CLASH OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY Advocates Call It Key to Understanding American History, While Opponents Say It Targets White Students 10

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Computer science Bring students back Embracing NGSS States move to make Extensive searches, The Next Generation it a core academic caring responses Science Standards subject 15 highlight efforts 19 sets students free 24

July/August 2021

THE CLASH OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY Advocates call it key to understanding American history, while opponents say it targets white students 10

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Adaptive reading program produces 2.5 years of growth in a single school year. Page 14

FirstTake Ending a school year like no other Reasons to visit I recently had the pleasure of attending my DistrictAdministration.com eldest daughter’s high school graduation, a ceremonious end to a decidedly unceremonious year. School mask For the rst time in many months, she got tracker: Who is, isn’t to spend time with her peers in person, not loosening the rules from behind a laptop screen. Even with masks on and social distancing in place, the joy in Facing pushback from parents, their eyes at being together again was telling. a small but growing number A year of remote learning cost our children of districts are loosening or so much, yet the hard work, creativity, and dropping mask requirements. resourcefulness of educators and administra- bit.ly/mask-track CREDIT: FRESNO USD tors made all the dierence. Your eorts turned what could have been a truly wasted year into one of invention and ingenuity. Is the CDC ready to As you hopefully take time this summer to spend quality time with your family and refresh change its school yourself, body and soul, be sure to give yourself mask guidance? credit for the incredible work done this past Children younger than 12 school year. could get a COVID vaccine by As you prepare for fall, DA will continue to anksgiving. look ahead to the challenges and opportunities that await. Many of the topics covered in this bit.ly/CDC-change issue of the magazine will likely still be of concern, while new challenges are sure to emerge. We’re here for you. Kudos for a job well 2 new superintendents done, and best wishes for a more “normal” school year ahead! detail how they got the Sincerely, top job Eric Weiss, Executive Editor National Superintendent Academy participants learn practical skills for getting and succeeding in leadership positions. bit.ly/new-supes

COVID-19 vaccination and parental consent: State-by-state look 30 questions to ask when at rules selecting a uniﬁed district Most states require parental communication platform consent at this point, though the If your district is grappling with many landscape may be shifting as more communications tools patchworked together, jurisdictions seek to encourage the it’s time to consider a uni ed platform. vaccination of young people. bit.ly/comms-platform bit.ly/vaccine-consent

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DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2021 | 1 Contents JULY/AUGUST 2021

July/August 2021, VOL. 57, NO. 5

Publisher Kenneth Kahn

EDITORIAL Executive Editor Eric Weiss Managing Editor Lori Capullo Senior Writer Matt Zalaznick Technology Editor at Large Lenny Schad Associate Editor Chris Burt

ART 19 Production Director Joe Ciocca FEATURES Art Director Rebecca Eller 10 The clash over critical race theory ADVERTISING, EVENTS Advocates call CRT key to understanding American history, AND CUSTOM MEDIA while opponents say it targets white students Vice President, Event and Media Sales, Education Group Matt Zalaznick Jim Callan, [email protected] (561) 622-6520 ext. 8696 15 Computer science surge Sales Manager, Rachel Davis How states are bringing computer science into [email protected] (678) 521-7584 the core of academic subjects and expanding Sales Manager, Paul Milnamow opportunities [email protected] Matt Zalaznick (847) 648-0416 Content Marketing Editor 19 Bringing students back Kurt Eisele-Dyrli Extensive searches and non-punitive CIRCULATION responses highlight the e orts districts have AND OPERATIONS undertaken to rebuild enrollment Director of Audience Development Dana Kubicko Matt Zalaznick 15

LRP MEDIA GROUP President Kenneth Kahn DEPARTMENTS BEYOND Chief Financial Ofﬁcer Todd Lutz THE NEWS Vice President, Marketing and 22 Professional Opinion Communications Missy Ciocca Did emergent bilingual students lose a 4 Title IX bars LGBTQ+ year of language while at home? discrimination amid REPRINTS/PERMISSIONS fairness concerns Maya Goodall, M.A., M.Ed. For more information, 6 Five ways to prevent call (561) 622-6520, ext. 8456 24 Last Word COVID-era stress from How the Next Generation Science driving teachers away SUBSCRIPTIONS Standards can set your students (and Send email address changes to: Dana Kubicko teachers) free [email protected] Ian Kastelic HOW TO REACH US 360 Hiatt Drive District Administration (ISSN 1537-5749) Vol. 57, No. 5 is published 9 times per year. A publication Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 of LRP Conferences LLC, 360 Hiatt Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. Phone: 561-622-6520. Phone: (561) 622-6520 Periodicals postage paid at Trumbull, CT, and additional mailing ofﬁces. Postmaster: send address Website: DistrictAdministration.com changes to Dana Kubicko, District Administration, [email protected]. District Administration is a registered trademark of LRP Conferences LLC. Copyright 2021. Printed in the USA.

