Jay Holloway
: If you think improving student achievement is a difficult task, you may be right and you may be wrong. And if you think it's impossible, we'll tell you how it can happen. Next on Black Issues Forum. [Music]

Jay Holloway
: In March of 1997 Black Issues Forum attended the conference, "Improving Minority and At-Risk Student Achievement in North Carolina: A Blueprint for Excellence." The conference was sponsored by North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education as a way of raising awareness in local school systems and communities concerning low levels of achievement for minority and at-risk students. Over 725 people participated in the conference; 400 of these p articipants were from school systems. We learned that the discussions and input from the conference participants addressed several issues, like these: Introducing legislation that related to improving minority and at-risk student achievement, encouraging replication of successful practices and programs, incorporating more culturally relevant content in the curriculum, encouraging the use of a variety of instructional strategies in the classroom. Also that successful teachers care for students. Minority and at-risk students should be guided to take challenging or high level courses. Also more effective parent involvement programs are needed in the schools. And finally, teachers, counselors and principals want instruction and techniques, programs and instructional strategies and practices.

Male Voice
We hope that we'll be able to come up with something that we can look at as a blueprint for North Carolina. And let me tell you, I've had a chance to travel around this country for awhile. And not many states are taking on the kind of challenge that we are doing here. People are reluctant everywhere to deal with this issue. And I'm hoping that we can sustain the kind of overflow enthusiasm that we have here this morning, as we go back into our locales over the geography of North Carolina.

Male Voice
... and to share the expectation that achievement for minority and at-risk students must and will improve in this state. We know enough to make it so. We already know what to do. The issue is if we have the will to do it.

Male Voice
South Carolina has its curriculum standards, Florida has its Sunshine State standards, Kentucky still is known as a national leader in education reform in my region because of CARA. But here in North Carolina, this is the state where I feel we have the best potential for improving education for all students. And I think you all should be commended for that.

Male Voice
You've heard a lot about the ABC's lately. Well, I want to focus this morning on just the C's. I want to talk about three C's, in fact. I want to talk about celebration, I want to talk about challenge, and I want to talk about commitment. We've got cause for celebration in North Carolina. We've seen schools make steady progress in recent years. I think that progress is best reflected in some of the reports that have come out in the past few weeks. Last week we had cause to celebrate gains in national assessment math scores. North Carolina eighth graders had the highest level of gain in the nation on the national assessment of educational progress in the eighth grade. Our fourth graders had some of the highest gains in the nation and are over the national average, have scored above the national average for the first time. That's cause for celebration. If we get every child a good start; if every child is in a safe school; and if every child has a good teacher, we will take off and fly in North Carolina. If we get those three things right, and we're working on all three of them, right now we are especially working on seeing that all of our children have a good teacher and good teaching. We have wonderful teachers in North Carolina. Some of them may be here today. How many of you here are teachers? Raise your hands, will you? That's wonderful. You've just seen hands raised by the hardest working people in our state.

Male Voice
Well I think Governor Hunt is right on target, in my opinion, when he talks about Smart Start, when he talks about the concept of the Excellent School Act for North Carolina, Jay, it's just crystal clear to me that if we are really going to make the difference that Dr. Hilliard was talking about today, we've got to start with that kid when he or she is three years old, four years old. We've got to start early. Psychologists tell us that 80% of the brain is developed by the time a youngster is three or four years of age. Now that says to me that we've got to pick that youngster up very early and go to work with him or her. So I believe that the programs like kindergarten, pre-kindergarten, Smart Start, working with the home and the school, it would appear to me that this is one of the best approaches we have, because if we can get that youngster early, and sustain the gains that we make during those first five or six years, I think we are on the right course, and that's where I would like to see us focusing our attention.

Jay Holloway
: Senator Martin, tell us from a policy point of view, your view on minority student achievement here in North Carolina.

Senator Martin
Well, it's an issue that's been around for a long time. A number of us have been working very hard on it for years, trying to make some dent in the problems, and part of this recognizing of course that we do need to be able to identify where the problems do lie and really focus some resources on trying to address them. Historically we've not done as well as we should have. There was a presentation today by a person who was very eminent in the field, who I respect highly, Asa Hilliard. And one of the things that he spoke on is the issue of disaggregating data, making sure that you know who's achieving, who's not achieving, and if not, why, so that the resources can be put there. There has been a tendency over the years to try to disregard that and just keep it all together. Say a school system might be performing well, but at the same time you have a subset of individuals that's not performing well, but if you don't disaggregate the data, you don't know and you can't direct the resources there.

