Committee of the Whole Hearing:

PR 24-393, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant Confirmation

Resolution of 2021

Jessica Giles

State Director

Education Reform Now DC

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, members, and staff of the Committee of the Whole; my name is Jessica Giles. I am a ward seven resident and the State Director of Education Reform Now DC, a non-profit organization fighting for a just and equitable public education system for all D.C. students. I am pleased to provide testimony in support of the appointment of Dr. Christina Grant as State Superintendent.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) was formed in 2007. It is an essential education agency that is key to helping spur innovation and progress in public education in the District of Columbia. OSSE is charged with: ensuring public schools receive federal funding, providing access to high-quality child care, developing state-level standards aligned with school, college, and workforce readiness expectations; administering the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College (PARCC) exam; and providing special education transportation – just to name a few of its responsibilities. Under the steady leadership of former Superintendent Hanseul Kang, OSSE has improved. Now, with the appointment of Dr. Christina Grant, OSSE has an opportunity to build upon this strong foundation. Dr. Grant’s experience, first as a teacher and most recently as a senior executive leader at The School District of Philadelphia, makes her a strong candidate for this position. I feel confident that she can lead OSSE to new heights.

We’re at a critical inflection point in D.C.’s history. Over and over again, I hear D.C. parents saying they want to know that their child is attending a safe and high-quality school. And while most parents and guardians are relieved that students are finally learning in -person, they are frustrated that our education system does not always feel accountable to them. We hope that under the leadership of Dr. Grant, OSSE will, at a minimum:

In closing, now more than ever, it is important that OSSE have stability in its leadership.  Acting Superintendent Grant is the third person in this position in the last year and half.  As we emerge from the pandemic, OSSE must remain stable for all our students, teachers, school leaders, and staff. I hope the DC Council will confirm this appointment quickly. Thank you for allowing me to testify regarding PR 24-393, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Christina Grant Confirmation Resolution of 2021. I am happy to answer any questions.

 

[1] Only 30 percent of fourth-graders in D.C. scored at or above proficiency levels on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2019.

[2] The 74 Million. “Giles: Schools in Washington, D.C. Are Facing a Reading Crisis. The District’s New Literacy Initiatives Could Change That.” Source: https://www.the74million.org/article/giles-schools-in-washington-d-c-are-facing-a-reading-crisis-the-districts-new-literacy-initiatives-could-change-that/

[3] On December 10, 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which updated the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, was signed into law by President Obama. Under the strong guidance of the DC State Board, and through many countless hours of stakeholder input and buy-in, the DC School Report Card and STAR Framework was launched in December 2018 to give parents, communities, and policymakers a tool that provides important information about school performance. It includes metrics like PARCC data that can be reliably and validly measured, information on student subgroups — which is incredibly important for assessing equity, measures academic growth, and provides additional funding to schools with a one star rating.

New York, New York (February 25, 2021) – Today, Leaders of Color (LOC) announced the second-ever roster of fellows for its New York chapter.

LOC New York proudly welcomes into the program Cristina M. Arroyo Rodriguez, Morgan Bass Roper, Kisha Chandler, Maria Del Valle, Sean Farrow, Soribel Genao, Althema Goodson, Fayth Henderson, Esmeralda Herrera, Ohilda Holguin, Erica Johnson, Trenee Chimere Lurry, Myriah Martin, Kimberly McCoy, Leslie Maxine Mercado, Jordan Pineda, Stephanay Slade-Louis, Ashley Raquel Gómez, Christian Vargas, and Davonte Williams

“We are so pleased to have such high-caliber and compassionate individuals who are pledging themselves to the Leaders of Color program,” said Leaders of Color New York Director Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez. “These 20 people have between them not only a rich and diverse pool of experience, but they each also have a deep commitment to bettering their communities for the sake of every resident within them. I cannot wait to see what these talented and thoughtful trainees will do in the future, and I have every confidence that they all will go on to positively change it.”

About the Cohort

Cristina M. Arroyo Rodriguez was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She moved to Boston, MA to earn her BA in English and Psychology and then her MA in Psycholinguistics. She then moved to New York to work as an editor until she decided to pursue Industrial and Organizational Psychology at CUNY. With two toddlers in tow, she completed her MS in Organizational Justice and five years of her PhD in the same topic. Since then, she has dabbled in local Valley Stream politics, consults for non-profits, as well as founded the Valley Stream Justice Project, Ltd. She has worked with local and state school districts, PTA groups, non-profits, and government to enact sustainable systemic change by advocating for fair hiring practices, organizational transparency, and formation of DEI committees for oversight.