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Learn more at CloroxPro.com BeyondtheNews TITLE IX Title IX bars LGBTQ+ discrimination amid fairness concerns Title IX’s protections against discrimi- not meeting Title IX obligations, said nation extend to LGBTQ+ students’ Kim Turner, senior sta attorney for sexual orientation and gender identity, Fair Play for Girls in Sports, a nonpro t the U.S. Department of Education said gender equity and LGBTQ rights orga- in a clari cation of the landmark law. nization. “Still today, millions of girls is syncs Title IX with a 2020 are not being a orded opportunities in Supreme Court employment ruling school sports and those that do play are that found discriminating against a on a blatantly uneven playing eld,” she person based on sexual orientation or said. gender identity equates to discriminat- During the hearing, others ques- ing against that person based on sex, tioned the fairness of allowing trans- the department’s O ce for Civil Rights gender athletes to participate in girls’ bad policies that substitute gender iden- announced in June. sports. tity for biological sex,” she said. Despite Title IX broader protections, Selina, a high school track and eld But Rebekah, a rising transgender girls still don’t have the same opportu- athlete from Connecticut, recounted 9th-grader from New Jersey, said being nities to thrive in K-12 sports that boys her experiences racing against athletes welcomed on her eld hockey team experience, one attorney said during a who were assigned male at birth who has allowed her to feel a rmed and, week-long, virtual Title IX hearing held were “bigger, faster and stronger.” “Title in turn, thrive in school. “I know that in June by the department’s O ce for IX was designed to ensure that female makes me very lucky, but it also means Civil Rights. athletes have the opportunity to com- it can be done,” she said, “because my Girls, particularly those from lower- pete and win but less than 50 years after school never questioned my identity, income families, have far fewer oppor- passing this landmark law we girls are and never do my peers.” tunities to play sports in schools that are losing to male athletes because of the —Matt Zalaznick

4 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com SPONSORED CONTENT Improving school safety, security and efficiency With ASSA ABLOY, the Kent School significantly upgrades its access control system

ike most schools, the Kent School had for years kept buildings and rooms secure withL mechanical locks. But after the tragedy in nearby Newtown, the leadership of the Connecticut private boarding institution wanted to improve Kent’s safety and security. This first led to adopting an electronic card-based door lock technology that, while an improvement, didn’t connect to the campus network. “We saw that having everything tied to a network would be a huge advantage, because an online “An online access control system provides unrivaled efﬁciency platform improves your ability to campus wide, and comprehensive control over who can access remotely monitor and manage the activity assigned to a certain room,” which facilities and when.” says Associate Head of School Jeffrey D. Cataldo, who serves as Improved efficiency and visibility enter dormitories during normal CFO and COO of Kent. “We also Students can now easily enter and working hours, since these buildings wanted to work with a leader in the lock their dorm rooms with their are considered students’ homes. field of access control, who could assigned card and, should these The same applies to academic advise us on how to use, maintain cards get lost, campus employees are buildings if they do not have an office and extract as much value from able to quickly disable the lost card there. Staff and student card holders their system as possible.” Kent and issue a new card to the student are protected from unwarranted found such a partner in ASSA ABLOY so they can access their room. suspicion through intelligent and decided to install their IN120 Staff can also remotely monitor scheduling and timestamped lock Wi-Fi locks across campus. and manage the locks via real-time activity reporting. alarms and see when external doors In case of an emergency, campus Smooth implementation process are locked and who has been denied security operates 24/7 and can unlock Kent began implementation during entry to certain areas. “For example, doors remotely should staff need the summer and needed to finish there’s no need for students to access to buildings outside their before school began. “We are lucky access an academic building or other normal designated hours. to have a team of onsite electricians dormitories besides their own after “It’s important for schools to and other trained employees,” says 8:00 PM when it’s time for bed, so we recognize the value of having Cataldo. “We were also able to rely on can turn off access to those areas,” network-connected locks throughout ASSA ABLOY and our factory certified says Cataldo. Additionally, places their buildings’ interior spaces as integrator who provided consultation such as libraries are only open during well as the traditionally connected and helped us determine how the study times outside of the normal exterior openings,” says Cataldo. “An jobs would go. It was a smooth school day. online access control system provides process from start to finish.” unrivaled efficiency campus wide, and Currently, IN120 Wi-Fi locks have Keeping students safe while ensuring comprehensive control over who can been installed throughout 80 percent privacy access which facilities and when.” of the Kent campus, including 250 Kent leadership also put restrictions For more information, please dorm rooms. The locks feature on faculty and staff’s cards. “This visit www.assaabloydss.com reader technology that gives schools wasn’t in response to a problem, but the broadest flexibility in their card it was proactively for the purpose or mobile credential selection and of managing campus in a safe and leverage the school’s existing Wi-Fi efficient manner,” says Cataldo. For network to streamline installations. example, staff are only allowed to BeyondtheNews COVID STRESS 5 ways to prevent COVID-era stress from driving teachers away Nearly one in four teachers were expected to quit before the end of the 2020-’21 school year, a signi - cant increase compared to the rate of departures seen pre-COVID, new research shows. Before the pandemic, one in six were likely to leave, according to a report from the RAND Corporation, a nonpro t, nonpartisan research organization. And stress appears to be a key cause of this threat to the teacher supply. Public school teachers are almost twice as likely to report frequent job-related said Elizabeth Steiner, lead author of the e report recommends that stress than were adults elsewhere in the report and a policy researcher at RAND. schools implement COVID-19 miti- workforce, according to the American Leading causes of stress were the gation measures that allow teachers Educator Panels survey RAND con- modes of instruction, lack of adminis- to focus on instruction, collect data ducted this winter. trator and technical support, frequent about the mental health needs of “ is raises the concern that more technical issues with remote teaching, teachers, and help teachers access teachers may decide to quit this year and lack of implementation of COVID- childcare. than in pastDA_PWRG_EDUC_CORE_JulyAug_2021_HlfPg_Horz_Fnl_prsrdy.pdf years if nothing is done,” 19 safety measures. 1 6/25/21 1:07 PM —Matt Zalaznick