Jay Holloway
: Dr. Atkinson, tell us what the goals are of this conference.

Dr. Atkinson
We wanted people to spend the day meeting one another, understanding the issues around improving minority and at-risk student achievement. We wanted to encourage them to take leadership in their respective communities, and then finally we want them to make a commitment and then go back and begin a plan of action to address minority and at-risk student achievement.

Male Voice
The best thing about the conference is everyone coming together and talking openly about the issue of needing to look at the data, the test data, and identifying the students that are in the most need of receiving additional instruction. And with the luncheon speaker, Dr. Asa Hilliard, his presentation I thought was excellent, in that he does talk about how there is no real magic to what has to happen here. It's really more a matter of good instruction, good teachers working with students wherever they are, and providing the best kinds of things we can do for students to make them successful. No excuses.

Jay Holloway
: When you talk about student achievement, it all comes down to one thing. What matters most is teaching excellence; really developing the best teachers. We found out in this youth panel that each of them felt that one teacher or someone really influenced their life to really make a difference. F Good morning! All: Good morning! F Good morning! All: Good morning! F Hello. My name is _____ and I attend Eastman Middle School in Halifax County. I am in the seventh grade, for all who are wondering. [ALL LAUGH] F Let's go ahead. My plans for the future-a few of my goals-I would like to let you know today, that when I grow up, I plan to be a politician. I plan to be a politician. And I also would like you to know that I plan to run for governor of the state of North Carolina, and president of the United States. So when the year comes, don't forget to vote for me! [ALL LAUGH] F I would like to start by sharing a short story with you. Imagine that it's the beginning of the school year. And the teacher is asking her students for information to record on the information sheet. The third grade teacher asked one child, she said, "Whom shall we notify in case of an accident?" Third grader thinks one moment. He looks up and he replies, "I think I would like for you to notify the closest first aid squad." [ALL LAUGH] F A few months later, the teacher asks the class, she says, "How many months have 28 days in them?" And of course one hand goes up immediately. The teacher calls upon the child, "All right," she says, "How many months have 28 days in them?" "All of them!" says the child. Of course, most of us smile when we hear those responses. There's a possibility that the child responding is viewed by the teacher and his classmates as the class clown. But it is just as possible that the child is merely thinking in terms that his teacher and classmates have yet to understand. After all, if any of us is injured, the first aid squad is probably the first people we will want to notify. And it is true that every month in the calendar does have 28 days in it. What we are witnessing is the fact that there's a complex thought process going on. We are seeing the child raise the question and ponder the various deviations that could affect the answer.. This is no easy task for an adult. Yet, we all realize that the greate t gold deposit in the world is nothing but rocks in the ground unless it is discovered, mined, and processed. So to the human mind, with the ability to analyze, to approach a subject critically, to think in abstract and wonderfully unique ways, will stay just another mind until it is discovered, mined, and processed. You know, many children are misunderstood. Not because the adults and educators are not trying to understand and meet the needs of the younger generation. It's a dilemma because of the cha nging times. There are several basic ingredients needed to achieve academic excellence for young minority and at-risk students in North Carolina. First of all, know the needs of each student. Don't guess. Second, all staff working with young minority and at-risk students need to establish a positive relationship with that student. Third, provide a school climate that promotes learning. Fourth, select the right person for the job. Someone that can relate and will motivate and understand the total child. Fifth, show love. Many children are not loved in their homes. They have problems expressing themselves when others express a no-care attitude. Sixth, involve our parents. It begins at home. And finally, do not come to our schools if you don't love children. You've got to get the heart right before you can get the mind right. I thank you. May God bless you.

Male Voice
I'm going to ask you to give me two examples. One example is the teacher in whose classroom you have felt the most successful. Now I don't want you to give me anybody's name, but I want you to give me the description of that person and of your relationship to that person. Then, I want you to give me a description of the person in whose classroom you have felt least successful. I don't want anybody's name, because they are probably still living. [ALL LAUGH]

Male Voice
I'm just trying to get a portfolio here. What I heard from the children was just the following three or four things. You think about it, don't listen to me. This is for them. First I, and this is in no particular order, because I don't know if I can decipher the hieroglyphics I've jotted down here or not, but I heard in effect one child saying that I know some answers that you may not know the questions to. I thought, well isn't that intriguing, because what we do now is we te st children unmercifully, trying to arrive at and determine what are their potentials, and capabilities, and I, and I'm just a simple country boy, I grew up in the east, where my Dad raised cattle, but we knew that if we wanted the cow to get fat, we fed it, we didn't weigh it. [ALL LAUGH]

