LearnmoreMN Blog

Rochester initiative is helping to ensure that students are prepared for the future

By Jessica Ihrke, November guest blogger

Last month I had the privilege of stepping back into the 7th grade classroom to implement a module from the LearnDoEarn program. Although this was a very positive experience, I was quickly reminded of what a challenging and demanding position our teachers have every day. They are truly amazing!!  The Rochester Area Chamber and the business community took the lead in advancing the LearnDoEarn initiative in our middle and high schools. It is a strategic and systematic way to build academic momentum, increase student participation In rigorous STEM courses, impress the value and importance of strong work ethic, and develop computer proficiency and financial literacy. In short, it ensures that all students in the Rochester Area graduate successfully and prepared for post-secondary education, work and life.

Through the implementation of a LearnDoEarn module entitled “Be Great by Eight,” 7th grade students received crucial information they needed to know to improve their educational, career and life options. For example, did you know that adults who did no homework in school usually earn 35% less than adults who did 15 hours of homework per week in school? That’s right! Homework really matters and what students are learning now, and doing now in school every day, enables them to earn more later in life! We also got into some great conversation on low skills jobs and how the workforce is changing due to many factors such as the rapid advancements in technology. One student realized why he may not be able to flip burgers like his uncle in 10+years. It was not because he or the job was not good enough, it was the simple fact that his friend across the aisle shared: “Robots will flipping our burgers.” And this student was absolutely right on track!

We need to continue to share with our students, teachers and parents that we are truly preparing our children for their world. To be prepared for the jobs that have yet to be invented. And to let them know that we need every last student! We cannot get enough innovators, scientists, mathematicians, programmers, designers and problem solvers. We invite you to visit www.rochestermnchamber.com to learn more about Workforce 2020 and related efforts such as the LearnDoEarn initiative.

Please share your innovative education/workforce strategies with us and how your community is positively taking action to prepare your workforce!

Preparing young women for success

By Debra Pridgen, October guest blogger

My mother has repeatedly stated to me throughout my life that, “experience is the greatest teacher.” I have the privilege of working for an organization that provides a vast array of experiential learning opportunities for girls and women. Yes, it is the Girl Scouts. I was a Girl Scout as a girl and then being a mother of four lovely daughters, my past Girl Scouting experience came full circle to be shared in my role as the leader for them and many of their girl friends. How time flies; I’ve been employed with the Girl Scouts for 12 years now.

Some people ask why there is a need for an all girl organization. Nearly a century ago, Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low recognized that developing girls’ leadership abilities was critical for ensuring they would be the positive change-makers of the future. Since Low’s time, the world has changed dramatically. This ever more complex and uncertain world clearly requires ongoing experience, education, and leadership of a new kind.

Recent research shows that girls want opportunities where they can learn by doing and have cooperative learning experiences. Girl Scouts provides these opportunities and helps girls develop skills and a strong sense of self. When coupled with academic learning and positive experiences in school, girls are well-prepared to succeed.

We know about the power of programs like Girl Scouts that support young people. I’d like to hear your thoughts about how we can do more:

—How do we expand opportunities to support kids beyond school?
—How can more volunteers and mentors get involved?

Tracking where all the students are going

By Arnise Roberson, September guest blogger

In August 2001 I began a new life chapter in Minnesota and found myself employed in college admissions. It was not long before my role as the minority recruiter for a private college led me into the counseling offices and career centers of Twin Cities’ urban high schools. In my effort to share the benefits of college I quickly learned how so few of the students I encountered were students of color and particularly African American. I also found it interesting that of the students I did manage to have conversations with, there were even fewer of them that were interested in attending a small college in Minnesota. I was not surprised to learn that many local African American students desired to attend college out of state and at Historically Black Colleges or Universities, thus providing few students to listen to me sing the praises of attending a local institution. Many of my school visits had audiences that averaged about 10-15 members and in most cases only included 1-3 students of color.