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THE CLASH OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY

Advocates call CRT key to understanding American history, while opponents say it targets white students BY MATT ZALAZNICK

howing students where and when society has failed to live up to the standard of “all men are created equal” is a driving force behind critical race theory, professor Vida A. Robert- Sson says. The concept, which is now being banned in a growing feature of their young lives—race.” number of states, helps students understand, in the context of This spring, 20 state attorneys general, calling critical race various academic subjects, the roles race and racism have played, theory “deeply flawed and controversial,” urged the Biden Ad- says Robertson, director of the University of Houston-Down- ministration to strike it and related concepts from the Depart- town‘s Center for Critical Race Studies and an associate profes- ment of Education’s history and civics guidance. sor of English and humanities. “The (Department of Education) should make it clear that “In the absence of anti-racist education, racial stereotypes go it will not fund projects that promote CRT or any projects that unchallenged, the inequitable status quo is normalized, and stu- characterize the United States as irredeemably racist or founded dents of color remain educationally ostracized,” Robertson says. on principles of racism (as opposed to principles of equality) or “Such bans decrease the probability that K-12 students will be that purport to ascribe character traits, values, privileges, status, encouraged and empowered to grapple with the most profound or beliefs, or that assign fault, blame, or bias, to a particular race

10 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com or to an individual because of his or her mechanism by which racial differences professors Esther J. Calzada and Cossy race,” the group wrote in a letter to Secre- and racial inequalities are maintained. Hough, of the University of Texas at Aus- tary of Education Miguel Cardona. 3. Race and racism advantage the tin's school of social work. But a district is already teaching dominant group and therefore any racial For example, such a shift could re- components of critical race theory if its advancement or racial equity measure quire “calling the treatment of First Na- teachers are culturally responsive and will only occur if it benefits the dominant tion People what it was—a genocide,” inclusive, says Cleveland Hayes, the as- group. says Hough, a clinical associate professor sociate dean for academic affairs and a 4. Racial identity is a dynamic process and the school’s assistant dean for under- professor in Urban Teacher Education that changes depending on the needs or graduate programs. at Indiana University–Purdue University interests of the dominant group. Differ- Students would also think more criti- Indianapolis. ent racial groups are racialized differently cally about the legacy of slavery and rec- “CRT is not an exclusive framework,” at different moments in time for different ognize that the Civil Rights Act did not Hayes says. “It’s inclusive.” reasons. end systemic and pervasive racism in the 5. Racialized and marginalized peo- U.S., she says. How to change systems ples have unique insight into the nature “Countries that acknowledge their Administrators in many districts of oppressive systems, structures and in- past violent oppression of non-dominant have bolstered anti-racism curricula in stitutions. groups are better able to move forward the wake of COVID’s disproportionate “The goal of CRT is to equip students toward change,” she says. “Including impacts and last summer’s racial justice with the ability to change the systems, open discussion about events and times protests. structures and institutions that maintain in history such as Black lynchings, redlin- The following foundational concepts racial inequities,” Robertson says. ing and others, and linking those to the form the basis of critical race theory: Educators should critically evaluate systems we have in place today should be 1. Race is not biological; it is a socio- their curriculum to ensure that the per- part of education.” logical construct. spectives of Black, Indigenous and other Students sense when adults feel un- 2. Racism is a common and systemic people of color are fully represented, say comfortable talking about race and, in turn, quickly learn to keep their questions about race to themselves, adds Calzada, a CRT STATE BY STATE professor of child and family behavioral health and the school’s associate dean for equity and inclusion. Educators should therefore talk regu- larly and proactively about racial identi- ties, Calzada says. “We need to break this silence and teach children how to be comfortable with and develop appropriate language for talking about race and racism,” Cal- zada says.

