Ending America's Dropout Crisis Part 2: A Matter of Leadership - Episodes

2012-02-01T15:49:08Z

A look at what can be done at the middle school level to keep students in school through high school and beyond. We will profile middle school leaders, teachers, students and programs that have turned troubled middle schools into models of success.

]]> Ending America's Dropout Crisis Part 2: A Matter of Leadership
Ideas in Action with Jim Glassman

JIM GLASSMAN:

WELCOME TO IDEAS IN ACTION, A TELEVISION SERIES ABOUT IDEAS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. I'M JIM GLASSMAN.

THIS WEEK - THE SECOND EPISODE OF OUR 2 PART EXAMINATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT CRISIS IN AMERICA AS PART OF A PUBLIC MEDIA INITIATIVE CALLED AMERICAN GRADUATE - LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN. THIS IS DESIGNED TO HELP LOCAL COMMUNITIES FACE ADDRESS AMERICA'S DROPOUT CRISIS.

IN PART ONE, WE EXPLORED HOW HELPING KIDS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL CAN PUT THEM ON THE PATH TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. NOW WE WILL LOOK AT WAYS EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP BY PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS CAN HELP BOOST STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES.

THE TOPIC THIS WEEK: A MATTER OF LEADERSHIP. HOW PRINCIPALS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THIS IS IDEAS IN ACTION.

NO MATTER WHAT GRADE OR AGE - SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MATTERS. A SKILLED PRINCIPAL CAN REDUCE THE DROPOUT RATE OF A SCHOOL THAT IS TROUBLED IN OTHER AREAS, WHILE POOR LEADERSHIP - EVEN IN A SCHOOL FILLED WITH TALENTED TEACHERS - CAN CONDEMN STUDENTS TO MEDIOCRITY.

DEWEY HENSLEY:

Having strong leaderships in-- inside our schools, it's crucial. These leaders make the weather in the building. They help to change belief systems. They help to make is so that each child in the building counts. Their ability to step up and say what's important, identify the goals along with-- their faculty and staff, to create a collective vision, that moves kids and schools forward is crucial.

JIM GLASSMAN:

WE BEGIN IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA WHERE ONE PRINCIPAL HAS GAINED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR GUIDING HER SCHOOL TO EXCELLENCE.

IT'S 6:30AM. THE START OF ANOTHER SCHOOL DAY AT ROBERT O. GIBSON MIDDLE SCHOOL. PRINCIPAL LINDA ARCHAMBUALT IS ALREADY AT HER DESK.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT: I love this school. And I've had people say, "You're crazy for wanting to be in an old building in an economically disadvantaged area of town."

I stay in middle school because I know that if I'm successful in helping them make better choices, that their four years of high school are going to be fantastic and that's my goal.

CAPRICIA PIERCE:

We have a great principal. She got the number one principal of the nation this year. And she loves us and she helps us with everything.

JIM GLASSMAN:

IN 2011, SHE WAS NAMED PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS. SHE STEERED THE SCHOOL TO A 98% ATTENDANCE RATE AND INTRODUCED SOUGHT-AFTER MAGNET PROGRAMS IN LEADERSHIP AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES. ALT: THIS WAS A BIG TRANSFORMATION.

PRINCIPAL ARCHAMBAULT ARRIVED AT GIBSON MIDDLE AS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL IN 2004. LIKE MANY SCHOOLS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, GIBSON STRUGGLED WITH A LONG LIST OF DEBILITATING PROBLEMS. MOST TROUBLING WAS THE VIOLENCE.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

I did believe that at some point time, either the principal or I would probably-- lose our life.

CAPRICIA PIERCE:

my sisters were tellin' me, like, there was fires in b-- in the bathrooms from kids startin' them and a lot of fights-- in the lunch lines. 03:02:15:00 And people would get arrested.

PABLO NAVARRO:

Students were generally rude, apathetic, just a lot of screaming and yelling everything and loud voices

JIM GLASSMAN:

BUT VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL WAS ONLY PART OF THE PROBLEM.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

They deal with a lot of issues-- you know, the abuse at home, the neglect, the-- not existent parent because they're working three jobs.

