NEWS
Einstein Pushes Students to Raise Achievement and Graduate
Albert Einstein High School officials are bolstering efforts to meet tightening federal and state education standards as it becomes apparent that nearly 17 percent of the school's seniors are in jeopardy of not graduating in June.
Administrators say 68 of the school's 402 seniors may not receive a diploma in June because they have not passed subject tests in four core areas that take effect as a Maryland graduation requirement this year. The possibility that Einstein's graduation rate may drop is driving a focused intervention campaign that was detailed at a PTSA meeting earlier this year. It includes one-on-one student meetings with the principal, special mentoring teams of teachers, additional tutoring and administration of the High School Assessment tests (HSA's), and warning letters sent through registered mail to parents and guardians.
Seniors will be able to take the HSA's in the required core subjects of reading, algebra, government and biology several more times through the spring. They also may qualify to complete what's called a bridge project in a subject area if they have not passed the HSA after repeated test-taking.
"I wouldn't say the situation is dire or bleak, but it is urgent," said Tamitha Campbell, the school's staff development teacher who works with data, teachers and the school's improvement plan. "These students can't wait until the last critical moment, which seems to be the attitude of some."
The push to help lagging seniors meet new graduation requirements is part of Einstein's broader effort to meet rising standards mandated by federal education reform. The seven-year-old No Child Left Behind Law requires that schools show sufficient progress every year in closing the achievement gap among all groups of students by 2014.
As administrators assessed the situation in late January, Campbell said the school's progress report of its seniors' performance levels for reading and math would not meet federal requirements for demonstrating "adequate yearly progress."
"We just have to move forward," said Campbell, who spoke at the PTSA meeting in late January along with Principal James Fernandez and other senior administrators. "You want to consistently show these kids are making adequate yearly progess every year."
The school has to meet annual benchmarks for progress among students overall -- something that it does easily. The harder objective is to show rising achievement among subgroups of students based on ethnicity, special education, English proficiency and income levels.
Einstein showed adequate yearly progress among all its student groups last school year, but did not meet benchmarks for its special education students and English language learners in 2006-2007. Among its English language learner students, Einstein has a sizable number who lagged in formal education in their native countries, compounding their task to develop academically here while learning a new language.
In addition, Hispanics and African American students generally fall below their white and Asian peers, a gap that's evident across the country.
"The subgroups will continue to be a struggle," said Campbell. Because performance levels must rise to close the achievement gap by 2014, Einstein gets help from the countywide Office of School Performance to boost achievement.
The effort has Einstein administrators analyzing student data that touches on nearly every facet of school life -- which student groups have poor attendance records, who's taking advanced level courses, who's getting suspended and who can't participate in extracurricular activities because of low grades. Administrators have developed a series of charts detailing their review. (The Powerpoint is posted here .)
There are signs of progress with student performance and participation levels on the SAT, with SAT coordinator Mildred Charley-Greene arranging practice tests and focusing on where students need help. The number of suspended students has fallen this year, compared to last. School officials have ramped up counseling to help chronically absent students get back into class to earn credit for course work. They're also mentoring a group of African American and Hispanic students to help them push their so-so performance into high achievement.
"The extensive intervention efforts here at Einstein are unprecedented," said Campbell. "It really is to get our kids to understand earlier, rather than later, that there are consequences to delay and procrastination. You can't wait until the last minute."
For questions and comments about your student's performance, contact assistant principals Linda Jasper, Brian Thomas or Kimberly Hayden-Williams, with contact information listed below.
2008-2009