Schott Lost Opp Combo8 09

8/9/2019 Schott Lost Opp Combo8 09

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More than 25 years ago, A Nation at Risk detailed the growing inequities and lack oopportunities in our public education system, highlighting the obstacles we, as a nationwould have to overcome i these problems were not immediately addressed. Yet, our achievemen

gap remains at disastrously high levels, as evidenced by the 2009 National Assessment o Education

Progress (NAEP) Long-erm rend Data, which showed a 53-point gap in reading prociency

between Black and White 17-year-olds and a 33-point gap in math prociency between Latino

and White 17-year-olds. We are now paying a hety price or this achievement gap. A recen

report by McKinsey & Company estimates that closing the achievement gap between White

students and their Black and Latino peers could increase the annual Gross Domestic Product bymore than hal a trillion dollars.

Collectively, we have spent a great deal o time diagnosing the problem, yet the solution is more

complex. While human resource and structural reorms are key components to closing the learning

gap, just as important to the reorm efort is accountability: the development and implementation

o outcome and resource accountability standards which guarantee all students the resources

needed to have a air and substantive opportunity to learn. Without access to real, system-

wide, high-quality learning opportunities, our students can never maximize their education and

have ull participation in our democracy. Without true opportunity or all, particularly or those

rom historically disadvantaged groups, we can never have a level playing eld when it comes to

learning, achievement, and long-term success. By measuring opportunities in a systematic waywe have a clear understanding o the efective use o education resources in our communities

Without adequately ocusing on resources, we can never ully improve student outcomes and

student achievement.

Opportunity to Learn, At the State Level

In its Lost Opportunity report, the Schott Foundation or Public Education establishes an earlywarning metric or determining opportunities to learn or students. Lost Opportunity providea state-by-state comparison o both academic prociency (percentage o students scoring at or

above procient on the eighth grade NAEP reading exam) and access (as measured by the Schott

Foundations Opportunity to Learn Index, or OLI). Te resultant interstate opportunity gap is

stark. Looking at the 50 states and the District o Columbia, only eight statesIdaho, Maine

Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Virginiacan be identied as

providing a moderately procient, high-access education or all students.

Sixteen states were ound to provide a moderately procient education or some students, but

demonstrated low access when it came to providing that education to historically disadvantaged

students. Tese states included: Connecticut, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts

Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota

Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In these states, policymakers have identied and adopted th

components necessary to secure student academic prociency or more privileged students, but

ExEcutivE BriEfing

A 50 State Reporton theOpportunitytoLearn

In America


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have not provided the highly efective teachers, early childhood education, instructional materials

and college-bound curricula to the students who need them the most.

Disturbingly, 17 states were ound to provide high-access, low-prociency education to thei

students. Tese states included: Alabama, Alaska, Caliornia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii

Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South

Carolina, ennessee, and Utah. While these states are to be recognized or breaking down the

barriers between White students and Black and Latino students, and between high-income

students and low-income students, it cannot be missed that these states are doing so at the lowes

common denominator. In many cases they provide an equal, yet inerior education to students.

Most disturbing are the nine states at the bottom which provide both low-prociency and low-

access public education to their students, resulting in opportunity or ew. Tese states included

Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Rhode Island, exas, and West Virginia

Te District o Columbia appears here as well. Even with signicant disparities in access, these

states are unable to deliver student prociency in any demonstrable way.

Opportunity to Learn, Disaggregated By Race, Ethnicity, and Income

S

ix states ofer Black students a relatively equal opportunity to learn, compared to their White

non-Latino peers. Te OLI shows that 10 states ofer Latino students a relatively equalopportunity to learn. Low-income students have the highest opportunity to learn among historically

disadvantaged groups, particularly low-income students in states with low minority populations

Black and Latino students have higher opportunities to learn in those states with low minority

populations. In states with high minority populations, such as those in the Northeast, the South

and the Southwest, the opportunity gap is the most signicant. In total population, Caliornia

and New York each account or 15 percent o the nations opportunity to learn inequities. exa

accounts or an additional 12 percent. Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania account or 5 percent

each. New Yorks share o the economic efect o inequity is nearly three times its percentage o

the national population.

Opportunity to Learn, Nationally

Historically disadvantaged groups have just a 51 percent opportunity to learn nationally when compared to White, non-Latino students, as measured by the OLI. We wiknow that we have provided all students equitable access to a high-quality public education

system when all children, regardless o skin color or socioeconomic status, have access to

1) high-quality early education; 2) highly qualied teachers and instructors in grades K-12

3) college preparatory curricula that will prepare all youth or college, work and community; and

4) equitable instructional resources. I we are to provide every student a true opportunity to learn

we must rst ensure that all students, even the most disadvantaged, have access to the high-quality

resources necessary or success.