Female Voice
Well, for me the birth of my motivation and passion for learning was in the seventh grade. My seventh grade teacher always believed in me and encouraged me to get involved in everything that I can besides academics. I mean, I was always a good student, but I was always lacking that extra part which includes sports and after school clubs, and community service, and she just helped me get strong in all that, and from then on I have been as active as possible, and without her I t hink I'd still be in my books, and that's all I'd be excited about. For me personally, a classroom setting that I can achieve and excel in is the classroom setting that offers the most challenging subject matter.

Male Voice
I have experience with one certain teacher. She started noticing my problems, and my grammar is probably what I have the most problems with, and she just said to the whole class, come during lunch or come after school and I'll help you out, and for a couple days I was the only one showing up, so she made a special, like session just to help me out and this was my ninth grade English teacher, and I still go to her; I go into her to write my paper, and I know she's always going to be there to help me out. And she said she'd try to talk to my tenth grade teacher that doesn't understand that I get lower grades than I should be getting just because of the grammar and spelling.

Female Voice
My English teacher. I must say she's the most inspired teacher I've ever had in going to school in Halifax County. I mean, she wasn't a racist type. You know, to her it didn't matter if you came from a rich, or medium or poor income family. To her you were a child trying to survive in a discouraging world. To her, she would help you. And see, if you told her, if you go up to her and say, "Miss So and So, my goal for this semester is to make an A in all my classes," that she would help you, she would take time out of her busy schedule, during the day during her lunch time or during her planning period, to work with you. And to make sure you got that A in your class. She really didn't criticize you. She never criticized. She was always giving you pat on the back, making jokes, to make you smile. There was always a good word there in her mouth to say to you. She has a kind heart, and she's always willing to work with you. That's my most experiencing time in Halifax County ____.

Female Voice
My best experience is this year in my AP US History class. My teacher-he's retiring this year-but he's a wonderful person, at Asheville High we don't find too many black students getting into these higher classes preparing for college. And he encouraged me to join that class, and other black students that I'm acquainted with. And he's always been supportive, whatever we do, I mean he's behind us, and he, it's hard to, in US History, to find a lot of black achievement, because they try to keep that out. But he's one who's always put that in top priority. He's always tried to fit it in. And I mean a lot of people have been, I mean, living in the hills, you don't find that. [ALL LAUGH]

Female Voice
They try to put all that stuff under the rug, and so being in his class has made me more willing to live where I am, and more capable to succeed.

Male Voice
My own best experience probably comes from my business lab teacher, who is here with me today. She's, for the last two years, she has always been on my case to succeed in the plan to go to a four-year college, which I didn't want to do. I wanted to take the easy way out and plan for a two-year college. And she's all on my case, "You need a degree, being a black male in society today, you can't make it today without a degree; a two-year degree won't get you anywhere; you need a f our-year degree or more," and she's always there for me; anytime I need something I can go to her, I can sit down and talk with her, and she always has a smile for me, there's no put-downs known. She'll give you _____. She's not, she doesn't beat around the bush. She tells you what she's thinking and she tells you the truth to help you survive. And I thank her.

Jay Holloway
: We certainly hope you've enjoyed and learned from this episode of Black Issues Forum on improving black student achievement. In North Carolina, yes we do have some problems with student achievement, but yet we have a lot of success. And after today's program, hopefully you realize some of those successes and can capitalize on them. And realize that you're not alone. With other parents, students, teachers administrators, and concerned taxpayers like yourself, together we can improve student achievement in North Carolina. We'd like to encourage you to visit our website, at www.unctv.org/bif. And we'll give you some of the suggested collaborations and phases which DPI calls a blueprint for excellence. And here are the eight phases:

Phase 1: The initiation-build core support.
Phase 2: Develop ideas and specific strategies.
Phase 3: Build community interest and support for improving student performance.
Phase 4: Reach consensus on a plan of action.
Phase 5: Develop the blueprint for excellence.
Phase 6: Inform and educate the larger community about your plan.
Phase 7: Implement the blueprint for excellence.
Phase 8: Evaluate and improve your blueprint for excellence.

I'm Jay Holloway. I certainly hope you've enjoyed today's program. Have a blessed evening and a good night.

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