The Math Refugee Theory

Ugh... state-mandated testing.

In many ways, state-mandated testing can be the bane of a teacher's existence, but in other ways, the data can be used to shed light on issues within a school program. For a few years now, I have been looking at the data from our CAASPP test scores. CAASPP is the state-mandated testing that all juniors in California take. They are tested in Math and ELA (English Language Arts). Our school has performed well in the past compared to other "like" schools in our area and above the state average. But, we have always felt that our students should be doing better. I had this theory that I like to call "The Math Refugee Theory." The theory was that students often come to our school because they are failing to learn mathematics in the comprehensive high schools. These students are transferring in from other programs and testing with us, not really having been educated in our program, and then driving our scores down. So I, along with our math department head, painstakingly analyzed the heck out of our CAASPP data from 2017 to discover if this was true. Does it make a difference if a student attends 9th-11th grade with us versus having transferred to our school in 11th grade? We cross-referenced the CAASPP scores with enrollment information to discover the truth.

The results of the analysis confirmed my hypothesis. Of the students who transferred in from other programs in 11th grade and then tested with us, only 29% "met or exceeded standards." That number is pretty low when compared with the students who were with us since 9th grade, 45.5% of whom "met or exceeded standards." So, our conclusion is that the longer a student is in our program, the better they perform on state testing. The data supports the idea that our program is working. Of course, there is always room for improvement and that is our aim, but I want to focus for a minute on what we are doing right.

So, what are we doing right?

First, our class sizes are small. We have a 20 to 1 ratio of students to teacher at maximum, but often it is less. So, our students are getting a lot more personal attention. Unlike in traditional schools, if a student fails Math 1 (or even earns a D), we do not necessarily advance them to Math 2. That practice has never made much sense to me, but I see it all the time on student transcripts from other schools. That one size fits all, assembly line educational model does not work for everyone. In fact, the system that advances a student to the next level of math before they have actually learned the content from a foundational class is, in my opinion, what has created the Math Refugee crisis. For example, they get a D- in Math 1 their freshman year at one of the comprehensive high schools, they are then enrolled in Math 2 never really having learned the content from Math 1 and surprisingly (she says in a sarcastic tone) they are totally floundering in Math 2. That is usually the point when parents will pull them from the other school and get them into our program. These are the "Math Refugees," they come to us mathematically wounded, lacking math skills and confidence, and in some cases, basic number sense. We totally harbor Math Refugees, and we help them to be successful. We have a course called "Math Readiness" for those students lacking basic number sense, we have small class sizes, and we offer free one-on-one or small group tutoring.

Also, and I think this is one of the most important pieces, our teachers develop personal relationships with our students. When I was a teacher at a big traditional high school, I had an insane number of students. At one point, I had 200 students. I honestly couldn't even remember all of their names let alone develop meaningful relationships with all of them. Our Facilitators have 30 or fewer students (this year I only have 12) on their caseload. That means that I am the "head coach" of the educational team for those 12 students. I have personal relationships with them. They know that I care about them, that I am going to hold them accountable, check up on them, communicate with their classroom teachers, work with their parents, and that I am going to do everything I can to ensure their success.

The last piece of this success puzzle is the parents. At our school, parental involvement is compulsory. It is part of our model that parents be involved. Parents are required to attend Facilitator Meetings at least every 20 school days. They are expected to be involved and hold their child accountable on a daily basis. I think that oftentimes parents of high schoolers feel like they can't help their child, or that they are just kind of done once their kid gets to high school. However, that is absolutely not true. If the parents are fulfilling their role as "assistant coach" on the educational team, then the student has a much greater chance to be successful, not just in math, but across the board. The parent needs to hold their child accountable. They need to trust their child to do the work and put in the time that it takes to be successful in school, but then they need to verify that the work has been done.

So, bring on the refugees. We can help them. We want to help them. Yeah, high CAASPP scores are nice, but they are not everything. We care much more about healing the mathematically wounded and giving them the confidence and support to be successful.          

Reflections: Why a Student Would Choose Our School, and What It Takes to Be Successful Here

We recently moved into our new facility and I wanted to write a blog post reflecting on our school and what makes it so special. This is a much bigger facility, we have literally twice as much space. So, we have room to grow (but not too much, we like being a small school.) Because we have room to grow, I also wanted to reflect on our student population, why students would choose our school, and what it takes to be successful here.