More states prohibiting CRT Opponents of CRT have argued that critical race theory unfairly targets white students in its focus on systemic racism today and throughout U.S. history. In May, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a law that threatens to withhold States that have banned or restricted teaching States that have reafﬁ rmed funds from schools that violate the CRT of critical race theory (as of June 29) teaching Black history and ban, The Associated Press reported. anti-racism Where new bills or state education policies “We need to make sure that our kids would restrict teaching about racism States have taken no action. recognize that this country is moving (as of June 29) toward a more perfect union, that we States where critical racism bans have failed should teach the exceptionalism of our

DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2021 | 11 CLASH OVER CRITICAL RACE THEORY

Cleveland Hayes Associate dean for academic affairs and Esther Calzada Cossy Hough professor in Urban Associate dean for Assistant dean for un- Teacher Education at equity and inclusion at dergraduate programs Indiana University- the University of Texas at the University of Purdue University Austin's school of Texas Austin's school Indianapolis social work. of social work. nation and how people can live together ing ‘privilege’ or being ‘oppressors’ based white children aren’t going to be called and work together to make a greater solely on their race.” out in classes as racists as individuals, as nation, and to not teach things that in- “The implementation of these pri- some legislators have indicated, is impor- herently divide or pit either Americans orities will, in practice, lead to racial and tant,” Hough says. against Americans or people groups ethnic division and indeed more discrim- Hayes also urges white educators to against people groups,” Lee said, accord- ination,” the letter says. look outside themselves to the bigger pic- ing to The AP. But critical race theory does not stipu- ture. Oklahoma now prohibits it and, ac- late that some people are racist just be- “If you’re white, don’t make this about cording the The AP, Montana’s attorney cause of their race, Hough says, adding you—it’s not about you,” he says. “It’s has banned critical race theory on the that some white students and families really about creating a space where all grounds that it is “discriminatory.” are uncomfortable accepting that white children can grow and we can learn more In their letter, the attorneys general culture is still dominant in the U.S. and about each other.” argued that CRT could put teachers at “that people in white bodies continue to risk of discriminating against students benefit from that." “who are inappropriately defined as hav- "Defining what CRT really is and that Matt Zalaznick is DA's senior editor.

12 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com SPONSORED CONTENT The next generation of access control in K-12 school facilities

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What trends are you seeing in K-12 facilities safety and security? Many school districts are either replacing or planning to replace their old classroom doors. Very often it’s because the doors were not constructed with today’s security considerations in mind. Older doors often use large glass windows, and many schools are choosing to replace them with doors that have narrower windows, providing a higher level of security.

If a district or school is updating doors, it can also be an ideal time to consider installing wireless electronic locksets, since the door locking hardware is already being replaced. The added cost for the upgrade is minimal, and these systems can provide many safety, security and cost-saving advantages to the district.

What are some advantages to wireless door locking systems in school facilities? From a safety and security perspective, wireless systems in circulation, which can be a serious security concern. can provide a lockdown solution not only for classrooms Rekeying locks and reissuing keys to staff can be a costly but also for all doors throughout a school building. and burdensome process. But with wireless electronic locks, Every connected door can be locked instantly from access can be assigned or removed quickly and easily. one location. This greatly increases the security of the building. A typical wired access control system is only What does the future of access control look like? installed on perimeter doors. In addition, a wireless The era of mobile credentials has just begun. Having digital system can provide detailed auditing reports about keys and ID cards on mobile phones could provide many mandatory school lockdown drills. advantages to K-12 schools. For example, an administrator could enable temporary facilities access to a contractor or Another benefit is added control. With a wireless system, a substitute teacher just for specific buildings, rooms, days administrators can allow access to specific areas only to and time periods, after which it would expire. certain personnel and at specific times and receive audits and reports on room usage and access history. This also SALTO also provides another cutting-edge solution: data- enables easy scheduling, so a school could schedule the on-card technology, which enables electronic access control bathrooms to lock while students are moving between outside of school buildings, even in areas without power or classes to help mitigate vaping or other illicit activities, for internet access. This unique technology can offer a school example. Similarly, classroom doors could be scheduled to district tremendous be unlocked during school hours and automatically lock in flexibility, convenience the event of an emergency. and cost savings, along with reporting, for all Furthermore, a keyless electronic locking system solves doors whether they be the common problem of having multiple master keys online or offline.

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Learn more about our research and results by visiting www.readingplus.com/research Computer science surge

By Matt Zalaznick

How states are bringing computer science into the core of academic subjects and expanding opportunities

