May 6, 2010: Why are some schools chronic underperformers?

>> IN MARCH THE STATE

IDENTIFIED 35 CRONICALLY

UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOLS.

ONE THE JEREMIAH BURKE

SCHOOL IN DORCHESTER HAS

BEEN ON AND OFF THAT LIST

FOR YEARS.

WE RECENTLY WENT INSIDE TO

SEE FOR OURSELVES WHAT IS

GOING WRONG.

7:45 A.M.

BOSTON'S JEREMIAH BURKE HIGH

SCHOOL IS AÒr DIZZYING MIX OF

SLAMMING LOCKERS, SCRAMBLING

INSTITUTES AND HALF FINISHED

CONVERSATIONS.

KEEPING TRACK OF IT ALL,

HEAD MASTER LINDSA McINTYRE.

 

>> COME ON, I NEED YOU WHERE

YOU BELONG.

GOOD MORNING.

 

>> Rooney: IT IS HER FIRST

YEAR AT THE HELM OF THE

BURKE, A SCHOOL LOCATED IN A

PART OF DORCHESTER WITH HIGH

RATES OF VIOLENCE.

TEEN PREGNANCY AND POVERTY.

OVER THE YEARS THE SCHOOL

HAS MADE PROGRESS.

ONLY TO FALL BEHIND AGAIN.

 

>> IF YOU LOOK OUTSIDE THE

WINDOW HERE YOU'LL SEE

PUBLIC HOUSING, HUD HOUSING.

AND PEOPLE ARE CHALLENGED

SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY,

FINANCIALLY.

AND SO I THINK THAT PLAYS A

BIG PART IN IT.

 

>> Rooney: CHRONIC BUDGET

ISSUES PLAY A BIG PART TOO.

 

>> WHERE ARE THE BOOKS?

WHERE ARE THE RESOURCES?

WHERE ARE THE YOU TENSE ILS

AND THE TOOLS THAT WE NEED

TO GET THIS WORK DONE?

 

>> Rooney: THE BURKE HAS

BEEN HERE BEFORE.

BUDGET CUTS IN THE '80s AND

90S LEFT THE BUILDINGS IN

SHAMBLES.

IN 1995 IT LOST ITS

ACCREDITATION BECAUSE OF

FAILING—i TEST SCORES AND LOW

GRADUATION RATES.

SOME HEAD MASTERS LIKE

STEVEN LEONARD TEMPORARILY

TURNED THINGS AROUND.

BUT McINTYRE SAYS THE

SOLUTIONS THAT WORKED THEN

WON'T WORK NOW.

 

>> THE COMPOSITION OF

INSTITUTES HAVE CHANGED.

SO NOW WE HAVE 50%, OVER 50%

OF OUR POPULATION ARE

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

AND SPECIAL ED STUDENTS.

 

>> Rooney: ADDING TO THE

BURDEN, MORE AND MORE

INSTITUTES SHOW UP FRESHMAN

YEAR UNPREPARED.

 

>> 75% OF THE INSTITUTES

THAT ENTER INTO THE BURKE

HIGH SCHOOL AS 9th GRADERS

HAVE FAILED IN MIDDLE

SCHOOL.

 

>> Rooney: THAT

AUTOMATICALLY PUTS TEACHERS

LIKE RICKY THOMPSON BEHIND

SCHEDULE FROM THE MINUTE

THOSE INSTITUTES WALK

THROUGH THE DOOR.

 

>> SOME OF THE MATH SKILLS

ARE MISSING.

SOME OF THE MATH SKILLS ARE

DEFICIENT.

ANYTHING FROM ALGEBRA SKILLS

DOWN TO ARITHMETIC SKILLS.

 

>> Rooney: YET AMID THE

PROBLEMS THERE ARE SHINING

SUCCESSES LIKE SENIOR

ADRIENNE MARTIN, SHE HAS A

FULL RIDE TO WELLESLEY

COLLEGE IN THE FALL BUT SAYS

HER LOWER ACHIEVING PEERS

PRESENTED CHALLENGES.

 

>> I HAVE AP FIS YOU CANS

FIFTH PERIOD SO IT IS LIKE

WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE A

TEST OR SOMETHING, THE CLASS

NEXT DOOR IS JUST YELLING,

PLAYING AROUND, BANGING ON

THE WALLS.

IT'S JUST AGGRAVATING.

 

>> Rooney: ING AVA VATING

TOO THAT INSTITUTE ITS ARE

KICKED OUT OF OTHER SCHOOL

ITS WIND UP AT THE BACK

BURKE.