Morgan Bass Roper is the Special Events Lead at Democrats for Education Reform. She plans and executes events to support the organization’s fundraising, community outreach and internal team development efforts and co-leads the organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, working to implement policies and practices that promote a workplace culture of inclusivity and interdependence. Prior to joining DFER, Morgan worked as a Foundation Manager for Madison Square Garden’s Garden of Dreams Foundation, where she ideated, developed and produced community and youth-oriented events for the New York Knicks, New York Rangers and New York Liberty. Though Morgan is a Los Angeles native, she achieved “official” New Yorker status as she marked 10 years of New York residence in summer 2020. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kisha Chandler is the Operations Project Manager in the School of Business at Molloy College, her place of employment for 15 years. In her primary role, she oversees the daily operation of the office including developing and managing the department’s budget. Before joining Molloy College, Kisha held a number of administrative positions in the corporate and non-profit sectors. She has also worked as a science, social studies, and essay writing instructor for students in grades 4-12. Kisha received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Queens College, her Master of Science in Childhood Education, and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management both from Molloy College. She is also a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

Maria Del Valle is an activist, mother, musician, teacher, consultant, and social entrepreneur. Maria is originally from Puerto Rico, and based in New York City and she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Florida, and Master’s Degree in Childhood Education from Brooklyn College. Maria has 10 years of teaching experience founding music programs in international schools, charter schools, and El Sistema Programs throughout New York City and abroad. She is the Founder of Project Shine International, an arts consulting and international exchange program, and Shine on Kids Arts Initiative, a community-based arts program for children and families based in Uptown Manhattan. In 2020, Maria was named a quarter finalist by the RECORDING ACADEMY© and THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION© Music Educator Award and am a winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award.

Sean Farrow is a public defender in Manhattan with the Legal Aid Society where he has, for the past four years, researched and drafted various legal documents, such as motions, briefs, and subpoenas on a near daily basis, analyzed case-law for misdemeanor and felony criminal cases while advocating for hundreds of clients on the record and litigated dozens of Pre-trial hearings and Trials. A New Jersey native, Sean has turned New York into his home, specifically Harlem where he volunteers within the community doing free legal clinics and educational workshops as well as tutor first generation students in English.

Soribel Genao is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Provost Diversity Fellow at CUNY Queens College. Her research has focused on examining the inclusive, equitable and diverse systemic issues in and reform of urban schools while assessing administrative, educational, and community collaborations that facilitate more positive academic and behavioral outcomes such as student retention in marginalized communities. She has institutionally led the development of a dual master’s and certificate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on Bilingual Education programs at the P-20 level at Queens College. Her national and international work focused on intersectionality that amplifies the ways identities interconnect to influence each person’s diverse experiences. Soribel also co-edited a book (Re)Building Bi/Multilingual Leaders for Socially Just Communities, which has been noted in TC Records Review and used across the nation as a course text.

Althema Goodson, MSOL, is currently serving her first three-year term as an Elected Trustee of the Ossining Public Library, Co-Chair of the Equity Task Force in Ossining, Co-Chair of the Landlord Tenant Relationship Council and utilizing her many talents and passions by sitting on advisory boards, Althema has worked in non-profit consulting, engineering administration, as a Director at the Westchester County Bar Association, in banking, and, currently, works in contact tracing for COVID-19. Althema also started her own consulting company, The Goodson Agency, which is currently helping business owners with creative strategies and development. She also co-founded the Juneteenth Council, which brings awareness to Juneteenth, and promotes social justice, civil rights, and more. After earning her master’s degree in 2008, inspired by a personal encounter with health challenges, Althema decided to focus on advocacy and, in particular, health disparities while also bringing awareness to invisible warriors.

Fayth Henderson serves as the Director of Strategic Alliance and Collaborative Partnerships for the 67th Precinct Clergy Council also known as the GodSquad. which is a group of clergy from across the East Flatbush/Flatbush area of Brooklyn whose sole purpose is to reduce gun violence in the community. Fayth’s role is creating unique partnerships that align with the mission and vision of the organization within the community. Fayth also works at the Office of the NYC Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams and serves and assists in organizing faith leaders and the faith community across NYC.

Esmeralda Herrera was born and raised in the Bronx and is an ecosystem builder who works at the intersection of business and social impact to support local entrepreneurs. As Director of Programs and Community Relations at Communitas America, Esmeralda manages an accelerator in the Bronx that works directly with founders—primarily women and entrepreneurs of color—to help build, launch, and expand social ventures that reach vulnerable communities. Esmeralda Herrera is driven by innovative approaches to creating impact. She is passionate about equity and social justice to ensure vulnerable communities have opportunities to flourish. Previously she worked with international organizations in India and China that empower local change makers to revitalize their local economy.

Ohilda Holguin is an education consultant and professional development trainer, author, keynote speaker, and wellness coach. Ohilda worked in the field of fighting domestic violence for over 15 years, managed after-school programs, and taught middle school reading before entering the world of educational publishing and technology for the last twelve years. Currently, she is a Breathe for Change trainee where she is studying to be certified in yoga and social emotional learning and is in a mindfulness training program at Mindful Schools. Ohilda is also working on her Health Coach Certification at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She develops powerful leadership trainings, health & wellness coaching programs and consultations.

Erica Johnson has been serving the public since she was 8 years old, when she started handing out home cooked meals to local homeless people in her neighborhood. While she has worked in a variety of fields with include corporate, government, and non-profit organizations, she always finds a way to bring social justice and cultural perspectives to all her roles. When weather threatened the lives of Puerto Ricans, she created the Hurricane Maria Supply Drive to bring much-needed supplies to people on the island. Ten years ago, when civil and social unrest erupted across the country, she became a Legal Observer with the National Lawyers Guild to help protect people’s first amendment rights. Now, she is grateful to join the Leaders of Color to help advocate for not just better education but also access to education.

