are picking with one another separate them • Employ non-verbal communication –proximity, neutral eye contact (not a glare), a head shake, hand signals • Recognize the signals that your kids are sending you, and help them recognize them (clenched fists and jaw, tensed muscles). Then give them tools to de-escalate (count to ten, come tell me, ask for a cool down pass). • Check your facial tension, body language, and verbal tone.

Volunteer’s Responsibilities - Managing Behavior • (WARNING #1)It’s time to start your math activity now. If student is not fully compliant with respectful attitude, say: • (WARNING #2) Start your math activity, otherwise I will . • …write a note to myself to have your parent contacted which we can throw away if you get started now, or • …ask Ms. / Mr. _____________ to speak with you, or (CONSEQUENCE) If student is not fully compliant with respectful attitude, relay the student’s noncompliance to a staff member,who will handle it from there. For Elementary Programs, this will result in a time-out with staff; for Middle School Programs, this will result in a suspension. 36

THE BACKUP SYSTEM …“Keep it cheap!” PRAYER SINCERE PRAISE 37

Empathy Part of our job as adults is to give our kids the knowledge of how to respond appropriately to situations, as we show them empathy they know that they are cared for and also know how to respond better to others. • Empathy is also a great neutralizer • You sound really upset, what does that feel like? • What made you angry? • You sound really happy, what made you happy? • Recognize the signals that your kids are sending you, and help them recognize them (clenched fists and jaw, tensed muscles) Then give them tools to de-escalate (count to ten, come tell me, ask for a cool down moment/space.)

Review • Overview – LLUM mission & academics • Achievement Gap & LLUM interventions • Student Data 2010 Highlights • Introduction to Behavior Management • Q&A 39

Parting Thoughts: Encourage, encourage, encourage – according to The Early Catastrophe, a study about vocabulary development, children in poverty hear 11 prohibitions to 5 encouragements – our kids are used to the prohibitions. Empower our studentsto make good choices.

Parting Thoughts: • Questions? • Comments? • Concerns? 41

WELCOME! to Little Lights Urban Ministries