Participation in AP computer science “We’re building a pipeline from kinder- Kansas’ goal is to introduce students classes in Rhode Island has increased 17- garten to career through an integrated to computer science early and often, fold since 2016. system.” King says. For example, third-grade During that time, educators have teachers are now having students pro- been implementing and refining the Why computer science must start early and often gram and fly drones to learn fractions. state’s initial set of computer science Computer science must begin in kinder- Starting computer science in kinder- standards, which lay out what stu- garten because it’s not too many years garten and first grade, and embedding dents will learn from kindergarten to later when students decide if they are it throughout elementary schools, also career, says Spencer Sherman, chief for “techies,” Stephen King says. increases the chances that underrepre- innovation in the Rhode Island De- That’s why, in helping develop Kan- sented and underprivileged students will partment of Elementary & Secondary sas’ computer science standards in 2019, develop a passion for the subject and Education. he urged the state to go beyond making study computer science in middle and That includes partnerships with computer science a high school gradua- high school, and college, he says. Brown University and Project Lead the tion requirement. Arkansas began developing one of Way to offer professional development “We’ve got a robust system of CTE the nation’s first set of early grades com- in computer science for teachers at all pathways having to with computer sci- puter science standards back in 2016, levels, Sherman says. ence, web development and program- at the same time it began requiring stu- Also, the department is now in reg- ming,” says King, the Kansas Depart- dents to take an introduction to coding ular contact with employers to track ment of Education’s education program course in seventh or eighth grade. workforce needs and with higher educa- consultant in media and technology. The K-8 standards are meant to be tion to stay up-to-date on how students “But if you can’t fill the seats—if you embedded across content areas and to should be prepared for college. can’t fill the seats with a diverse popu- support classroom activities. “If you’re a teacher, it can be tough to lation—you’re not doing the state as The standards focus heavily on digital teach computer science,” Sherman says. much good as you could have.” literacy and using computers in instruc-

DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2021 | 15 Computer Science Surge tion, says Anthony A. Owen, the state director of computer science education in the Arkansas Department of Education. “Integration of basic computer science skills and knowledge through practical classroom experiences promote connections to all subject areas and to the real world,” Owen says. “The standards support critical thinking through the essential skills of computational thinking and algo- rithmic problem-solving.”

Achieving diversity and completion In Rhode Island, a key goal in recent years has been increasing participation and equity in advanced placement and other computer science courses, says Holly Walsh, manager of CS4RI, the de- puting education integral parts of their Beginning with the 9th-grade class of partment’s computer science initiative. district, school, and community, he says. 2022-2023, every Arkansas student must When data revealed that a large group “I like to say, they are not worried earn one full high school computer sci- of students needed extra support, the de- about meeting the ‘have to’s’ because they ence credit to graduate. Each high school partment awarded grants to urban schools are focusing on the ‘should do’s,’ which in- will employ a certified computer science to develop strategies and plans for com- clude and go beyond the ‘have to’s.’” teacher by the 2023-2024 school year. puter science instruction. For instance, These leaders are encouraging multiple “As these requirements come into this helped educators in those schools teachers across all grades to become fully effect,” Owen says, “our focus will be align computer science with their CTE certified in computer science and to par- less on getting enrollments but more programs and expand work-based learning ticipate in ongoing professional develop- on supporting students as they engage programs traditionally reserved for seniors ment offered by the state. Educators are in higher-level courses and work toward to younger high school students. also encouraging students to participate becoming completers in career programs The earlier workforce experiences give in clubs, competitions, student organiza- of study.” students a chance to then take AP com- tions, and after-school programs that are puter science on their path to college and aligned to the computer science standards. Matt Zalaznick is DA’s senior editor. careers. And the grants require that the demographic makeup of computer science courses match the demographic makeup of the school as a whole, Walsh says. 7 keys for computer science success In Arkansas, high school students Building a pipeline of Equitable policy outcomes require eq- move toward mastery in computational computer science teachers is one of the uity to be a core priority from the start. thinking and problem-solving as well as biggest steps school leaders can take Computer science education policy data and security, algorithms and pro- to accelerate coding, programming and design should balance rules and in- grams, and professionalism and impacts related subjects in their districts, one centives (accountability) with clarity on goals of computing. expert says. and supports for reaching them (alignment). A 2020 revision of the standards cre- This is particularly important in elementary ated nine computer science pathways schools, where teachers are generalists and In a strong accountability and high- that cover 55 courses spanning tradi- must navigate between multiple subjects, alignment environment, clear targets tional subjects such as programming, says Leigh Ann DeLyser, co-founder and are more likely to be reached, resulting in networking and robotics along with ar- executive director of the nonproﬁ t CSforAll. equitable institutional implementation. tificial intelligence, matching learning, “Many schools of education do not Policies must take into account, and data science, app design, game develop- include computer science in teacher directly support, the broader systems ment and other high-growth fields. preparation,” DeLyser says. supporting classrooms and students. These courses were designed in part- nership with industry leaders to ensure Tips for computer science success from Policy needs to be adaptable to they met workforce needs, Owen says. CSforAll’s “Practice to Policy”: individual locations. Some superintendents and principals Early teacher advocates are key to Policy-linked data needs to focus on are going beyond state requirements as building interest and momentum. improvement, not just accountability. they make computer science and com-

16 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com Beyond the benchmark: Start with the student, not the standard.