Trenee Chimere Lurry has been an educator in the field of special education for eight years. Trenee’s desire for greater was fueled by the understanding that representation matters, and as an African-American female there is a need for her to be a leader. As she embarked on this journey into leadership, it revealed her passion for diversity equity and inclusion. This was discovered through her studies of cultural competence and culturally relevant pedagogy. Trenee will graduate with her Master’s Degree in Education and her principal certification in May 2021. While completing her Master’s degree she formed the school district’s DEI committee, where Trenee holds an executive position.

Myriah Martin is from Brooklyn, and is a Temple University graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in African American Studies/Africology. While at Temple University, she was the Black Student Union President and the Student Ambassador for the Department of African American Studies at the National Council of Black Studies Conference. She presented her graduate proposal, “Urban Holism: Radical Reformation on Urban Policy Pedagogies” which highlighted her passion for public policy reform focused on arts, education and sustainable growth within Black urban communities. She is currently a teacher in the New York Department of Education and is pursuing her master’s degree in Liberal arts with a concentration in Cultural Anthropology at SUNY Empire State College.

Kimberly McCoy is an attorney, special educator, and parent of a child with autism. She brings over 10 years of experience in special education, ranging from early childhood evaluator and home-based ABA instructor to Special Education teacher and administrator. She attended City College for her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Special Education and earned her J.D. at Seton Hall University School of Law.

Leslie Maxine Mercado is a Puerto Rican raised in the Bronx, and has held titles as a Field Manager/Canvasser representing candidates and motivating people to vote. Leslie was brought up in the public school system in the Bronx; she also went to Rye High School and graduated with honors in Yonkers, Greenburgh-North Castle. Leslie then attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and Hostos College in the Bronx. Leslie speaks with people in her community in order to strengthen their abilities to help bring changes to the Bronx. She knows that by working together we can affect positive change in communities that will work towards a better quality of life for all residents.

Jordan Pineda started his career teaching high school English for three years in Title I schools before entering education management. In his time outside of the classroom he has recruited teachers of color and also spent time as an equity coach for first year teachers. Jordan has since transitioned into policy and works with states and localities across the country identifying, aligning, and scaling equity centric policies that impact young people of color. Jordan was the youngest candidate and first Latino to ever run the Board of Education in Charlotte, North Carolina and he has played an active role in generating grassroots support for equitable school reform in segregated schools. He proudly serves on the board of multiple nonprofits dedicated to education reform and elevating youth voice. Slated to earn his M.Ed from Harvard University this fall, Jordan is researching progressive policy reforms for racially isolated schools and students of color. Jordan earned his B.A. in Sociology and concentrated in education equity at Wake Forest University.

Stephanay Slade-Louis is applying to a master’s programs with a focus in International Relations. She has studied at The New School in New York, majoring in Theater and minoring in Political Science. Born and raised in New York, Stephanay is passionate about pushing culture forward through conversations and different mediums of art.

Ashley Raquel Gómez was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Ashley is a recent graduate from Brooklyn College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a minor in Political Science. Ashley’s goal is to become more involved in her community and create a change for her younger peers, by advocating for resources in schools and poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

Cristian Vargas is from Brooklyn, New York. He is a Boston University senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Cristian is a writer, photographer, and idea creator. Since the beginning of quarantine, he has been writing a novel about contemporary life in New York City. He is really passionate about the arts and thinks it’s important to advocate for equitable arts programs in all schools.

Davonte Williams was born in Denver to a single mother with an 8th grade education and has experienced the many pitfalls a lack of education entails throughout his life. Davonte graduated Magna Cum Laude at Berkeley College with a degree in Business Administration and has recently been hired to the operations team at Classical Charter School II in the South Bronx where he hopes to discern, firsthand, the educational needs of that grossly underserved community. Davonte also supports local black owned businesses throughout New York City through his Instagram network @black.excellence.nyc, while also developing his own brand of interactive décor on Instagram @the_ironbonzai. Davonte hopes to further his education in order to better improve the educational and socio-economic status of his peers and young scholars.

About Leaders of Color

The Leaders of Color (LOC) program recruits Black and Brown leaders for public office. These leaders are respected in their communities and are provided a suite of resources to help win elections and increase their influence. Not only are community-based leaders uniquely essential to the sustainability of education reform, local leaders who support reform values are also the least likely to receive the supportive services necessary to launching and winning elections. The LOC training program is the launch of our long-term development to unapologetically usher in a new, bold group of Black and Latino elected officials.

LOC provides 70-plus hours of training content, delivered over a span of five months with in-person training weekends, focuses on cultivating leadership abilities, building education policy knowledge, and honing campaigning skills — all with an equity lens.

 

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January 22, 2021

Dear Interim State Superintendent of Education Shana Young,

I am pleased to submit a public comment on behalf of Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC) about the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) State Plan Addendum and Waiver. ERN DC is a non-profit organization that fights to ensure DC’s public education system justly and equitably serves all students. We are committed to advancing racial equity in public education and regularly evaluating education reforms to see if they are working as intended for student groups who are most marginalized — students who are Black, Brown, English Learners, and those who have different abilities.

Racial equity is defined as “when race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes and outcomes for all groups are improved.”[1] In the District of Columbia, we are a long way from that reality. Currently, there are unacceptable opportunity gaps between student groups, as demonstrated by numerous indicators: graduation rates, attainment of advanced degrees, employment, health outcomes, and life expectancy. Advancing racial equity in DC is urgent, and deeply personal for us.