Te Schott Foundation ound that Black students are nearly three times as likely as White, non-Latinos to be in poorly resourced schools. Latinos are more than twice as likely to be in poorly

resourced schools. Additional highlights include:

42 percent o Black students are in poorly resourced, low-perorming schools, while only 15

percent o Black students are in well-resourced, high-perorming schools;

35 percent o Latino students are in poorly resourced, low-perorming schools;

34 percent o low-income students are in poorly resourced, low-perorming schools; and

31 percent o Native American students are in poorly resourced, low-perorming schools.


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State OTLRank

Percent Scoringat or Above

National ProfcientAccess:OTLI 1

ProfciencyQuartile

AccessQuartile

CombinedScore

Moderate Profciency/High Access

1. Vermont 42% 93% 4 4 8

2. Maine 37% 69% 4 4 8

3. New Hampshire 37% 67% 4 4 8

4. Minnesota 37% 56% 4 3 75. Oregon 34% 93% 3 4 7

6. Washington 34% 64% 3 4 7

7. Idaho 32% 82% 3 4 7

8. Virginia 34% 61% 3 3 6

Moderate Profciency /Low Access

9. South Dakota 37% 40% 4 2 6

10. Iowa 36% 39% 4 2 6

11. Connecticut 37% 32% 4 1 5

12. Massachusetts 43% 27% 4 1 513. New Jersey 39% 35% 4 1 5

14. Montana 39% 31% 4 1 5

15. Pennsylvania 36% 35% 4 1 5

16. Ohio 36% 26% 4 1 5

17. Colorado 35% 45% 3 2 5

18. Wisconsin 33% 45% 3 2 5

19. Maryland 33% 40% 3 2 5

20. Kansas 35% 33% 3 1 4

21. Nebraska 35% 31% 3 1 4

22. Wyoming 33% 36% 3 1 423. North Dakota 32% 35% 3 1 4

24. New York 32% 25% 3 1 4

Figure 1

1OLI compares the opportunity o students rom disadvantaged groups to that o White, non-Latino students or access to those 25 percent o the schools in a statewhere nearly all students graduate on-time and college ready. For example, i 40 percent o a states White, non-Latino students are enrolled in the top quartile o thastates schools, and 20 percent o students rom disadvantaged groups are given the opportunity to study in such schools, the OLI is 50 percent: disadvantaged studenthaving hal the Opportunity to Learn as White, non-Latino students in that state.

Black students, when compared to White, non-Latino students, have a 47 percent opportunity to learn. Latino students have a 53 percent

opportunity to learn. And low-income students also have a 53 percent opportunity to learn. Not surprisingly, the long-term achievement gap

trends, as evidenced by the most recent NAEP data, are nearly identical to our inability to provide all students with a air and substantive op-

portunity to learn.


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VA

WV

PA

NY

VT

CT RI

NH

ME

MA

NJ

MDDE

DC

OH

MI

INIL

MN

IA

MO

AR

LA

MSAL

FL

WI

KY

TN

NC

SC

GA

ND

SD

NE

KS

MT

WY

CO

ID

WA

AK

OR

NV

CAUT

AZ

NM

HI

TX

OK

Moderate Profciency/High AccessStates ranked #1-8

Moderate Profciency /Low AccessStates ranked #9-24

Low Profciency/High AccessStates ranked #25-41

Low Profciency/Low AccessStates ranked #42-51

Figure 2

State is responsible or 12-15% o the nations economic burden attributable to OL inequities.

State is responsible or 5% o the nations economic burden attributable to OL inequities

Geographic Distribution oOpportunity to Learn State Rankings

(Reer to Figure 1)


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We cannot aford to be satised with a 51 percent Opportunity rate. I these results were placed in a businessesrame, no company that loses 50 percent o its product would survive, let alone grow. As Figure 3 makes clearnot investing in addressing the Opportunity to Learn resource gaps has signicant economic consequencesMaintaining the inequitable resource distributions places an economic burden on individuals, taxpayers and ouroverall nation and economy. At 250 percent, the return on these school improvement investments is remarkable

Economic ConsequencesTotal Annual Economic Burden to Taxpayers

Because of Inequity: $59.2 billionPotential Return on School Improvement Investment: 250%

State Annual Total Lifetime Health Loss $11.6 billion

State Annual Crime Related Loss

State Tax Losses

Annual Lost Lifetime Earnings

$82.2 billion (Dierence attributable to high school graduation per annual cohort)

$7.6 billion

$40 billion

3

Net Annual Potential Revenue Increase from Equity $36.5 billion

(After deducting estimated cost of improving schools)

2

Figure 3

2Earnings and Revenue: See Levin, Henry. Te Costs and Benets o an Excellent Education or All o Americas Students. Columbia University, January 2007.3 Amounts are rounded.

O

verall, gaps in the Opportunity to Learn resources have efects well beyond our educational institutionsand secondary and postsecondary graduation rates. As Figures 3 and 4 display, such gaps have very reaconsequences or our nations economy, health, and society as a whole. By closing the opportunity gap or

minority and low-income students, we can realize a very real impact on the education, health and welare o ournation.


