Morgan Kueter

Research Curation Project

How do we create high achievement in high poverty schools?

Rationale:
Schools in high poverty areas statistically show a low level of student achievement.
Statistically these schools receive less funding, which leads to a plethora of disadvantages for
these students. One of which is that they are often given out of date, used materials. Another is
that because teacher salaries are often significantly lower than other schools, these students
are not being taught by the best teachers. As well teachers rarely stay at these schools for more
than a few years. Once I begin my profession as a teacher, I would like to teacher at a title I
school so that I can make a difference in these students lives. Often times the parents of these
students work more than one job or live in a single parent home. This leads to the student not
receiving as much attention and care at home as their peers from a higher socioeconomic
status. I would like to show these students that they are valued, respected, and can set lofty
goals for themselves. This curation of resources illustrates the negatively disproportionate
treatment the students in high poverty schools are receiving. It will also address ways that
teachers can become properly trained to create a high achieving environment where
expectations are high for these students.

Course Outcome Connection:

This topic of research has helped me understand the learning outcome Analyze and
explain the relationship between schooling and social inequality, including some of the ways
that schools contribute to social inequality. While studying the topic of creating high
achievement in high poverty areas there is substantial information and statistics on how
societal structures cause these students to receive a lower quality of education. This social
inequality is abundant and causes a cycle of poverty. Students in high poverty areas are not
given the same access to education as their counterparts from a higher socioeconomic class.
Which in turn perpetuates the cycle of keeping these families at a low socioeconomic status. I
want to do what I can to stop this cycle. As a teacher, I will empower students to work towards
achieving their dreams, no matter how big, and will show them that they are cared for by
setting high expectations of each student.
Resources:
1. Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools, by William Parrett and Kathleen
Budge, 2012 [book]
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109003.aspx
This is a highly popular book that is used in a majority of the trainings for teachers
presenting practical skills for the classroom to expect high performance from students.
This book cites several high poverty schools that have made reforms to create high
performing students. This book claims that there are three key areas that schools need
to focus on in order to increase performance. They are to first build leadership capacity
along with fostering a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment, as well as
creating a student focused professional learning system. This book concludes that all
schools including those in high poverty areas can produce high achieving students once
given the proper tools.

2. High School Training Ground: Ted Talk, by Malcolm London [video 03:00]
https://www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_london_high_school_training_ground/up-next
Malcolm London is a young poet who speaks about the realities of high school in low
income areas. He specifically comments on the prejudices society has of students who
live in these lower socioeconomic areas.
Quote: masculinity mimicked by men who grew up with no father.

3. CT3 Organization dedicated to bettering education by training teachers who teacher in low
income areas [website/trainings]
http://www.ct3education.com/
Mission: transform the quality and culture of education of youth, especially those in
traditionally disenfranchised communities.
They offer high-value teacher trainings that build school capacity through improved
instruction, classroom management, and a positive learning culture. They support the
creation of clear classroom cultures that drive academic excellence for all students,
especially those in high poverty communities.

4. Disrupting Poverty in the Secondary School, by ASCD [video: 1:06:38]

http://streaming.ascd.org/watch/view-all/5114325532001/disrupting-poverty-in-the-
secondary-school
This video is showing high poverty schools that are able to be successful at creating high
achieving students. This video provides concrete tools that teachers can implement into
their classrooms to encourage high level of student performance.
Imagine a high poverty school where district leaders and administrators and teachers
work together to support their students. Imagine a high poverty school that kids are
happy to go to every single day. Imagine a high poverty school that is also a high
performing school
5. Teaching and Engaging with Poverty in Mind, by Jensen Learning: Practical Teaching with the
Brain in Mind [Training]
http://www.jensenlearning.com/workshop-teaching-with-poverty-in-mind.php
San Antonio, TX: June 11-13, 2018 or June 14-16, 2018 or July 16-18, 2018 or July 19-21, 2018
Discover the secrets that bring out the untapped achievement capacity in your high-
poverty students
These trainings focus on strategy-building. The presented strategies are based research
done on the human brain of individuals living in poverty.

6. Professional Development and Student Achievement in High Poverty Schools: Making the
Connection, by Sheila Moore, Frances Kochan, Marie Kraska, and Ellen Reames, 2011 [journal
article]
http://christyhiett.wiki.westga.edu/file/view/Professional+Development+and+student+achieve
ment+in+high+poverty+schools.pdf
This paper details a study that compared principals all from high poverty schools. One
group were principals at high performing schools while the other group was at low
performing schools. The purpose of the study was to determine if administration and
professional development effected school performance. The conclusion of the study
was that an increase in professional development for both teachers and administration
greatly increases student achievement.

7. Response: Teachers dont leave high-poverty urban districts; they are exiled, Education
week: Teacher [blog]
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo/2015/05/response_teach
ers_dont_leave_highpoverty_urban_districts_they_are_exiled.html?qs=Teachers+dont+leave+
high-poverty+urban+districts;+they+are+exiled
This blog is a response with comments to an article that was previously posted about
teachers being encouraged to leave high poverty schools. Several different teachers
have posted their responses based on their own personal experiences.

8. Taking off Ideological Blinders: Lessons from the Start of a Study on Effective Teachers in
High-Poverty Schools, by Mary Poplin and Ivannia Soto-Hinman, 2005 [journal article]
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.fortlewis.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=c4
fe4a8a-f77f-4c08-912e-bb5a4b1ce538%40sessionmgr4006
This paper discusses the classroom management characteristics, which contribute to
creating an environment that encourages high achievement. They found that ensuring
social justice within the classroom was essential to increasing student performance.
They describe social justice as when you want for other peoples children what you
want for your own.
Timeline:
Ted Talk video: I have already watched the video by Malcolm London
Journal articles: The articles have been printed and I intend to read both articles on
December 18th while on the plane home to Alaska.
Blog: The blog has been printed and I intend to read it on December 18 th while on the
plane home to Alaska.
Book: I am in the process of trying to get the book for free from the Fort Lewis library. If
I am able to get the book for free before December 17 th I will read the book on the
airplane home to Alaska for Winter Break. I will rent the book from Amazon if I am not
able to receive it for free and will read it in May over the period that I will still be
student teaching at Bayfield but will no longer have Spring semester classes through
Fort Lewis College.
Websites: I intend to be continually referencing the website CT3 as it is a wonderful
resource. I will specifically review when trainings are available in March when we have a
week off for spring break. I will also be looking to see if there are any online trainings
over the summer. I will also continually refer to the Teaching and Engaging with Poverty
in Mind website. As their trainings are all in Texas, if I am able to visit my family in Texas
over the summer I will assess whether I can attend one of these trainings if my travel
dates overlap.
Video: The video Disrupting Poverty in the Secondary School is a video that I intend to
rent and view while I am home in Alaska on winter break from December 18 th to January
4th.