Currently I am Program Manager for the Achieve Minneapolis Career & College Initiative. We work with ALL Minneapolis Public School high school students so they’ll have a plan that fits their dreams for what they’ll do after high school and beyond.  I find myself asking these questions, “Where are all the students going”? Did they actually enroll in college? How long did their educational efforts persist? Did they transfer between colleges? Did they graduate from college? What happens to the students who continue their post-secondary careers outside of Minnesota? And how can I find out for sure?

Ultimately, those of us who work with college access and readiness programs want to know if the work, effort and investment we have put in to each student is yielding a good return. In Minnesota there has been some discussion around the idea of creating a common ID number for all students from kindergarten to college graduation. This would lengthen the six digit number that is currently used, thus allowing colleges and universities to share data on students who stay in the state. Unfortunately the conversation has not brought forth any concrete solutions. 

While there is an alarming number of “Vanishing Graduates” in Minnesota, I’d like to focus on those who have endured to the end of their high school careers. I am curious to hear from others regarding how (if at all) they are able to track and answer the questions listed above. Some student outreach programs are turning to the National Student Clearing House for assistance in finding these answers, which seems like the best possible solution. Perhaps the entire country needs to move to a new system of tracking down students and their post-secondary experience.

Under-developed reading skills can be a barrier to success

By Kathy Glampe, August guest blogger

I grew up reading.  Every week during the summer, my Mom would take me to the library where I would check out 10-12 novels. While I don’t really remember this, my Mom told me that I would wake up around 5 or 6 a.m. so that I could get several hours of reading time in before my friends woke up and would want me to go out and play. 

Unfortunately, many low-income and first generation students aren’t being nurtured in this way, and many aren’t reading at all. When a student in the Student Support Services program (SSS) at St. Olaf College reported to me that he had nothing to do this summer, I provided him several novels. When I checked in with him, he said he had started one, but had returned to Sports Illustrated. When he mentioned that he would read if he were to have the DaVinci Code, I brought in a copy for him. (Of course, I also reminded him that St. Olaf has one of the largest collections of books in the Midwest….) Unfortunately, that didn’t get him to read either — even when we talked about the importance of reading to improving his academic success.   
      
This student is representative of many low-income and first-generation students, and it poses a serious threat to students’ academic success.  Theron P. Snell, in a recent article, First-Generation Students, Social Class and Literacy writes that “only about one-third of those from the lowest income group (families with income under $10,000) read literature during the survey year.”

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that reading proficiency has declined in all groups of students. Not surprisingly, the under-developed critical reading and writing skills of many TRiO eligible students (low income, first generation students and students with disabilities) at St. Olaf is one of the areas my colleagues in the STEM fields have identified as a significant barrier to TRiO students’ academic success in STEM. 

Fortunately, I work with many dedicated science and mathematics faculty at St. Olaf who are invested in the success of students who are TRiO eligible. To address this problem, professor of biology Anne Walter and English professor and director of writing, Diane Leblanc, developed a new course targeted to science and math majors from underprepared groups to focus on their reading and writing skills. 

While I am thankful to work at an institution that is willing to focus time and resources in this area, I know that not all colleges are able to provide such assistance. Moreover, this is only one small step to remedy a vast problem. Encouraging all students, especially low-income and first generation students, to become proficient readers and lovers of books is critical to their college success.

What have you seen working for all ages — K-postsecondary? How can we as individuals make a difference?

Tap low-income students for careers in STEM

By Kathy Glampe, August guest blogger

During the past year, I have heard many warnings in the news, at conferences and even in Readers Digest, that the U.S. is losing its competitive edge in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Whether it is the number of engineers the U.S. graduates compared to China, India and South Korea or the investment that U.S. companies are making in research and design, the message is clear—we are losing ground. The U.S. must take very seriously its ability to compete in STEM if it is to remain a global leader.