We cannot change what we do not measure, and measurement is a key component of racial equity. Comprehensive end-of-year state assessments allow states to gather information, target support, advance equity, and track progress — all for the purpose of improving learning and opportunities for each student. The District uses the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam for this. For the past four years, DC students have made steady improvement on the PARCC exam, but the percentage of students on track for college and career remains low. In school year 2018-2019:

The differences in these scores are profound and underscore how much work is left to achieve racial equity in DC.

District residents have experienced enormous challenges due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but Black, Brown, and immigrant communities have been disproportionately impacted. In December, EmpowerK12 released a report showing that DC students are in a COVID learning and mental wellness slide. Their report revealed an overall loss of four months of learning in math and one month of reading, and that “at-risk students have lost five months of learning in math and four months of learning in reading and are falling significantly behind.”[3] Further, “77 % of students reported they are concerned that their family will be exposed to COVID-19 and 45% report that their family’s financial situation has become somewhat or significantly more stressful.”[4] Without assessments, we would not be able to comprehensively measure learning loss and provide support to those who need it the most.

OSSE, like all other states, requested, and was granted in the spring of 2020, waivers of federal requirements relating to assessment, accountability, and some reporting components on state report cards for school year 2019-2020. We commend OSSE for making that decision, as we are advocates of strong, but just accountability. Recognizing that some of the same challenges are still present in school year 2020-2021, we understand why OSSE is once again requesting flexibility in implementing components of the School Transparency and Reporting (STAR) Framework and other accountability elements required in the District’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)  plan. As such, we commend OSSE for holding firm on its commitment to administer the ELA and math assessments. While we are disappointed that OSSE is waiving the science exam again, we understand that it can only be administered in-person. With that said, we have been unable to track student progress with data for two school years now and are deeply concerned about our students’ future. We urge OSSE to clearly stipulate that these are temporary one-year waivers, and would strongly object to waiving PARCC scores for perpetuity.

Given the COVID-19 related challenges, it is essential for the District to use reliable data from assessments this spring to begin the long and critical process of recovery and to ensure our most marginalized students and schools receive the support and resources they need to succeed. Thank you for your service on behalf of all students. We stand ready and willing to be a partner in achieving racial equity in the District.

Sincerely,

Jessica Giles

Deputy Director

Education Reform Now DC

 

[1] “Advancing Racial Equity and Transforming Government: A Resource Guide to Put Ideas into Action.” p. 9

[2] OSSE. 2018-19 PARCC Results and Resources. Website: https://osse.dc.gov/page/2018-19-parcc-results-and-resources.

[3] EmpowerK12. December 2020. “COVID-19’s Impact on Student Achievement and Academic Growth in DC.” Website:https://www.empowerk12.org/research-source/covid-impact-achievement-dc. pg. 1

[4] Ibid pg. 4

 

Committee of the Whole Roundtable on DCPS Reopening

01- 21 -2021

 

Jessica Giles

Deputy Director

Education Reform Now DC

Good afternoon Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee of the Whole; my name is Jessica Giles. I am a Ward 7 resident, an equity advocate, and the Deputy Director of Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC). ERN DC is a non-profit organization that fights to ensure that DC’s public education system justly and equitably serves all students. We are committed to advancing racial equity in public education, closing opportunity gaps, and regularly evaluating education reforms to see if they are working as intended. The discussion today has focused mainly on how and when students and educators can return to school, which is critical in protecting students’ health and safety, school staff, and the broader community against the spread of COVID-19. My testimony will focus on how the Mayor and DC Council can ensure that DC public schools (DCPS) has a just and equitable COVID-19 recovery by including high-dosage tutoring in its summer plan. We can begin implementing this now, regardless of in-person instruction, and I’ll share how.

First, I want to express my deep appreciation to DCPS principals and teachers for working tirelessly to provide an education to students and all parents, grandparents, and guardians juggling their family and work responsibilities during this time of great uncertainty. COVID-19 is challenging for all students, but it disproportionately impacts Black, Brown, and immigrant communities and has taken a toll on our students’ academic and social-emotional well-being. Last December, EmpowerK12 analyzed assessment results for nearly 30,000 students in DCPS and public charter schools using historical and fall 2020 assessment data. They found that DC students are in a COVID learning and mental wellness slide with an overall loss of four months of learning in math and one month of reading.[1] EmpowerK12 also found that “at-risk students have lost five months of learning in math and four months of learning in reading and are falling significantly behind.”[2] Additionally, “77 percent of students reported they are concerned that their family will be exposed to COVID-19 and 45 percent report that their family’s financial situation has become somewhat or significantly more stressful.”[3] Consequently, we could experience an increase in drop-out rates nationwide and a loss of $61,000 and $82,000 in lifetime earnings, or the equivalent of a full year of work for each K-12 student.[4] This loss of earnings could be even greater for Black and Hispanic students. While white students could earn $1,348 a year less over a 40-year working lifetime, Black students could lose $2,186 a year, and Hispanic students could lose $1,809 a year.[5]

DC must include high dosage tutoring as part of its summer recovery plan.