 

>> THE PEOPLE THAT COME HERE

AND DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO

ARE SORT OF UNDERVALUED A

LITTLE BIT, AND OUTWEIGHED

BY THE BAD REP THAT WE HAVE

ALREADY.

 

>> Rooney: THE BURKE HAS

THREE YEARS TO TURN THAT BAD

REP AROUND BEFORE THE STATE

TAKES OVER.

HEAD MASTER LINDSA McINTYRE

SAYS IT'S POSSIBLE, IT'S

JUST GOING TO TAKE A CHANGE

IN APPROACH.

 

>> WE NEED TO BE MORE

DIFFERENTIATED.

WE NEED TO BE MORE

INDIVIDUALIZED.

WE NEED TO BE MORE

INSTITUTE-CENTERED WHILE AT

THE SAME TIME MEETING ONE

GOAL, PROFICIENCY FOR ALL.

 

>> Rooney: BUT AS THE BURKE

TEACHERS AND UNFORTUNATELY

PROVE, HISTORY OFTEN REPEATS

ITSELF.

JOINING ME NOW IS THE

SUPERINTENDENT OF BOSTON

SCHOOLS CAROL JOHNSON.

AND JONATHAN SAPHIER, THE

FOUNDER OF RESEARCH FOR

BETTER TEACHING AND TEACHERS

21.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

 

>> THANK YOU.

 

>> Rooney: CAROL, I ACTUALLY

DIDN'T GO INTO THE BURKE TO

DO THAT PIECE.

ONE OF OUR PRODUCERS DID BUT

I HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE.

ONE OF THE THINGS SHE SAID

COMING OUT, SHE SAID FOR

INSTANCE THE KIDS WERE TALK

UP, YOU KNOW, USING THE F

BOMB, YOU KNOW, WITH

TEACHERS.

GIRLS WERE PULLING UP THEIR

SHIRTS AND SHOOTING VIDEOS

OF THEMSELVES.

JUST KIND OF TOTAL DISORDER

AND DISRESPECT.

I MEAN WE HEAR ALL THESE

TERMS LIKE RESOURCE AND THAT

KIND OF THING.

BUT WHAT ABOUT JUST BASIC

BEHAVIORAL ISSUES IN A PLACE

LIKE THE BURKE.

 

>> WELL, REALLY INSTITUTES

CANNOT LEARN UNLESS IT'S IN

AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS

STRUCTURED WHERE INSTITUTES

CAN KNOW WHAT THEY

REPUTATIONS ARE.

AND ALL THE ADULTS IN THAT

SCHOOL AGREE ON THOSE

EXPECTATIONS.

AND WORK AS A TEAM.

I THINK OVER AND OVER AGAIN

WE'RE SEEING THAT WHEN

TEACHERS WORK TOGETHER

COLLECTIVELY AS A TEAM, THEY

AGREE ON WHAT THE STANDARDS

ARE GOING TO BE.

ESPECIALLY FOR BEHAVIOR.

 

>> Rooney: BUT YOU HAVE

HEARD ANDREA-- ADRIENNE

MARTIN SAY SHE'S THERE IN AN

AP CLASS TRYING TO TAKE AN

AP PHYSICS EXAM AND THERE'S

TOTAL CHAOS NEXT DOOR.

WHY?

 

>> WELL, THAT'S PARTLY WHY

IT IS ON OUR LIST OF SCHOOLS

TO TURN AROUND.

BECAUSE WE PUT LINDSA

McINTYRE IN THERE THIS YEAR.

SHE COMES AS EXPERIENCE.

 

>> Rooney: SHE SEEMS GREAT.

 

>> AND SHE WAS A TEACHER IN

THAT SCHOOL BEFORE.

AND WE WANTED TO GIVE HER

ALL THE TOOLS NECESSARY.

SO ONE OF THE TOOLS WE GAVE

HER, INITIALLY IS SHE GETS

TO INTERVIEW TEACHERS IN THE

SCHOOL.

SHE GOT TO VISIT THE SCHOOL.

SHE GOT TO SEE WHAT WAS

GOING ON.

OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS SHE

MADE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT

WHO IS CAPABLE OF HELPING

HER MAKE A TURN AROUND IN

THREE YEARS AND WHO ISN'T.

THOSE ARE REALLY TOUGH

DECISIONS.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR

TEACHERS.

BUT SHE DID ASK SOME

TEACHERS NOT TO RETURN SO

THAT SHE CAN ASSEMBLE A TEAM

OF TEACHERS WHO REALLY ARE

COMMITTED TO THIS VERY

DIFFICULT WORK.