An important part of maintaining our competitive edge is preparing the virtually untapped pool of low-income students for study and careers in STEM. According to the Louis Stokes Institute for Opportunity in STEM Education, for every 10,000 low-income students starting 9th grade, only 30 will earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field and only 1 will begin graduate school in a STEM field the year after earning the bachelor’s degree. We need to invest in this vast pool of potential scientists, mathematicians and engineers not only to boost the U.S. ability to compete on a global basis, but because it is the right thing to do.

What can we do?

• Encourage your legislators (both at the local, state and federal levels) to support and expand initiatives that assist low-income students to pursue and succeed in STEM fields (i.e. TRiO Math and Science Upward Bound programs, SMART grants to encourage low-income student engagement in STEM, NSF funded S-STEM programs, etc.)
• Support and expand non-federally funded programs (i.e. Pipeline Summer Camp Programs)
• Support and assist K-12 educators to expand the pool of students prepared for STEM fields
• Reach out to students you know and suggest science and math

I would love to hear your ideas for what can be done to address this important issue!

Focusing on the positive

By Jenny Wright, July guest blogger

When we challenge ourselves to take an approach to young people that builds on strengths and opportunities rather than focusing on problems and deficits, wonderful things can happen. Each year we take our Beacons youth from eight Minneapolis Public Schools out to a Citywide Youth Leadership Camp Retreat at YMCA Camp Iduhapi. Youth learn leadership skills, practice teamwork through high ropes course challenges, and plan service projects to complete back in their neighborhoods and schools. 

There is one story that we hear again and again. It goes something like this: 

The youth development workers from the Beacon Center always choose at least one young person for the Leadership Retreat who is not usually viewed as a “leader.”  These young people might struggle with academics and behavior in the classroom, but the Beacons staff has identified them as having leadership potential in the afterschool program setting.  Their teachers may ask, “Are you sure you want to bring that child up to a camp about leadership?” The Beacons staff insist that yes, they do, and the child attends the retreat. At camp the young person hears over an over again that they ARE a leader and they are given opportunities to practice. When the young person returns from camp, the teacher seeks out the Beacons staff days later to say, “What happened at that retreat? Something is totally different about the way this child is behaving in my classroom.”

We know from this annual experience that sometimes just the act of telling a child that they ARE a leader can open up a world of possibility. I believe the same is true of telling them that they can be learners. When I describe the work we do in our Beacon Centers in the Minneapolis Public Schools, I say we “engage youth as leaders and learners.” This is work that every one of us can contribute to. Young people need to have multiple people and places in their lives where these messages are reinforced and where they are given opportunities to practice and develop new skills. By setting high expectations for all young people starting with the belief that EVERY child has the capacity to lead and to learn, we can change the outcomes in our schools, neighborhoods, and society.

Engaging Youth as Learners

By Jenny Wright, July guest blogger

When I was a student in the Minneapolis Public Schools, I loved learning. I believed my teachers cared for me and knew I could do well. I felt safe at school and proud to belong to that community. I still remember actual lessons they taught us because learning was active, interesting, and social.

I can still sing the songs that we wrote for a fifth grade musical about global warming. We learned about Athens in the sixth grade while using our math, art, and language skills. When I was in school we learned the skills that I hear people now refer to as “Skills for the 21st Century Workplace” — critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and communication. I learned to make connections between my learning and the world outside the school walls.

I also grew up with access to learning and leadership opportunities outside of the school day. At home with my parents and other adults in my community. At the childcare program at the park. Swimming at the YMCA.  Summer Camp. Teaching dance classes for younger children.

Of course we know that many young people do not have access to the same opportunities that I had growing up. I believe the key justice issue of our generation has to do with this inequality of opportunity to achieve school and life success. This leads me to these questions:

• How can we ensure that all young people from every racial, ethnic, and economic background have the same access to successful school experiences that I did?
• How will we ensure that all young people have access to all of the opportunities, relationships, and supports that they need in order to become successful in school and life?

Please share your thoughts about these questions by clicking on "Comments" below.