High-Dosage Tutoring (HDT) is one of the most effective interventions in education. It adds about 216 days of additional learning or 1.2 years.[6] A high-dosage tutoring program works by identifying a student in need of a tutor and providing that student with tutoring daily for Pre-Kindergarten and first-grade students and three days per week for second through fifth-grade students during an extended school day. Typically, a high-dosage tutor works with two to three students, similar to “learning pods” that some upper-income families have used during COVID to mitigate learning loss. DC should provide special consideration and flexibility for students with different learning abilities who already have specific educational needs and supports. High school students could tutor in elementary schools through an elective class or community service, college students in middle schools through federal work-study, and full-time 2- and 4-year college graduates in high schools through AmeriCorps.[7] We urge DC to prioritize tutors who are DC residents and reflect student demographics. In the recently enacted COVID-19 Phase IV Relief & Omnibus Education Funding Package, DC was allocated approximately $173,795,200 for the K12 Education Stabilization Fund. We strongly urge the Mayor to use some of this funding for this emergency intervention and to make this program permanent.

In addition to these interventions, we urge the Mayor and DC Council to invest in education, close the digital divide, and expand mental health supports for students and families. Thank you for allowing me to testify on how DCPS can have a just and equitable COVID-19 recovery.

 

[1] EmpowerK12. December 2020. “COVID-19’s Impact on Student Achievement and Academic Growth in DC.” Website: https://www.empowerk12.org/research-source/covid-impact-achievement-dc. pg. 1

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid pg. 4

[4] McKinsey & Company. June 2020. “COVID-19 and student learning in the United States: The hurt could

last a lifetime.” Website: shorturl.at/vDEX9. pg. 7

[5] Ibid

[6] Sage Journals. January 2017. “Academic Interventions for Elementary and Middle School Students With Low Socioeconomic Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Website: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654316687036.

[7] Annenberg Brown University. January 2021. “A Blueprint for Scaling Tutoring Across Public Schools.” website: https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai20-335.pdf.

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By James Murphy

Higher education remains an important driver of social mobility in America. Everyone benefits when low-income and working-class students enroll in and complete postsecondary training. Those with postsecondary degrees earn more, are more likely to be employed, and pay more in taxes. Racial inequities in employment and income increasingly even out where there are higher levels of education attainment. Too often, however, the students who stand to benefit the most from a college degree are shut out of many of our most prestigious universities and end up at institutions where a majority of students never graduate. Worse, they are saddled with debt they cannot afford to repay.  

While it is important to challenge both the wealthy colleges that are not doing enough to enroll low-income students, especially relative to their size, and the colleges that are not doing enough to help low-income students graduate and succeed, it is also important to identify colleges and universities that are providing both access and successful outcomes to large numbers of students, transforming not just their lives but their communities and the nation as well.

Education Reform Now, a non-profit advocacy organization, created our “social mobility impact ranking” to hold up the colleges and universities that change the most lives, but doing so also revealed hundreds of colleges, many of them very wealthy, that could do more to lift up low-income students. A social mobility elevator, after all, only helps people who get in it.

SOCIAL MOBILITY ELEVATORS DELIVER ACCESS AND COMPLETION

In 2018-19, almost 7 million college students received Pell Grants, which typically go to individuals from households earning less than $65,000 per year. That’s almost half the households in America, so it’s no surprise that about 31% of all postsecondary students currently receive this federal assistance. At almost 200 colleges in our ranking, however, not even 20% of undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients. That’s significant given that ACT and College Board data reveal that tens of thousands of students who score in the 90th percentile and above on admissions exams come from Pell Grant eligible families.

Hundreds of colleges do enroll large shares of students with Pell Grants, and  the vast majority of four-year colleges admit many more applicants than they reject. Enrollment alone, however, does little to increase social mobility. Students need degrees. Liberty University, for instance, enrolls around 20,000 undergraduates who receive a Pell Grant, but only 37% of them go on to earn a degree. 

In contrast, the University of Central Florida (#2 in our social mobility impact ranking) enrolls close to 22,000 Pell Grant students a year and 69% of them graduate. UCF’s graduation rate is lower than many of the most selective private and public universities, but it has a larger impact than, say, the University of Virginia (#156) where students with Pell Grants have a 92% graduation rate but only make up 13% of undergraduates, and a much larger impact than our nation’s most elite universities. UCF enrolls 55% more Pell Grant students by itself than the twelve Ivy Plus universities combined.

To be social mobility elevators, universities and colleges need to provide access to low-income students and deliver the academic and student services that drive higher graduation rates and lead to good jobs after college. Pell Grant student shares as a percentage of overall enrollment in and of itself is an important accountability measure in higher education, because representation matters on campus and socioeconomic diversity benefits students enrolled at individual institutions, but our ranking goes beyond representation to highlight the impact on social mobility of colleges enrolling and graduating low-income students. 

In order to gauge both the extent to which a college has made a meaningful commitment to social mobility and the impact of that commitment, Education Reform Now created a straightforward formula accounting for access, completion, and outcomes. The result is our social mobility impact index, which ranks public, private, and for-profit institutions that predominantly grant bachelor’s degrees. 

We started with over 1,900 institutions listed by the US Department of Education as four-year schools that receive federal financial aid dollars. Our first and perhaps most alarming finding was that only 614 colleges and universities met our thresholds for graduation and loan repayment rates. To some degree, all of the institutions that made the cut qualify as social mobility elevators, since they all deliver largely positive outcomes for the low-income students they enroll. At too many colleges and universities, particularly the wealthy ones that have the best outcomes, their social mobility impact is limited because they enroll too few of the students who would in fact benefit the most by attending them. There are, however, institutions, like UCLA (#13) and USC (#74), that prove a university can be highly selective and propel large numbers of low-income students into the middle class.