Three families living in one home, two bedroom. They deal with so many different things. It gets to you after a while.

JIM GLASSMAN:

PRINCIPAL ARCHAMBAULT REALIZED THAT STUDENT'S BEHAVIOR INSIDE THE SCHOOL AND THE IMPACT OF THEIR LIVES OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL WEREN'T THE ONLY HINDRANCES TO LEARNING. THE SCHOOL BUILDING ITSELF ... OLD AND DILAPIDATED... ALSO PRESENTED A CHALLENGE.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

I get frustrated because people say it shouldn't matter whether or not the kids are proud of the building. That is a bunch of malarkey. It does matter. And when I first got here in 2004, the kids would joke and say that the G for Gibson meant "ghetto." And they called it a ghetto school. It broke my heart. We had open, exposed wiring. 06:20:00:00 We had holes in ceilings where you could see the sky, and it wasn't a skylight. How can you send the message that education is important if you don't deal with the facility and create a school that they're proud of?

JIM GLASSMAN:

THE FINAL CHALLENGE WAS DEALING WITH STUDENTS AND PARENTS WHO OFTEN SPOKE LITTLE OR NO ENGLISH.

Jane Patterson:

We don't really-- have strong strategies to work with that particular population. And when they don't develop the-- the literacy skills required to succeed in-- in high school, they're chances of-- of moving on to higher education really become, you know, much-- much more narrow.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

80 percent of my student population is Hispanic. And it's a second language to most of the students.

JIM GLASSMAN:

ALL OF THESE CHALLENGES LED TO WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN INSURMOUNTABLE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.

TEST SCORES WERE LOW - WITH ONLY 27-PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS DEMONSTRATING PROFICIENCY IN MATH AND LANGUAGE ARTS.

AS SCHOOL LEADER, PRINCIPLE ARCHAMBAULT KNEW THAT SHE'D HAVE TO ADDRESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE ISSUES.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

When I became the principal in 2006, I knew that we had to make change. And it had to occur fairly quickly for the behaviors to get under control.

JIM GLASSMAN:

SO SHE STARTED WITH THE BASICS.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

We implemented some programs, and those programs included character education-- a-- serious unit on respect. We began teaching students skills that we thought that they should know, and found that they did not have, such as-- being polite, holding a door, please and thank you, excuse me. And once we started teaching the social skills, we started seeing change.

JIM GLASSMAN:

GIBSON MIDDLE SCHOOLS BAND DIRECTOR PABLO NAVARRO HAS BEEN WITH THE SCHOOL FOR 15 YEARS.

PABLO NAVARRO:

Our principal, Linda Archambault has-- been instrumental in trying to change that climate here. And it-- and it's worked.

If you walk down the hallways, you'll hear a lot of students saying "good morning, good afternoon, how are you?" They want to strike up a conversation. Very polite, they'll open the doors for you. That's something we didn't see 15 years ago.

KAMILIA MEYERHOFF:

Dr. Archambault is the protector of this school. This-- this is her baby and that's in a good way. She is very protective of the-- the students, very caring, And she's protective of the building, too.

JIM GLASSMAN:

PRINCIPAL ARCHAMBAULT NEXT TURNED TO THE BUILDING ITSELF.

SHE SOLICITED HELP OF THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM A SCHOOL MAKE-OVER...THE STUDENTS.

ZACHARIAH RAHAMAN:

We also did the beautification and it was-- we really liked it. It looks better than just grass.

We're all really proud of it 'cause we all knew inside that we all worked at it and we had did this.

JIM GLASSMAN:

EVEN PRINCIPAL ARCHAMBAULT ROLLED UP HER SLEEVES.

KAMILIA MEYERHOFF:

Comparing her to other administrators that I've had, she puts more of her heart into this building.

PABLO NAVARRO:

How many times have we heard, "Lead by example. Lead by example." And we believe it and we-- we think it's true, but we won't lead by example. We have to mop up the floor. We have to du-- we have to sweep our own rooms or paint a wall. And those were the things that really reached me, because I-- I realized, "If my boss can do it, then I can do it, too." And that was very encouraging.