Root cause of the achievement gap

Posted by moderator

In Part Two of his article, At-Risk Sur-Thrival Begins Deep-Down In The Mind, Jon Pekel shares his view of the achievement gap. Here’s an edited excerpt.

“In my view, all too many well-meaning youth programs jump right to throwing time and money at solutions, without carefully defining the underlying root cause of the problem for which their solution, supposedly, is a corrective action. That’s why when I founded MyGrowthPlan.Org four years ago I spent months reviewing the achievement gap research and literature. Gradually, I came to the conclusion that the primary root cause of the achievement gap is NOT found in:

1. The low socio/economic status of some people of color
2. The still oppressive White mainline culture – that is, in white racism
3. Poorly performing teachers and schools, or in the
4. Inherent intellect or learning deficiencies of students of color.

Rather, in my view, the primary underlying root cause of the domestic and international achievement gap is found in some relatively recent, highly negative American youth development MINDSET values, beliefs, and attitudes & LIFESTYLE behaviors and practices. And, while our entire American culture exhibits some aspects of these negative youth development qualities, I believe they are particularly strong in some (but not all) segments of the Black and Latino communities, and in some segments of the White and Asian communities. But, as with earlier American sub-cultures, I believe these negative youth development orientations and practices are temporary and very fixable … if they are specifically identified, admitted, and addressed.”

Do you agree with this view of the primary root cause of the achievement gap?

Read the full article and share your comments here.

Is the achievement gap caused by our culture?

Posted by moderator

We've posted a new article about a planning service for at-risk high school and college students on the LearnmoreMN site. Jon Pekel, president of MyGrowthPlan.org, states in his article that our pop culture has had an adverse impact on many youth and their families.

"...I believe our profit-driven mass media pop culture...is highly toxic, systematically undermining the development of our youth's highly vulnerable, still under construction teen brain, mind and resulting everyday lifestyle."

In Pekel's view, the achievement gap stems in part from a mass media influence that promotes negative values, beliefs, attitudes and lifestyle practices. He proposes a model that focuses on continuous growth planning versus a "street survival" (just let life happen) orientation. His practical suggestions include better role modeling by parents and educators and changes to our youth development practices. What do you think?

Read his article and share your comments here.

Your take: what organizations can do

We asked a number of people to take a short survey about the Vanishing Graduates show and  received some interesting responses to this question: Given the challenges that the program raises, what are some actions that organizations could take?

Here are some of the actions you suggested:

• Federal grants and loans availablity. It's scary: how will government continue? The clients they serve will only be increasing, special interest groups always want increased services, (contrary to popular belief) many government jobs ARE complex and require a college degree and there will be fewer workers demographically, and far fewer educationally qualified...we will either have to curtail services, rely on technology to be a substitute for people, and/or tap a qualified people supply from outside the U.S.
• We need to get out in the high schools and middle schools and entice/tout/advertise about how there's a place waiting for them in our workforce, and take steps to ready themselves.
• Entering into partnerships with government, business and educators to provide additional resources for schools and support for families.
• REQUIRED college preparatory curriculum, no matter how long it takes a student, when they moved to this country, or what their native language is. We fail our students every time that we do not require them to achieve at the minimum level expected by college admissions offices. MUCH GREATER funding for guidance counselors. Our counselors work too hard, and it is embarrassing that this great progressive state is not taking better care of its students as they prepare for college. Statewide PR campaign to raise awareness. Greater support of college access programs, with long-term funding opportunities, NOT short-term grants.
• Businesses who are affected by these trends on the post-college end of the spectrum would help make the crisis more real for most people. Many folks tune out the non-profit, social service, educational sector's advocacy because we're always pushing for one need or another. I'm sure resources are limited, but it would be helpful to combine this with a major PR push throughout the state — billboards, mailings, commericals, etc. This is a defining issue of our time, and nobody really knows about it.

If you would like to share your opinions about the program, take the survey.