I WON'T SAY EVERYTHING HAS

TO HAPPEN IN THE CLASSROOM.

BUT STRONG TEACHERS,

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, TEACHERS

WHO SET HIGH STANDARDS AND

WHO WORK AGAIN, SELECTIVELY

TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WORK

WITH THE PRINCIPALS TO

ENFORCE THE RULES OF THE

SCHOOL, AND ALSO MAKE SURE

TEACHERS HAVE THE SKILLS AND

THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY

NEED.

I THINK OVER AND OVER WE

HAVE SEEN THAT IN SOME OF

OUR SCHOOLS THAT ARE OUR

LOWEST PERFORMING WE DON'T

NECESSARILY HAVE ALL OF THE

BEST TEACHERS.

AND SO WE HAVE TO ASSEMBLE A

TEAM OF TEACHERS WHO WITH DO

THIS VERY DIFFICULT AND

CHALLENGING WORK.

 

>> YOU HAVE DONE SOME

CONSULTING WORK OVER THERE

AT THE BURKE.

I ACTUALLY WAS TALKING TO

STEVEN TODAY ON A COMPLETELY

UNRELATED ISSUE BUT HE KNEW

I WAS DOING THE STORY ABOUT

BURKE.

AND HE WAS THE HEAD MASTER

THERE FOR THREE YEARS.

HE SAID WHEN HE CAME IN IN

1995 THE BUDGET THERE WAS

2.5 MILLION.

THE CITY OF BOSTON HANDED

HIM ANOTHER 2.5 MILLION.

AND THAT WAS WHAT TURNED THE

SCHOOL AROUND FOR THE FEW

YEARS THAT HE WAS THERE.

SO IT WAS HIRING.

HE SAID IT WAS REALLY ALL

ABOUT THE BODY, THE NUMBER

OF PEOPLE THAT HE COULD

BRING ON STAFF TO HELP WITH

ALL OF THESE ISSUES, YOU

KNOW, THE BEHAVIORAL, THE

TEACHING, EVERYTHING ELSE.

IS THERE ANY OTHER SOLUTION.

 

>> Rooney: THE RESOURCES

HELP THAT HE IS FAR TOO

MODEST ABOUT WHAT WENT ON

DURING THAT SEVEN YEAR

PERIOD.

NOW THIS IS A SCHOOL THAT

DIDN'T JUST TURN AROUND IT

ROSE FROM THE ASHES.

AND IT DIDN'T TURN AROUND ON

A DIME FROM 1995 TO 2002

THEY WENT FROM BEING SO BAD

THEY LOST THEIR

ACCREDITATION TO BEING A

SCHOOL THAT GOT EVERY

GRADUATING SENIOR THAT IS

220 KIDS INTO COLLEGE.

AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

QUICKLY.

SO THE RESOURCES HELP THERE

IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, BUT

I WANT TO PICK UP ON ONE

THING THAT CAROL SAID ABOUT

GIVING THE TEACHERS THE

SKILL AND THE SUPPORT TO DO

THE WORK.

THERE WERE FIVE REALLY LARGE

THINGS THAT WENT ON,

NOT-- THEY DIDN'T START AT

THE SAME TIME BUT THERE WERE

FIVE THINGS THAT SHE BROUGHT

IN.

THE FIRST ONE WAS A

SUSTAINED LONG-TERM FOCUS ON

IMPROVING TEACHING AND

LEARNING.

THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE FROM

OUR GROUP BESIDES ME WHO

WERE DOING COURSES FOR

TEACHERS, WHO WERE DOING

CLASSROOM COACHING.

WHO WORKED WITH SOME OF THE

LEADERS ON DIFFICULT

REVISION ISSUES.

AND IT WASN'T JUST ONE YEAR,

ONE COURSE IT WENT ON FOR

THE WHOLE FIVE OR SIX YEARS.

THE SECOND THING THAT HE DID

WAS FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT

OF MULTIPLE LEADERS IN THE

SCHOOL.

THERE ARE SEVEN PEOPLE WHO

ARE ON THAT STAFF, FOUR

TEACHERS AND THREE OF THE

ADMINISTRATORS, ALL HEAD

MASTERS HERE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND I INTERVIEWED ALL OF

THEM AT THE END WHEN STEVE

WAS LEAVING EXTENSIVELY

ABOUT WHAT IT WAS THAT HAD

MADE A DIFFERENCE TO THEM AS

LEADERS.

