The CT Mirror’s account of Aleysha Ortiz, who graduated from Hartford High School without being able to read and write, should have sent shock waves across the school district. But for those of us who work in Hartford Public Schools, the reaction was much different and echoed an astonishment that the story would surprise anyone.
Aleysha’s experience points to an issue that has burdened the school system for years; how is the district communicating expectations.
A 2005 and 2007 metanalysis by William Jeynes found that there were several factors of parental involvement that were most important indicators of academic success. Parenting style and communication were found to play a key role in student success, but the greatest indicator of success was parent expectations.
More importantly the study found that the subtle aspects of parental involvement were most significant, meaning that it was more than just pushing their expectations on children, it was how the expectation was communicated in their actions. Some of the sample actions that communicated high expectations were sacrificing to save money for college, low stress communication, and general agreement between the child and parent on the value of education.
The effects of high expectations were not just isolated to parents. Teacher expectations also had an impact on student success. Undoubtedly there is a connection between high expectations and student’s success. This brings us to Hartford Public Schools and how expectations are communicated to our students and families.
We can point to research which demonstrates that ninth graders who pass Algebra 1 have a higher graduation rate. Since my days as a high school math teacher, we adopted the practice of placing all freshman high schoolers in Algebra 1. Unfortunately, there is a difference between providing access and raising expectations. Offering students access to gateway courses like Algebra 1 are important steps to affording students a path to success.
On the contrary, grading policies that dictate that a student may not score below a 50, communicate low expectations. This is one of many examples where Hartford Public Schools can examine how they are communicating low expectations.
Another example is how we communicate the importance of daily attendance. We currently tell parents and students that attendance is important for success, while at the same time continue a practice where students can pass to the next grade or pass a course regardless of how many days they missed. Verbally we are communicating high expectations, but subtly our actions say otherwise. Throughout the school system there are many examples of how we have lowered the bar, and somehow expected better results.
Aleysha’s story is tragic, and we all need to do better. Surprisingly, this story came to light at a time when graduations rates have improved. But do greater graduation rates mean better education? Have we sacrificed the quality of education to increase the quantity of graduates? How will we move forward to assure that children like Aleysha can receive the best education possible? How do we make sure that when we talk about student success that we focus on the quality of education, not just quantity?
I believe that the answer is to raise expectations. This means academic, behavior, attendance, and all areas of education where we have lowered the bar. To be clear, raising the expectation is not the cure all, but it is a start. Once we set high expectations, we then need to utilize our resources to assure that students can meet those expectations. We cannot just raise the bar and wish students luck; they deserve much better than that.
Our teachers are nothing less than miracle workers. Teachers must balance social emotional learning, trauma, changing curriculums, and a multitude of tasks on a daily basis. Teachers are working extremely hard and are doing everything in their power to educate their students. Our policies and practices need to reflect our trust in our teachers, students, parents, and school leaders. This trust is the foundation to a healthy climate throughout the district.
The message needs to be clear; we have high expectations, we know you can reach those high expectations, and we will do everything in our power to help you get there. The question is, are we ready to embark on a new challenge, one that will be focused on a long-term transformative approach, instead of short-sighted easy wins that hurt our children in the long run.
Are we ready to analyze our policies, procedures, and practices to assure that we are communicating the highest of expectations? I know that our students, parents, and community deserve nothing less. And I am confident that our teachers, staff, and administrators are ready to work towards achieving high expectations.
The question is, why haven’t we started?
Victor M. Cristofaro is the Principal at Burns Latino Studies Academy, President of the Hartford Principals and Supervisors Association, Vice Chair of the Connecticut Association of School Administrators and General Vice-President of the American Federation of School Administrators.