Our Social Mobility Elevators issue brief has a full description of our methodology.

Of the 614 four-year colleges that met our criteria for access, completion, and outcomes, the majority were non-profit private institutions. Only three for-profit colleges had a Pell graduation rate over 50%, a cohort default rate below 6.9%, and a 5-year repayment rate of 75% or greater. If we look at the top 100 schools in our social mobility impact ranking, however, the list is dominated by public colleges and universities.

Nine of the top ten institutions in our social mobility impact ranking are public universities. Eight of the top ten are in California.

Some private universities do have a large impact on social mobility.

Some private universities do have a large impact on social mobility. A majority of these highly ranked private institutions have a religious mission. DePaul University (#52) is the top rated Catholic university in our ranking. Georgetown University (#283) and the University of Notre Dame (#355) might be the most prestigious Catholic universities in the country, but their social mobility impact numbers fall behind hundreds of secular colleges that do not share the Church’s mission to serve the poor. 

WHY PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES HAVE LESS IMPACT

The top of our ranking is dominated by large public institutions. The top ten universities enroll, on average, 14,006 students with Pell Grants. One of the big problems with most highly selective schools, which do provide significant benefits for the working class and low-income students they enroll, is that they admit relatively low shares of Pell-eligible students to typically small freshmen classes. It’s disheartening that just 33 of the 59 colleges in our ranking with acceptance rates below 25% fell into the bottom half of the list. 

Highly selective colleges also tend to enroll very few students through transfer, which is an important pathway to four-year colleges for low-income students. Ivy League universities averaged just 188 transfer enrollments per year between 2016 and 2018. If we take Columbia and Cornell out of that count, the remaining 6 institutions averaged only 43 transfer enrollments per year. The University of Central Florida, in contrast, averaged 7,880 transfers per year. USC is a highly selective private institution, but it averaged 1,402 transfers per year during this period, almost as many as the entire Ivy League. 

Low Pell Grant student shares and small overall enrollments combine to blunt the impact most highly selective universities have on social mobility. Too many highly selective institutions that have very high graduation rates and billion dollar plus endowments, like Tufts University (#401) and Washington and Lee University (#602), effectively hoard opportunity. For the select few low-income and even middle-income students who get into these prestigious institutions, the payoff can be very large indeed. The problem is too few are admitted and enrolled. These highly selective universities play an outsized role in politics, finance, science and medicine, so it is essential that they increase socioeconomic and racial diversity. They should expand access by not only increasing their Pell shares but also by increasing their class sizes so more students can reap the benefits of attending a school like the University of Chicago (#421), Colgate University (#550) or CalTech (#601). 

High prestige schools, like the ultra-selective schools with acceptance rates in the single digits, receive a disproportionate amount of media attention and dominate conversations about higher education, while the biggest social mobility elevators want for attention and, too often, funding. 

In some states, the most selective public institutions receive a disproportionately large percentage of the state funding even though less prestigious peers are doing a better job of promoting socioeconomic mobility. Consider Florida. While the University of Florida (#21) and Florida State University (#16) both do well in our ranking, they do not do as well as UCF (#3). And yet, the State of Florida sends much more revenue to the University of Florida and Florida State in state appropriations. The University of Florida gets more than twice as much from the state per full-time equivalent student than the University of Central Florida does, despite the flagship also receiving more than three times as much total revenue per full-time equivalent student. 

Given the financial challenges facing states and higher education in the coming years, social mobility elevators that successfully serve the most students with the fewest resources deserve priority in any state funding formula relative to other four-year colleges. The time has come to lift up the institutions that do more to lift up students.

You can search our social mobility impact rankings below. Please share your shout-outs (or shamings) on Twitter and don’t forget to tag us (@EdReformNowUSA) alongside your alma mater, current institution, or local college. 

Committee of the Whole and Committee on Education Hearing on: 

B23-887, the “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2020”

B23-0921, the “Education and Credit Continuity Amendment Act of 2020”

November 24, 2020

Jess Giles

Deputy Director

Education Reform Now DC

Good morning Chairman Mendelson, Chairperson Grosso, Councilmember Pinto, and members of the Committee of the Whole and Committee on Education. My name is Jess Giles. I am a Ward 7 resident, equity advocate, and the Deputy Director of Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC). ERN DC is a non-profit organization that fights to ensure that DC’s public education system justly and equitably serves all students. We are committed to advancing racial equity in public education, closing opportunity gaps, and regularly evaluating education reforms to see if they are working as intended. I am pleased to provide testimony in support of B23-887, the “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2020” and B23-0921, the “Education and Credit Continuity Amendment Act of 2020.”

B23-887, the “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2020

ERN DC supports B23-887, the “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2020.” Menstrual equity means ensuring every individual who menstruates is able to access menstrual hygiene products affordably, easily, and without shame. So far DC has taken several steps to expand menstrual equity. Currently, pads, sanitary towels, tampons, and menstrual cups are exempted from sales tax; correctional facilities are required to make freely available menstrual products as necessary to detained people who menstruate; [1] and school nurses suites contain menstrual hygiene products. But we must go further if we are truly committed to lifting the financial burden that is placed on individuals who are menstruate. We urge the DC Council to approve this bill.