JIM GLASSMAN:

BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS BEYOND A SCHOOL LEADER'S CONTROL ...LIKE THE ISSUES THAT STUDENTS DEAL WITH AWAY FROM SCHOOL. MANY OF GIBSON'S STUDENTS ARE CONSIDERED POOR. 80-PERCENT QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED-PRICED LUNCH. PRINCIPAL ARCHAMBAULT AND HER STAFF HAD TO FIRST MAKE SURE HER STUDENTS WERE READY TO LEARN.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

We have students who aren't showering because they don't have hot water. We offer-- a shower here at school. We wash clothes for students when they need it. We go out and buy clothes for students when they need it.

We have students who come to school that are sleeping in cars. So they can't do their homework, 'cause they don't have a light to work from.

We offered an opportunity period in the morning where the teachers come in, and there's a half an hour where they're in their classrooms. Students who have tried to do their homework at night and aren't successful can go in before school and get individual help. And that's made a difference as well. JANE PATTERSON:

research tells us-- the two major factors are what happens in the classroom, and what happens at home. What parents can do is really become partners with their teachers in the education of their children.

JIM GLASSMAN:

ENGAGING PARENTS IN A WAY THEY UNDERSTAND ALSO HELPS STUDENT PERFORMANCE. MANY SCHOOLS AROUND THE COUNTRY OFFER LANGUAGE SUPPORT FOR THEIR STUDENT POPULATION, BUT HOW MANY SCHOOLS OFFER IT TO PARENTS AS WELL?

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

One of the biggest steps that we've taken in engaging our parents is to provide almost every communication in Spanish and in English. I have 12 faculty that are bilingual in addition to the office staff. And that in itself has-- encouraged parents to feel more comfortable coming in.

we even offer tutoring for students where the parents can come with them. And the parents take us up on it. They feel that if they learn that math or the English or the reading that it'll be able to transfer to the other children coming up. 06:03:24:00 And I'm surprised at the number of parents who show up for that.

JIM GLASSMAN:

ADDRESSING BEHAVIOR, THE BUILDING, HOME LIFE AND PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE STUDENTS.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

We started seeing them transform from kids that were in survival mode to students. And from that point, we started working about academics. We knew if we didn't get the culture and climate under control that the academics would never occur in a classroom. And we're at a point now where the academics are the focus for the students here at school.

JIM GLASSMAN:

AT GIBSON, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT HAS INCREASED MORE THAN 100% OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. TEST SCORES HAVE GONE UP FROM A 27-PERCENT PROFICIENCY RATE TO 60%.

KAMILIA MEYERHOFF:

The change in the culture as affected the students and the student performance-- they have more confidence. They feel-- they feel more secure here. They're getting that positive reinforcement that they need inside the classroom and outside the classroom.

I am proud to go to Gibson because knowin' the way Gibson started out and it wasn't that-- very good of a school and no one wanted to go here because of all the bad things people were hearing about it. And now you're hearing our principal is a great principal, got principal of the year. And Gibson is, like, one of the best schools of the nation now. Yes, I'm very proud to go here.

DR. LINDA ARCHAMBAULT:

I think the role of the middle school is to prepare the students for high school and that it's critical for their success in high school. If they don't go to high school with the basic skills that they need, and if they don't go with--to high school with the right attitude and the right work ethic, they're not going to be successful.

We do what we can to make sure that we're meeting their needs so that when they do go to Western or to any other high school in the city that not only are they prepared, but they shine as Gibson students.

JIM GLASSMAN:

HOW DO TRANSFORMATIONAL SCHOOL LEADERS GET THE RESOURCES AND TRAINING TO HELP TURN THEIR SCHOOLS AROUND? SOMETIMES IT STARTS WITH ASKING FOR HELP.

ONE PRINCIPAL AT A RURAL APPALACHIAN HIGH SCHOOL HAS FOUND A WAY TO IMPROVE TEST SCORES AND INCREASE GRADUATION RATES THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP MENTORING PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE STATE OF KENTUCKY.