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Learn more at LearningAlly.org or call 800-221-1098 to understand how this affordable solution is covered under your American Rescue Plan ESSER funds. BRINGING STUDENTS BACK Extensive searches and non-punitive responses highlight the efforts PERSONAL CONNECTIONS—In Fresno USD, it was 'all hands on districts have undertaken deck' as principals, attendance specialists and other staff worked to encourage all students to return to school after months of to rebuild enrollment online learning. BY MATT ZALAZNICK

ducators and social workers in Fresno USD spent several “Our attendance teams are responding much sooner and all months of the pandemic trying to locate one student who school sites are making home visits,” O’Connor says. “Principals had attended the same elementary school for several years. are out; it’s all hands on deck.” E After countless phone calls and address searches, a staff member who checked the court system learned the student and ‘A place where students want to be’ their mother had been evicted, says Ambra O’Connor, executive The extensive search for just one student, and the non-puni- director of Fresno’s Department of Prevention and Intervention. tive response, reflects the efforts many districts have undertaken A child welfare specialist then went to a convenience store in to confront concerning drops in attendance, in-person and online the neighborhood asking about the family. After the specialist as- during the long disruptions of COVID. sured the clerk that the mother would not get into any trouble, This school year, Fresno USD administrators were only un- the clerk revealed the family was living in a room next door. able to locate about 2% of the students who didn’t re-enroll by Once the district made contact, the mother told staff she the first two weeks of the school. had feared her child would be taken away from her. The district, When a student is located, staff members try to help families however, acted quickly to provide support—such as clothing and overcome barriers, such as access to technology and medical care. transportation so the child could be enrolled, among other assis- For instance, when administrators looked into why Fresno tance, O’Connor says. kindergarteners accounted for the largest drop in online atten-

DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2021 | 19 BRINGING STUDENTS BACK dance, they discovered that many parents couldn’t find childcare or that some childcare providers were charging extra for 6 WAYS TO CURB COVID'S CHRONIC students participating in distance learning. ABSENTEEISM CRISIS To further accommodate students, the dis- Attendance gaps ultimately lead to achievement gaps, says the trict intends to maintain a remote option author of FutureEd's "Present Danger" report on absenteeism in 2021-22, which means many teachers during COVID will continue to teach in-person and online simultaneously. This prevents online To rebuild attendance, administrators can use funding provided students from having to switch teachers, by the CARES Act, ESSER II and the American Rescue Plan. The O’Connor says. Georgetown University think tank recommends the following In the coming months, the district will strategies: hire new intervention specialists to work 1. HOME VISITING. In-person or virtual visits with a student’s with students on social-emotional skills family can reduce absenteeism when educators focus on individually and in small groups. building relationships rather than chastising or nagging Administrators will also pilot a well- families. ness initiative to deploy school nurses and social workers to where they are most 2. NUDGES. Letters and texts that alert parents to their chil- needed. “We want positive school cli- dren’s absences have proven effective because many parents mates,” O’Connor says. “We want school don't know how many days their children have missed. to be a place where students want to be.” 3. TUTORING AND MENTORING. Caring relationships devel- oped during high-dosage tutoring can strengthen a student's Teachers are reaching out sense of belonging. Charleston County School District THE RIGHT SCHOOL CLIMATE. An attendance messaging classrooms refilled more quickly this 4. campaign and greeting students each morning will set a year at schools where long-term princi- welcoming tone after COVID's disruptions. In elementary pals maintained close ties to the com- school, well-organized recess can improve climate and, in munity, Chief Academic Officer Karo- turn, attendance. lyn Belcher says. To encourage more students to return, 5. LEVERAGING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. Examples the South Carolina district is offering K-8 include working with a local transportation agency to make summer programs that will combine aca- it easier for students to get to school or partnering with non- demics with afternoon enrichment activi- profi ts to fi nd volunteer tutors and mentors. ties in arts, music, dance and STEM. 6. DATA DEMANDS. Schools may have to upgrade data sys- Middle schools used ESSER funds to tems to better analyze the scope of absenteeism issues. give raises to teachers willing to work dur- Regular reports let educators spot new patterns and students ing summer school. who need interventions. Like in many districts, Charleston County’s younger students were among Administrators can fi nd more strategies in the Attendance Play- those who struggled most with online and book published by FutureEd and Attendance Works in 2020. remote learning, says Kimberly Foxworth, the executive director of Early Childhood Readiness Programs. The district is now rural division—to online learning options students from outside its boundaries. For- sending staff members into its commu- offered by competing districts and private mer students also returned to the district nities to encourage families to register for companies when this school year began. from homeschooling and correspondence kindergarten and first grade. Once stu- Budget-wise, the 1,600-student dis- schools, he added. dents enroll, teachers and support staff trict, which has remained largely in-person Radford City Schools has now joined reach out to help begin the transition and this year, also lost $7,000 in funding for forces with more than a dozen other dis- gauge how prepared each student is to each of those students who left, Superin- tricts in its rural Region 7 in southwest begin school, Foxworth says. tendent Robert Graham says. Virginia to launch a virtual academy that In response, the district partnered organizers expect will outlast COVID. Virtual academies with a private company to ramp up its Another goal of the academy is to re- Radford City Schools lost about 80 online offerings and recouped much of duce the burden on teachers who have had students—a significant number for the the funding it lost by enrolling about 900 to teach in-person and online simultane-

