Against all odds: reversing low achievement of one school's Native American students

School Administrator, Jan, 2005 by William H. Parrett

While Lapwai Elementary has experienced significant gains, the district's middle and high schools also have progressed. Between 1999 and 2004, Lapwai 10th graders' reading achievement elevated from 38 percent to 67 percent scoring at the advanced and proficient levels on state-required assessments. During the same time, reading achievement of 8th grade students increased from 35 percent to 53 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. Language usage has grown to a 66 percent proficiency pass rate for grades 7 through 10.

By design, the early work of improvement focused on the elementary level, building trust and getting families better connected with school. Most external funding was targeted for elementary interventions. The secondary schools have proven more difficult to affect due to the typical circumstances found at this level: content-driven classrooms, diminished home-school connections and the challenges of adolescence.

Profound Influence

While the work of school improvement manifests differently in districts and schools, the importance of effectively leading the confluence of the eight components is critical to influencing achievement gains for minority students. The work of Rick DuFour, Michael Fullan, Kati Haycock and Richard Stiggins profoundly complement and influence Lapwai's progress toward the successful implementation of these components.

Successfully educating underachieving minority students presents a most formidable challenge to public school educators, yet it is not insurmountable. Any school district can attain and sustain these successes if they employ the pattern of improvement components, as did Lapwai, in their classrooms and schools.

William Parrett is professor of education and director of the Center for School Improvement and Policy Studies at Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725. E-mail: wparret@boisestate.edu. He is co-author of an upcoming book, Teaching the Children of Poverty: Catching Up the Kids Left Behind (National Education Service). The author gratefully acknowledges the help of faculty colleague Robert Barr and Harold Ott and Teri Wagner, superintendent and curriculum director, respectively, of tapwai Schools in preparing this article.