I love this place. I am very lucky to work here for many reasons:

On a personal level, the flexibility of this job is amazing. I am able to set my own schedule which allows me to be the kind of mom I want to be. I have the freedom to manage the logistics of my kids’ varying school schedules, doctor and dentist appointments, and parent-teacher conferences. I don’t have to miss special events in their lives and I can go to them if they are sick or injured. That is a luxury most teachers do not enjoy. Also, because most of my days are devoted to one on one meetings with students, I don’t have to wait three or four hours for a bathroom break like a “normal” teacher.... so that's nice.

On a professional level, this job is insanely fulfilling. First of all, I am surrounded by like-minded teachers. Every facilitator at this school really cares about their students. We all have about 30 students that we facilitate for and we take the task to heart. We spend a lot of time getting to know our students. We learn their strengths, weaknesses, values, goals, hobbies… we devote a lot of energy to understanding what makes them tick so that we can meet their individual needs. We are really dedicated to Personalizing their education. We listen to them. We help them find balance. We challenge them without overwhelming them. We spend a substantial amount of time figuring out what they need to be successful. Sometimes that means giving them the tools they need and getting out of their way. Sometimes it means more direct involvement. I meet with some of my students every 20 days, others I see every week. We do what it takes and we don’t give up. I have seen my students do some pretty amazing things with the tools they are given here.

Why is this place so special?

The most important thing that makes this school so special is the freedom of choice it allows for our students and families. When I get a new student they are often overwhelmed with the possibilities. They are not used to having the freedom to choose how they are going to do school. They are used to being put into a box, used to “thinking inside the classroom.” They don't really get it at first; and that's ok, it took me a while too. When I first ask them how they want to learn, often they don’t know. In a first meeting, I spend about 2 hours with the student and their parent(s). We work together to come up with a Personalized Education Plan. Prior to that first meeting, the family has already met with our director and developed a preliminary plan. We review that plan, look at their transcript, talk about future goals, and do our best to answer the “how do you want to learn?” question. They can choose between on-campus classes at our school, concurrent classes at the Community College or a local high school, home school courses, online courses, vendor services, community programs, or a blend of options. Sometimes I get a student that REALLY wants autonomy over their learning. I have actually sat down and done curriculum mapping with the student and parent. We are still beholden to educational law and state testing. There is a common myth out there that charter schools have no accountability, that's just plain wrong. Our teachers are highly qualified and our students are held to the same standards as students in "traditional" schools. We still meet the state standards, but we decided how. We allow for personalization based on student needs. Now, here’s the really cool part: if the plan is not working, we change it.

Why would a student choose SCA?

...because they can. Students come to our school for many different reasons. Some come here simply because they want the freedom to choose how they are going to learn. Some come here because they want a safer environment. We don’t have bullies here. We don’t have discipline problems. We don’t allow our students to disrupt the learning of other students or make them feel unsafe. This is a school of choice; if a student is a problem and they are unwilling to change, they are sent back to their school a residency. Other students come to our school because they want to accelerate, they want to graduate early or get a good deal of college under their belts while in high school. It’s even possible to earn an Associate’s Degree or have enough college courses completed to enter a four-year university as a junior while in this school without paying for the college units… that’s an incredible opportunity. Some students come here because they are behind in credits and they need the flexibility to make them up and graduate on time. Some students come here because they need to homeschool, but they want the support of highly qualified teachers. Sometimes the parents want to control the learning environment for religious reasons. Maybe the student can't attend classes regularly because they are traveling musical performers or highly competitive athletes. Others come to our school because they are facing health issues that prevent them from being at school for eight hours a day.

What does it take to be successful at SCA, or in Personalized Learning in general?

This school is a truly amazing place to learn, but it’s not for everyone. Some students need four walls and desks, six teachers and six bells telling them what to do and when to do it. Others thrive at our school. They do well with the flexibility and autonomy. They like being able to set their own schedules and they excel in this environment. Others are overwhelmed with the flexibility and freedom. There are really two key elements to student success at our school. Parent involvement and intrinsic motivation in the student. If a student has both, they can really shine. It can be done with only one of these elements, but it is impossible if both are absent.