20 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com BRINGING STUDENTS BACK

by district] would have been an insur- to get back on track but many students mountable task.” lost access to the main reasons they come to school, such as a certain teacher, sports Supporting students when they return or an after-school activity. Getting students who missed all or “A lot of kids are motivated to come most of the 2020-21 school year to come to school and engage academically be- back is only the first step in what will be a cause of these non-academic supports,” long and challenging recovery process, says he says. “You’ve got to recreate these con- Sandy Addis, chairman of the National nections.” Dropout Prevention Center. Another way that leaders can re-engage “If a school had, for example, 50 at-risk students is to form post-COVID recovery kids before the pandemic, now those 50 teams to assess each student’s needs and kids may be in worse shape,” Addis says. experiences of the pandemic. Students, HEALTHY MESSAGES—Public Schools of Petoskey is publicizing safety “And there’s a group of kids you would not for instance, are less likely to re-engage if, precautions to bring students back. have considered at-risk before who have when they return, educators focus only on not functioned well during the shutdown, how far they’ve fallen behind. ously this school year, says Keith Perrigan, and now they’re at risk.” Addis also recommends administrators superintendent of Bristol Virginia Public For instance, the number of students resist the temptation to base attendance Schools, another consortium member. held back from moving up to the next only on how many hours a student was The academy, which is likely to attract grade will likely increase sharply. But hold- logged into online learning. “We may several thousand students or more, will ing students back can have long-term have to give some kids a little bit of a pass,” have its own instructors dedicated to on- impacts, as even students held back in Addis says. “Applying pre-pandemic aca- line instruction, Perrigan says. “It became early grades are more likely to struggle in demics standards and attendance rules to pretty apparent after using that model for 9th and 10th grades, Addis says.“That’s a post-pandemic school doesn’t fit.” a year that we needed a better plan for next dropout waiting to happen,” he says. year,” he says. “But trying to do it [district At-risk kids often need a steady routine Matt Zalaznick is DA's senior editor.

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20321788_LE_Half_Page_DA_Ad_Print_Final.indd 1 6/21/21 12:45 PM DistrictAdministration.com July/August 2021 | 21 ProfessionalOpinion Did emergent bilingual students lose a year of language while at home? Some in education are suggesting certain students be retained because of the 'learning loss' that has taken place. Here is an argument against that approach By Maya Goodall, M.A., M.Ed.

raditionally, learning English in the infancy to five years show signs of being There, you will find a reference to goals, TU.S. K-12 context has been ap- able to distinguish languages. Children guiding principles, or objectives for the proached from an intervention perspec- who have been exposed to English and district. tive. The underlying thinking has been another language are able to focus on This is the time to reexamine the that learners who come to school not both of those languages. meaning behind these words. If the ad- knowing English are at a deficit and need In one particular study, as children vantages of being multilingual are mean- to “catch up” with their English-speaking grew and were speaking both languages, ingful enough for the creation a stated peers. This has perpetuated a deficit researchers showed that children could belief/goal, then supporting a learner to mindset, where we focus on what learn- not only distinguish between the lan- become multilingual must be a concrete ers lack rather than what they possess. guages they heard, but also make discrete activity. Educators should acknowledge Having a deficit view places the em- choices when speaking one or the other. that the learner is actually becoming phasis on a student’s lack of English, and Even when “code-switching,” children multilingual, and that language learning we find ourselves framing such students would make grammar choices pertinent and teaching is a job divided between as having “impoverished language” or to the language they were speaking. home and school. Parents should be “requiring intervention.” In fact, even Happily, the very thing that makes praised and encouraged to cultivate heri- thinking of English as an intervention is the difference in whether or not someone tage language use in their homes. indicative of a societal view that learners learns a second language is something As teachers, we know how profound are in grave danger of becoming “lan- that educators can influence: instruc- and necessary background knowledge guageless” when actually, they are merely tion. This is the mitigating factor that is. In this case, the first language is the on the path to English acquisition. researchers found when investigating background knowledge needed to teach The opposite of a deficit view is an the reasons why some children became the second language. The time spent at asset view. In this view, the obstacles that bilingual and others did not. Instruction home during the pandemic was time a learner faces are peripheral to the learn- comes from multiple sources: home, well spent, building more background er’s identity. An asset view of language school, and society. knowledge in the first language. learners focuses on the language skills the The asset model asks us to view all learner already has and on the bilingual- Home language as background happenings from a growth mindset ism they can attain. There is strong evidence that knowledge and have reverence for a student’s lived A small but profound shift is to refer and use of a heritage language can help experiences. Our own thinking around to learners as “Emergent Bilinguals” or aid in the learning of the second lan- multilingualism, which can be found “Multilingual Learners.” Outside of the guage. Encouraging parents to use their in our school system documents, also U.S., multilingualism is often viewed as heritage language, speak in complete sen- codifies our thinking around this. If the an asset. Language acquisition follows tences, introduce new vocabulary words, pandemic has taught us anything, it is predictable patterns for the human mind, and read in the home language have to focus on what we have, how to make so instruction in the English as a Foreign all been proven to help children learn a the most of it, and move forward. The Language context is not sensationally in- second language. Essentially, the home year spent at home is no reason to retain novative. The radical idea which spurs its language is background knowledge that a student. It is our imperative to focus on success is an asset view of language by the the teacher can leverage to help a learner the assets a learner has and teach them educators and society. learn English. what they need to know in order to move forward. Human capacity for language Your English learner master plan The reality is, everyone is born with the Most, if not all, school districts have an Maya Goodall is Senior Director of capacity for language. Researchers have English Learner Master Plan (if not this, Emergent Bilingual Curriculum at Lexia found that children between the ages of then some kind of accountability plan). Learning.