B23-0921, the “Education and Credit Continuity Amendment Act of 2020”

ERN DC also supports B23-0921, the “Education and Credit Continuity Amendment Act of 2020.” The District of Columbia has an obligation to ensure that Students in the Care of DC[2] receive high-quality education and services, but we know that is not happening in all cases and many students are falling through the cracks. One out of three DC students are not graduating in four years (SY 2018-2019 4-year ACGR is 68.2 percent), and one out of four students are not graduating in five years (SY 2018-2019 5-year ACGR is 74.1 percent).[3] Too many are not graduating at all. These are the very students this legislation seeks to support.

In 2018, Chairperson Grosso convened the Students in the Care of DC Working Group.[4] The Working Group found that DC youth experience many disruptions to education, which makes it difficult, and nearly impossible, for them to finish their classes or even graduate in a timely manner due to preventable lapses in our education and justice systems – lapses that become barriers to education. These barriers include problems with enrolling in school, obtaining transferable credit, transmission of records, and receiving IDEA mandated special education and related services. In this Working Group, agency leaders acknowledged these barriers and committed to implementing about 40 recommendations for ensuring these students get the resources they deserve. Currently, there are memorandums of agreement in place to do some of this work, but they are not enforceable, which is why a legislative solution is needed. This is a current and real problem for our students, and it has serious implications for the livelihood and success of our youth.

ERN DC applauds the DC Council for passing into law the Students in the Care of D.C. Coordinating Committee Act of 2018[5] and urges the DC Council to approve this legislation as well. We also urge DC to continue to support youth by significantly reducing the number of students that are placed in foster care, and are arrested, committed, detained, and incarcerated.

Thank you for allowing me to testify on B23-887, the “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2020” and B23-0921, the “Education and Credit Continuity Amendment Act of 2020.” I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

[1] ACLU. “The Unequal Price of Periods Menstrual Equity in the United States.” https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/111219-sj-periodequity.pdf

[2] Students who are detained, committed, incarcerated, or placed in foster care by the government of the District of Columbia.

[3] Office of the State Superintendent of Education. 2018-19 Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate. https://osse.dc.gov/publication/2018-19-adjusted-cohort-graduation-rate

[4] Students in the Care of DC Working Group Report. (2018). https://www.scribd.com/document/384151747/Students-in-the-Care-of-the-District-of-Columbia-Working-Group-Recommendations-July-18-2018

[5] https://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/B22-0950

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Committee on Government Operations:

B23-0970 – Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act of 2020

November 18, 2020

Jess Giles

Deputy Director

Education Reform Now DC

Greetings, Chairperson Brandon Todd and members of the Committee on Government Operations. My name is Jess Giles. I am a Ward 7 resident, equity advocate, and the Deputy Director of Education Reform Now DC (ERN DC). ERN DC is a non-profit organization that fights to ensure that DC’s public education system justly and equitably serves all students. We are committed to advancing racial equity in public education, closing opportunity gaps, and regularly evaluating education reforms to see if they are working as intended. I am pleased to provide testimony on Bill 23-0970 – Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act of 2020.

While the Human Rights Act of 1977 (Act) has long protected hairstyles and beards, B23-0970 adds “protective hairstyle” to the list of protected traits. Protective hairstyle is defined as “immutable characteristics of a hair texture associated with race, including braids, cornrows, locks, afros, curls, twists, and knots.” While these types of hairstyles are already covered under the Act, it’s important that the DC Council sends a strong and affirming message to Black women that they matter, and that they will no longer be “disrespected,” “unprotected,” and “neglected” in America or, specifically, Washington, DC.[1]

Protective Hairstyles Are An Immutable Characteristic of People of African Descent

Africans have worn their hair in braids since 3500 BC. Many African tribes used braided hairstyles as a unique way to identify their tribe. Braid patterns and hairstyles could indicate a person’s tribe, age, marital status, wealth, power, and religion. During transatlantic enslavement between the 16th and 19th centuries, traffickers shaved the heads of African women in a brutal attempt to strip them of their humanity and culture. Since the end of the enslavement of African Americans, many Black women have survived by altering their hair in order to assimilate better into white society. However, during the 1970s this became less of a practice as “Black empowerment” movement and thus the afro made a resurgence into Black popular culture. A recent study by Mentel on the Black Haircare Market Report “reveals that Black women are most likely to wear their hair natural (no chemicals) with no-heat styling (40%) and natural with heat styling (33%).”[2]

Why Protective Hairstyles Are Important

Brushes, combs, blow dryers, hot combs, curling irons, perms, and flat irons are all tools to manipulate Black hair. While there is nothing inherently “bad” about them they can cause irreparable breakage and damage to naturally curly hair. The purpose of protective styling is to reduce the ongoing manipulation of Black hair, encourage growth retention, and protect the ends of strands to reduce knots and tangles. Protective hairstyles are essential for the health of Black hair and no less important than shampoo and conditioner. There are many versions of protective hairstyles but they more or less fall into the categories of braids, cornrows, locks, afros, curls, twists, and knots.

America’s Long History of Black Hair Discrimination

In 1786, Governor of Esteban Rodriguez Miró in Louisiana passed the Tignon Laws which required women of color to cover their hair with a knotted headdress and refrain from adorning it with jewels when out in public.[3] The United States’ Army Regulation 670-1 in 2014 included multiple rules that banned hairstyles such as cornrows, twists and braids that are worn specifically by Black women.[4] In 2006, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) included guidance in its Compliance Manual that race is not limited to the color of one’s skin and includes other physical and cultural characteristics associated with race.[5] Unfortunately, federal courts are not bound by this guidance, so it leaves room for employers to engage in unchecked Black hair discrimination.