A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL'S JOB IS NEVERY EASY.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

The gamut goes from being the-- a nurse to a janitor and sometimes to-- to a counselor or whatever. But-- generally it's-- it's an exciting day.

JIM GLASSMAN:

AND PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY HAS LOTS TO DO TO KEEP LESLIE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL IN HYDEN, KENTUCKY ON TRACK TO CONTINUE ITS SUCCESSFUL TURNAROUND.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

I feel like my job as principal of the school is to support our-- teachers in teaching and learning and that my top priority is that our whole school is about student learning.

By constantly learning and looking at where we're at and where we need to go.

LAUREN LITTLE:

Mr. Gay is very active within the student population. He's always out walking around at lunch. You know, checking on everybody. He'll talk to you. He's very nice. He's a good guy, he's a great person and-- he's here for the right reasons.

JIM GLASSMAN:

LIKE MANY RURAL SCHOOLS AROUND THE NATION, LESLIE COUNTY HIGH FACES AGE OLD PROBLEMS.

DEWEY HENSLE:

Often, in-- in rural communities, you have high levels of poverty where there's been-- generational poverty over a period of time there's almost a status quo in some Appalachian counties, for example, where the same families stay at the same social strata over generations. That makes change sometimes very difficult. It also creates a culture or a mindset in the community that has to be changed.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

When I first arrived at Lesser county high school we were-- identified as a persistently low-achieving school. We were identified as a bottom 10 school.

Only 15% of our students were scoring proficient or distinguished in mathematics that year and about-- 40% in language arts and reading.

JIM GLASSMAN:

EVEN WITH ALL ITS PROBLEMS, GRADUATION RATES WERE ABOVE THE 2008 NATIONAL AVERAGE AT 78%. BUT IT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR PRINCIPAL GAY.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

I'm originally from this area and so I knew the teaching staff, I knew the students were capable of much more.

JIM GLASSMAN:

PRINCIPAL GAY SOUGHT AID FROM AN INNOVATIVE STATE PROGRAM TO HELP HIS EXISTING TEACHERS REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL. THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ASSIGNED HIM AN EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY TEAM.

DEWEY HENSLEY

We scour the state and find people who become educational recovery specialists. Those specialists are highly skilled. They go into the school, and they work in math, in literacy, and a third person who's a leadership person that works-- to mentor and support and help the principal.

That unprecedented amount of support to go into a single school is very valuable.

They work really hard to ensure that when they leave in three years-- two or three years, that as they leave, they leave behind strong teachers, a different attitude about the school, and measurable success

Susan Brock:

I have seen dramatic change in the time that I have been here.

JIM GLASSMAN:

SUSAN BROCK WAS BROUGHT IN TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH PRINCIPAL GAY AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.

SUSAN BROCK:

We actually began by something that most businesses do which is looking at a vision and mission statement. You know, without a vision the people perish and that's kind of what we've dealt with here. Is that we do have to have a school mission and vision.

DEWEY HENSLEY

In persistently low achieving schools, really in all schools, but-- it's magnified in persistently low achieving schools, is the idea of culture. A leader and the people inside that building, they create the culture.

JIM GLASSMAN:

PART OF THAT CULTURE IS MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS FEEL INCLUDED AND VALUED IN THEIR OWN EDUCATION.

SUSAN BROCK:

We had to change the mindset that we were not making change or trying to increase student achievement because of test scores. That test scores are just a result of students actually learning and becoming college and career ready and going on to whatever their post-secondary-- ambition is.

TROY NAPIER:

When I come in as a freshman-- every-- it was a really different. Not much work. Not much homework. The teachers didn't really teach you that much. And as the years went on you could tell that there's a big change because you had more homework and teachers worked harder. The administration worked harder. Everybody was just all in one together for a certain purpose.

When I see somebody doing that it makes me want to work hard myself.

DEWEY HENSLEY

If we're able to take those kids from the fringe and make them feel that they belong, make them feel that the school is theirs to a degree and that they're valued and significant in the school, then what we do is we give them that sense of belonging.

Our ability to create that sense of belonging is a first step toward dealing with disenfranchised students who become our dropouts.