WHEN I SAID EVERY LEADERSHIP

TEAM WAS LIKE A SEMINAR, WE

DID ROUND TABLE REVIEWS OF

TEACHERS WE WERE WORKINGING

WITH TO IMPROVE THEIR

TEACHING UNTIL SUPERVISION

AND HOW TO HELP IMPROVE WAS

A MAJOR TOPIC.

 

>> Rooney: CAROL, WHY DOES

THAT-- DOESN'T THAT GONE

NOW?

 

>> I'M NOT SURE.

I THINK THAT LEADERSHIP

MATTERS.

AND I THINK THAT WHAT JOHN

IS SAYING IS TRUE.

STEVE LEONARD ALSO

UNDERSTATES-- LINDSA IS JUST

STARTING IN THAT GROUP OF

ACTUAL TEACHERS UNDER STEVE

LEONARD SO SHE ACTUALLY

KNOWS—i WHAT IT WAS LIKE THEN.

THE MAYOR HAS INVESTED ABOUT

$49 MILLION INTO THAT SCHOOL

IN TERMS OF FACILITIES TO

FIX UP.

BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT

ENOUGH TO JUST HAVE—iHp GREAT

BUILDING.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT

PRINCIPAL, GOOD TEACHERS

WORKING TOGETHER.

AND YOU DO HAVE TO INVEST IN

DEVELOPING THE TALENTS OF

THE TEACHERS.

AND THEN IN BOSTON WHAT

WE'VE CREATED IS A CIRCLE OF

COMMERCE.

BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT OUR

CHILDREN DO HAVE PROMISE.

BUT SOMETIMES IT'S MORE THAN

WHAT TEACHERS DO IN

CLASSROOMS.

WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE

REST OF THE COMMUNITY.

WITH PARENTS.

WE HAVE TO GET OTHER PEOPLE

INVOLVED IN THIS.

BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST DURING

THE SCHOOL DAY THAT'S

IMPORTANT FOR THESE PEOPLE.

IT'S AFTER SCHOOL TO GET ALL

THE ADDITIONAL HELP THAT

THEY NEED.

 

>> Rooney: JONATHAN THIS IS

THE SAME COMMUNITY WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT, THE FRONT

PAGE OF THE GLOBE TODAY THAT

IS TOO TERRIFIED OF

GOVERNMENT INTRUSION TO FILL

OUT THE CENSUS FORM, NOT

REALIZING THAT MAYBE THAT

COULD LEAD TO SOMETHING

BETTER IN THEIR COMMUNITY

BUT THEY'RE SUSPICIOUS OF

GOVERNMENT, MAYBE WITH GOOD

REASON.

BUT I MEAN, IT'S ALL PART OF

THE PROCESS.

 

>> THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE

SUSPICIOUS OF US IN THE

SCHOOL IF WE DO OUR JOB OF

REACHING OUT THERE WAS A

FULL-TIME PERSON FROM '95

THROUGH 2 O 002, JACKIE

BARNETT, JUST IN CHARGE OF

DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS

WITH PARENTS IN THE

COMMUNITY.

THAT MEANT HAVING PARENT

MEETINGS OUT IN THE

APARTMENT HOUSES.

 

>> Rooney: YES.

 

>> THAT MEANT SHOWING UP SO

THAT PARENTS KNEW EVERY

SINGLE KID WAS KNOWN AND

VALUED BY MORE THAN ONE

ADULT IN THE SCHOOL.

AND IT MEANT GETTING PEOPLE

IN THE COMMUNITY WHO LOOK

LIKE THE KIDS THAT ARING TO

HAVE THE KIDS VIT I9 THEM TO

SHOW THAT THEIR SUCCESS IN

LIFE WAS CONNECTED TO THE

EDUCATION THEY GOT.

NOW BY ITSELF, PARENT AND

COMMUNITY OUTREACH DOESN'T

DO THE JOB.

BUT IT'S A VITAL COMPONENT.

WHEN YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER

WITH SUBSTANTIVE DEVELOPMENT

OF TEACHERS AND CONTINUOUS

DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERS.

AND THEN GOOD OUTSIDE

PARTNERS.

WE ARE ONLY ONE OF FOUR

OUTSIDE PARTNERS WORKING ON

THAT SCHOOL.

BUT HE MADE US TALK TO ONE

ANOTHER.

 

>> THE STATE IS GOING TO

GIVE US SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

DOLLARS TO HELP WITH THE

SCHOOL.