I have personally experienced Black hair discrimination in Washington, DC. Several years ago, I worked in the private industry and, like I often did back then, I straightened my hair while interviewing to ensure I received a fair shot during the hiring process. I got the job but after several months, countless hours of hairstyling, and a few hundred dollars later, I decided to wear braids. One particular day, my (white male) employer at the time unexpectedly rubbed my braids without consent, frowned in disgust, and said they were “interesting” in front of my colleagues. I did not say or do anything because I wanted to change jobs and needed a good reference. Unfortunately, my experiences in the workforce are not unique. A 2020 study by researchers at Michigan State University and Duke University found bias against Black women with natural hairstyles in job recruitment across four studies.[6] Black women with curly Afros, braids, or twists were perceived as less professional than Black women with straightened hair, particularly in industries where norms dictate a more “conservative appearance.”

A Word about Black Girls

From the time Black girls are small they are inundated with messages that their appearance is unacceptable. These messages are reiterated in our public school system. Schools with rigid dress codes can unknowingly perpetuate racist and sexist enforcement that unfairly targets Black girls, causes low self-esteem, promotes rape culture, and fuels school pushout. Dress codes that include hairstyle restrictions are no different. According to the National Women’s Law Center, which conducted interviews with students, parents, and school administrators and looked at the dress code policies from 29 public (DCPS and charter) DC high schools in the school year 2018-2019, found that almost half of these schools banned hair wraps, hats, or other head coverings.[7] While these are not restrictions on protective hairstyles per se, they still limit Black hair in a way that does not promote learning and foster mental wellbeing, and can unfortunately negatively impact school climate. Our local education agencies should reconsider these policies.

In conclusion, ERN DC supports this bill and encourages the DC Council to pass it. Thank you for allowing me to testify on this important legislation.

[1] On May 22, 1962, Malcolm X delivered a speech in Los Angeles, California. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kboP3AWCTkA

[2] Mentel. “US Black Haircare Market Report” shorturl.at/oxE19 

[3] Essence. “The Tignon Laws Set The Precedent For The Appropriation and Misconception Around Black Hair.” (2018). https://www.essence.com/hair/tignon-laws-cultural-appropriation-black-natural-hair/

[4] The Washington Post. “Army’s ban on twists, other natural hairstyles sparks calls of racial bias.” (2014). https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/04/03/armys-ban-on-twists-other-natural-hairstyles-sparks-calls-of-racial-bias/

[5] NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. “Background Resources on Black Hair Discrimination and Bias.” https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/LDF-Primer-on-Hair-Discrimination-Resources-FINAL.pdf

[6] Duke University Fuqua School of Business. “Research Suggests Bias Against Natural Hair Limits Job Opportunities for Black Women.” (2020) https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqua-insights/ashleigh-rosette-research-suggests-bias-against-natural-hair-limits-job

[7] Currently, the “Student Fair Access to School Amendment Act of 2018” law prohibits out-of-school suspensions for minor infractions, including dress code violations but students can still be held in-school suspension, punished, or harassed.

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By Nicholas Munyan-Penney and Charles Barone

Read the full report here.

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Louisiana is one of the first four states to be approved to participate in the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Districts participating in the state’s pilot are free of federal requirements that the same summative assessments be administered in math and English Language Arts (ELA) in grades 3-8 and that all students in the state, with some exceptions[i], participate in the same statewide assessment.

Louisiana’s innovative assessment pilot has its origins in efforts to better align classroom instruction in English Language Arts (ELA) with state academic standards and evidence-based reading instruction to provide more equitable opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. The new assessment will build on the state’s existing “LEAP 2025” assessment system by creating “LEAP 2025 Humanities,” an interdisciplinary (i.e., ELA and social studies) assessment that will consist of three interim assessments and a shorter summative assessment. The interim assessments will allow students to engage background knowledge recently learned in the classroom, an aspect that LDOE believes will improve reading instruction based on a solid body of evidence showing the importance of content knowledge in reading comprehension.

Once LEAP 2025 Humanities has been scaled statewide, local education agencies (LEAs) can choose between administering: the LEAP 2025 ELA and LEAP 2025 Social Studies; or, LEAP 2025 Humanities. Those districts that elect the humanities assessment will then choose three of five end-of-unit assessments that will be administered throughout the year followed by a common summative assessment, which will be substantially shorter than traditional year-end assessments. State accountability scores will be determined through a combination of student performance on all four assessments from throughout the year.

The pilot is starting with middle schools, then will expand to elementary and high schools in subsequent years of the pilot. The end goal is that all students in Louisiana will be assessed using a test that best reflects the curriculum and instructional model of their respective schools.

LEAP 2025 Humanities has some significant potential benefits as well as some prospective shortcomings.

Opportunities. LEAP 2025 Humanities has the potential to:

Risks. However, the assessment also has a couple of inherent risks:

Read the full report here.

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[i] ESSA allows an alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The law and accompanying regulations cap the use of alternate assessments at 1% of all students statewide although a number of states have applied for and received waivers of the 1% cap.