JIM GLASSMAN:

WITH A VISION AND CULTURE OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN PLACE, PRINCIPAL GAY AND THE EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY STAFF BEGAN TO INTRODUCE NEW PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

Initially they helped develop processes and systems. And early on in the turnaround process we had so many processes that needed attention that it was really-- important for them to be here to help gain that critical mass that we needed for school turnaround.

JIM GLASSMAN:

THE NEW SYSTEMS DEAL WITH ALL ASPECTS OF SCHOOL LIFE - INCLUDING DISCIPLINE, SCHEDULING, COMMUNICATIONS AND PROGRESS REVIEWS.

SUSAN BROCK:

We work from a plan, a school improvement plan, that's very tailored to what we do here. We refer to it as a 30/60/90 day plan because we monitor very closely every 30 days. We don't work in the dark. We use the data and we make decisions based on the data. Individuals student data and school data.

CYNTHIA COLLETT:

We've changed our communication flow. Instead of it being teachers are not really sure what's going on, we know first hand what's going on. We're always in touch with what's going on with the administration.

SCOTT MELTON:

The administration supports the teachers now a lot. It's not a one-way path. We can talk to them, tell them, make suggestions, and they do their best to-- to try to help us with that.

JIM GLASSMAN:

THE EDUCATIONAL RECOVERY TEAM ALSO INTRODUCED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR INSTRUCTORS

SUSAN BROCK:

ERS stands for educational recovery staff specialist. There are ERSs are in math and language arts

SCOTT MELTON:

Our-- educational recovery specialists, she's in our classrooms just about every day. We have meetings with her at least once a week.

SUSAN BROCK

Working with teachers here and building the capacity to identify individual student needs and work with those has made the most difference.

SCOTT MELTON:

We test children throughout the year, and we find the gaps-- in their education, what things that may have missed or forgotten. We try to fill in those gaps and catch them up to where they're supposed to be. And I think that's one of the reasons we've done so well in the last couple of years.

LAUREN LITTLE:

We've got a great staff here at Leslie County High School. They always, you know, want to help you and if you need extra help they'll-- you know, stay with you after class or help you with problems that you may have.

KEVIN GAY:

We've talked about how the conversations have evolved from management-type issues into 99% of all our conversations are about student learning. If you go talk about to teachers it's about student information, student data that they have, and what we can do to improve. And I think that's a true indicator of a successful school.

JIM GLASSMAN:

SINCE THE PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED IN 2009, LESLIE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL HAS ATTAINED BOTH A HIGHER GRADUATION RATE AND BETTER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

The school's performance is wonderful. Our mathematics percent proficient and distinguished is at 53%-- Our-- our reading scores, proficient and distinguished, are at 83%. So it's been a huge increase over the last two years.

JIM GLASSMAN:

WHICH RANKS THEM 27TH OUT OF 250 HIGH SCHOOLS IN KENTUCKY.

PRINCIPAL KEVIN GAY:

What makes me most proud about the school is our students and their effort and how proud they are of their accomplishments that they've made over the past two years.

We've talked to them and talked to them about giving their best effort. And that's all we can ask of them. And they've done that.

LAUREN LITTLE:

After high school I'm probably going to go college. I haven't decided where yet, but-- probably major in biology. Go pre-med and then go to med school.

SCOTT MELTON:

I want them to understand that just because they're from eastern Kentucky doesn't mean that they can't score well on a test, that they can't go to college and be whatever they want to be. That's the truth.

JIM GLASSMAN:

AS WE'VE SEEN, TRANSFORMATIVE SCHOOL LEADERS SET A CULTURE OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND EVEN THEMSELVES. THIS ATTITUDE OF ACHIEVEMENT CAN GO A LONG WAY TO BOOSTING AMERICAN GRADUATION RATES.

THIS CONCLUDES OUR 2-PART LOOK AT THE NATIONAL DROPOUT CRISIS THROUGH THE AMERICAN GRADUATE - LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN INITIATIVE.

FOR IDEAS IN ACTION, I'M JIM GLASSMAN.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

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