AND WE SEE INVESTING THOSE

IN THE KIND OF TEACHER

SUPPORT THAT'S NECESSARY.

 

>> Rooney: WHAT HAPPENS WITH

THIS $250 MILLION FEDERAL

MONEY.

HOW COME BOSTON DIDN'T GET

THAT?

WE ARE SCRAMBLING FOR T ALL

THE REFORMS AND THEN YOU

DIDN'T GET IT?

 

>> WELL, I THINK THE

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS

REAPPLYING.

I THINK WE LOST 15 POINTS ON

STANDARDS.

THEY WANTED YOU TO SAY THAT

YOU WERE GOING TO ABSOLUTELY

ADOPT THE COMMON COURSE

STANDARDS.

AND I THINK IN MASSACHUSETTS

WE'VE ALWAYS HAD VERY HIGH

STANDARDS.

AND I THINK ONCE WE ARE ABLE

TO REVIEW THOSE COMPLETELY.

I THINK WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF

A COMMON CORE, WE JUST WANT

TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR

STANDARDS AREN'T BEING

LOWERED IN ANY WAY.

 

>> Rooney: YOU KNEW YOU

WEREN'T GOING TO GET IT.

 

>> NO, I THINK WE THOUGHT

OUR ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION,

I DIDN'T WRITE IT, THE STATE

WROTE THE APPLICATION BUT I

THOUGHT WE THOUGHT THE

ANSWER WAS A GOOD ANSWER

GIVEN THE STATE STANDARDS.

I THINK THEY WILL RESUBMITS

IT AND I THINK THE SCHOOLS

HAD A GOOD CHANCE.

IT IS A VERY NEEDED RESOURCE

FOR US TO INVEST IN THE KIND

OF WORK THAT WE ARE

UNDERTAKING.

 

>> Rooney: SO THREE YEARS TO

TURN THE SCHOOL AROUND AND

THEN WHAT HAPPENS?

 

>> WELL, WE HAVE TO SEE

STRONGER RESULTS, NOT JUST

ON TESTS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING

AT EVERYTHING FROM INSTITUTE

ATTENDINGANCE, INSTITUTE

TEACHER QUALITY, THE STATE

HAS GROWTH MODELS SO WE

CANNOT JUST LOOK AT ABSOLUTE

TEST SCORES BUT GROWTH OVER

TIME.

I THINK WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE

SURE THAT INSTITUTES ARE

ENGAGED IN OTHER ARTS AND

MUSIC AND OTHER PROGRAMS.

I THINK ALL OF THOSE ARE

REALLY IMPORTANT TO

LONG-TERM INSTITUTE SUCCESS.

 

>> Rooney: JONATHAN.

 

>> CAN I ADDRESS THAT THREE

AND A HALF YEARS AND WHAT

HAPPENS, IT MIGHT GO DOWN

AGAIN.

LINDSA IS A VERY ABLE

PERSON.

SHE WAS A TEACHER WHEN WE

WERE THERE.

BUT WE HAVE IN THIS STATE

AND EVERY STATE IN THE UNION,

A ROLLER COASTER OF UP AND

DOWN.

WHEN THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T

CHANGE AND THERE IS STILL

THE-- AND I THINK THE REASON

FOR THAT IS WE DO NOT HAVE A

SYSTEMICALLY ORGANIZED

PERSONNEL PIPELINE TO

DEVELOP HIGH EXPERTISE

PEOPLE TO FILL THE PLACE OF

THE INSPIRATIONAL GREAT

LEADERS.

AND IT'S NOT CAROL'S FAULT,

IT'S BECAUSE THE

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR

DEVELOPING HIGH EXPERTISE

TEACHERS AND LEADERS ISN'T

THERE.

 

>> AND WE'RE INVESTING A LOT

IN HELPING TEACHERS TO TEACH

WHO ARE NOT ENGLISH SPEAKERS

THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS

THEY ARE LEARNING ENGLISH

SWRECHLT TO ALSO CHANGE OUR

PRACTICE SO THAT WE CAN

TEACH NOT JUST THE

INSTITUTES WHO LIVE IN THE

NEIGHBORHOOD BUT INSTITUTES

WHO COME FROM ALL OVER THE

WORLD.

 

>> Rooney: THANK YOU BOTH

FOR COMING HERE.

 

>> PLEASURE.

 

>> THANK YOU.

 

>> Rooney: ALL RIGHT, WHEN

WE CONTINUE, ESTELLE PARSONS

AND AUGUST, OSAGE COUNTY.