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Social and Civic ConsequencesChanges Attributable to Educational Equalization With White, non-Latino Students

College Graduation (25 years of age and older)Expected Increase Attributable to Equitable Access

Black, Latino, Native American (total) 115%

EmploymentExpected Increase Attributable to Equitable Access

With High School Diploma 4%

Further Increase with Bachelors Degree 3%

Health Risk

Black, non-Latino 23%

Latino 37%

Civic Engagement (National election participation) 4%

Incarceration

Black, non-Latino 83%

Latino 27%

$ IncomeExpected Increase Attributable to Equitable Access

With High School Diploma 37%

Further Increase with Bachelors Degree 63%

White, non-Latino = 100%

Expected Increase Attributable to Equitable Access

Expected Decrease Attributable to Equitable Access to Education

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7

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Expected increase in the percent of the population reported in good health

Figure 4

4 U.S. Census, American Community Survey (ACS), 2006.5 ACS.6 ACS.7 National Survey o Childrens Health, Indicator 6.1. Tis report ollows the practice o using the condition o health o White, non-Latinos as the baseline romwhich to measure the health o all groups. Tis is the meaning o the 100%, indicator. It does not mean that 100% o all White, non-Latinos are in good health. Ithe health o White, non-Latinos in a state were, in general, to improve (or deteriorate), the percentage indicators or historically disadvantaged groups would changeproportionately.8 Potential Civic Engagement is represented by national voting rates by educational attainment applied to adult educational attainment o the state. U.S. Census BureauVoting and Registration in the Election o November 2004; American Community Survey, Educational Attainment Adult Population. 2004 Voting urnout Rate romUnited States Election Project:http://elections.gmu.edu/urnout_2004G.html9 Bureau o Justice Statistics, Special Report: Education and Correctional Populations, January 2003.

I we make the investments necessary to provide to all students the resources and educational methods that weknow make an impact, including access to early childhood education, highly efective teachers, college preparatorycurricula and equitable instructional resources, the social and civic benets or American society will be greatSimply bringing high school graduation rates or disadvantaged students up to those now achieved by the average

White, non-Latino student will, or example, more than double the expected college graduation rates or BlackLatino and Native American students. Employment rates will increase as these students complete high school ingreater numbers, and will increase urther as they complete college. Expected incomes will rise even more markedlytransorming communities. With more education and higher incomes, health risks will decline and longevity

increase. Incarceration rates will all, particularly in the Black community, where currently the lietime chanceso a young adult male without a high school diploma o serving more than two years in prison are 60 percent.And civic participation will increase, given better educated and healthier people in historically disadvantagedcommunities.


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Moving Forward

he ederal government must make access to a high-quality opportunity to learn a ederallyguaranteed right or every American. Tis data should serve as an eye-opener or every ederalstate and local policymaker grappling with decisions on educational priorities. We cannot have

equity without quality. And we cannot have true quality without real equity. Failure to provide the

opportunity to learn has dire consequences and direct economic costs that are clearly summarized

in the Schott Foundation report. Unortunately, a very real gap remains in the availability o

educational opportunities or ar too many young people.

Access to a high-quality public education should be a guaranteed right or every American

regardless o their race, socio-economic status, or zip code. Our students cannot access the pathways

to success without the opportunities to reach those paths.

Moving orward, the ederal government is being called to develop and implement a nationa

opportunity to learn index resource accountability systems to track student access to core

educational resources. As part o this call the ollowing recommendations are presented

Te ederal government and community advocates should support, monitor and trac

states in the adoption and implementation o opportunity to learn plans or their states

Te ederal government and community advocates should take steps to ensure that states

and localities are achieving the highest return on investments rom taxpayer dollars. With

such data, policymakers, advocates and educators are equipped with the inormation

necessary to close the opportunity gap and improve public education or all students

A similar rame should be used to certiy that charter and magnet schools are opportunity

to learn schools; corporation and local businesses are opportunity to learn businesses

communities are building opportunity to learn environments; and amilies and parents are

ostering opportunity to learn homes.

Noting that President Obama has set a national goal or the United States to produce the

highest proportion o college graduates in the world by 2020, advocates called on the Presiden

to immediately establish a National Interagency Commission on the Opportunity to Learn to

determine the necessary sustained investments, coordination and partnerships to ensure tha

students in all states have a air and substantive opportunity to learn by 2020.

Te Federal Government should establish an Opportunity to Learn Education rust Fund to

provide resources to states to support the implementation o the state Opportunity to Learn

Resource Equity Plans and stabilize the implementation o the plans during economic down

times.

As a nation, we now recognize that the strength o our public schools is directly and inextricably

linked to our social, civic and economic strength. We are a stronger nation and global citizen

economically and sociallywith a better-educated citizenry where all Americans have access to

the pathways o success and opportunity. I every child is to have an opportunity or success, every

student MUS rst receive a true opportunity to learn.

For the ull Opportunity To Learn report and more inormation on your states perormance

go towww.OTLstatereport.org.

Documents

Schott Lost Opp Combo8 09