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Reimagine Education www.cisco.com/go/educationheroes LastWord How the NGSS can set your students (and teachers) free By Ian Kastelic, DA guest columnist While the Next Generation Science Standards ask teachers to take a new approach to instruction, they also empower teachers and students to be scientists together

ike many districts throughout For example, our 2nd-grade students NGSS has held a series of workshops, California and the nation, the San study erosion. In a series of activities, dubbed “NGSS Rollouts,” that put Mateo-Foster City School Dis- students experience wind and water teachers in the place of students. Put- trictL has been transitioning to the Next erosion. In lesson 3, they create erosion ting them in a position to struggle with Generation Science Standards (NGSS). models, make predictions about what ideas and follow the processes they are While we’ve been preparing for the shift will happen to those models, and then being asked to guide their students for years, this is the first school year that test them. The teacher’s role is not to through helps them develop a firsthand we’ve had the standards and an NGSS- explain why the student groups get the understanding of the methodology. aligned curriculum in place throughout results they do, but to guide them to That is, unfortunately, a very time- our elementary schools. the next bread crumb in the trail, which consuming PD experience. Since it is As the Teacher on Special Assignment may well be another question. If that’s such a big shift, the increase in a teacher’s tasked with overseeing the transition for the case, the teacher’s job then is to help expertise in these new methods and stan- our district, I’ve found the NGSS to be a them initiate and move through the dards will take years. The writers of the powerful framework for bringing all stu- process of testing that idea. NGSS suggested 3-5 years. dents—and not just those who excel at Teachers are excellent question-askers science—into the world of inquiry and but, especially in elementary science, A more accessible approach to science wonder that science makes available. As they are used to being focused on con- One of the big challenges to accessibil- exciting as the new standards are to some veying information, not soliciting ideas. ity in our district is language. Almost educators, it’s a big change to the way one-third of our students are English we teach science and, as such, can cause Curriculum is key learners. The language scaffolding in quite a bit of anxiety. Choosing the right curriculum is criti- the Twig science curriculum is great for This is how we’ve tried to make that cal. With the NGSS approach to sci- English learners or any student strug- transition as smooth as possible, and ence and an excellent curriculum built gling with reading or comprehension. why we think it’s worth the work, for to meet those standards, following the But one of the best things about both students and their teachers. curriculum means that teachers are the NGSS is that they are inherently doing mostly all of the right things. more accessible than more traditional Why some teachers might struggle Knowing that, early on, some of our standards. They don’t take away the op- In addition to a dramatic change to teachers were going to be relying on their portunity for the “science kid” to excel, the content that is taught, the NGSS curriculum as a kind of “PD by fire” as but they do give everyone else in the class is a total pedagogical shift as well. The they became comfortable with their new a chance to excel. The NGSS is about more you understand about the NGSS, role as guides to scientific inquiry, we equity! Since everyone is looking at the the clearer it becomes that the teacher’s made a point of choosing a curriculum same problem and trying to solve it in role is not diminished, but it is shifted. that had the NGSS baked into it. We the real world, real-world experience Instead of being the person with the chose Twig Science Next Gen for many comes to bear at least as often as scien- answers, the NGSS asks teachers to reasons, but a key one was that the tific knowledge. move their students’ learning forward K–8 curriculum was designed from the Just as it frees teachers to be ques- by being great questioners. ground up for the NGSS. tioners and guides rather than answer- With the NGSS, students spend a givers, the NGSS also gives students lot of time exploring phenomena and Experiential professional development the freedom to ask—and ultimately asking their own questions, which leads We’ve found the best way to help teach- answer—their own questions. to experiments, more questions and dis- ers make the transition from informa- cussion, and maybe new experiments, tion conveyor to question asker is to Ian Kastelic is a teacher on special assignment allowing students to come to some an- give them the opportunity to experience for the San Mateo-Foster City School District. swers by taking on the role of scientists. it from the student’s perspective. The He can be reached at [email protected].

24 | July/August 2021 DistrictAdministration.com Introducing Lexia English! 介紹 Lexia 英語! Giới thiệu Lexia English! Presentamos Lexia English! Presentamos Lexia English! Представляем Lexia English! Introducing Lexia English! 介紹 Lexia 英語! Giới thiệu Lexia English! Presentamos Lexia English! Представляем Lexia English!

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