By Deborah Feldman, Washington Student Oral Histories Project

Study Background:  In 2012-13 The Washington Student Oral Histories Project (WSOHP) gathered oral histories from over 50 Western Washington students who had previously dropped out of school.  These in-depth interviews focused on the youth’s educational experiences and attitudes towards school, starting from early primary to the present.  Initial findings from these interviews are presented in a series of reports available on the projects’ web site (www.wsohp.org), which capture youth perspectives on the dropping out process. In the project’s current phase, we have re-analyzed the full interview data set of 53 youth narratives and will be releasing additional findings in early 2014, focusing more narrowly on role that math and reading issues played in the process of disengagement.

This summary presents highlights from our most recent analysis of participants’ perspectives on math teaching and learning issues.  Findings presented represent these youths’ perceptions of their school experiences and are not generalizable to the larger population of dropouts. While math difficulties were seldom the single reason youth became disengaged from school, math-oriented fear, hatred, and failure were prominent elements of the narratives we collected.  Systematic content analysis revealed the following major math-related themes:

• Math learning issues were widespread:  Among youth interviewed, 68 percent reported having serious math difficulties at some point prior to leaving school.   By comparison, about half of the group reported serious learning issues related to reading and/or writing.

• With regard to math learning issues, the gender gap between males and females was enormous:   Astonishingly, 90 percent of the girls reported serious problems in math.  By comparison, only 55 percent of boys discussed serious math learning issues.  

• Early math mindsets present a somewhat contradictory picture:  The sentiments “I've never liked math” or “I've never been good in math” were pervasive among youth participants.   However, in reflecting upon their learning challenges in elementary school, few actually recalled specific problems with math.  At this stage, they were more likely to recall learning issues related to reading, writing or spelling.   

• Elementary school learning contexts were overwhelmingly perceived as positive:   Most youth said they had little memory of what they actually learned or tried to learn across their elementary years in math and other subjects.  However, they were able to reflect on their elementary school learning contexts in general. Most perceived their early learning environments quite favorably: they enjoyed school, liked their teachers, and liked learning.  Youth who struggled in math or reading during elementary grades mostly felt supported by their teachers and the general learning environment.  But by late middle school, many of these same youth no longer enjoyed learning or felt supported when they faced learning challenges. 

• Middle school math experiences solidified negative mindsets:  Youth who acknowledged having problems in math reported the full emergence of math-related learning issues in middle school.   Youth frequently portrayed themselves as unprepared for the academic demands placed on them when they transitioned into middle, or in some case, early high school.  Among academic subjects, math distressed youth the most—math issues came up more frequently than all other secondary school subjects combined.  Even students who felt they had previously done well in and had enjoyed math now found themselves floundering, falling behind, and failing.  These experiences influenced youth to solidify a fixed mindset and low self-efficacy regarding their math abilities: After struggling and failing to understand or do well, many came to believe that they didn't have the “brains” for math and that further efforts toward learning math were useless.  
  

• Algebra was particularly problematic:  Youth repeatedly talked about being unprepared for and perplexed by algebra, often seeing it as something strange and unrelated to what they had previously been learning.  Algebra appeared to be a major tripwire that led to course failure and undermined students’ confidence in their math abilities.

• Lack of positive connections with teachers contributed to math difficulties:  In middle school, youth experienced a general decline in positive connections to teachers and a concomitant decline in their sense of support for learning.  The lack of personal connection to the teacher appeared to be particularly problematic for youth struggling in math.  If they felt the math teacher did not support them in their struggles, they were less likely to ask the teacher for help when they didn't understand a concept.  The failure to seek help, often combined with other non-productive behaviors such as not completing assignments, resulted in the youth falling further and further behind.    
  

• Instructional practices contributed further to a downward spiral in math:  Some of the practices that youth described as counter-productive included:

- Relying too heavily on lecture-style instruction and then requiring students work independently:  Many youth said they needed teachers to explain differently or provide more support when they didn't understand the direct instruction lesson.

- Math course content disconnected from students’ lives:  Youth didn't understand why they were being asked to learn something or why it might be important later.  This criticism was largely aimed at algebra.

- One-size fits all sequence and pace of instruction:  Once students fell behind they had difficulty catching up and eventually lost interest in trying.

- Lack of differentiated instruction and individual supports for struggling students: This was one of the more prominent themes related to instructional practices: students didn't get the help they needed to understand math assignments, be able to do the work and progress.

- Assigning homework and expecting struggling students to work independently on the homework. Those who could not complete class assignments became even more frustrated with homework that they didn't understand. Rather than helping youth learn the material, homework seemed to help solidify a fixed, negative mindset.

• Math struggles were directly connected with starting to skip school:  Math struggles and anxieties frequently cropped up in discussions of early skipping.  The linkage between troubles with math and the inception of truant behavior was quite direct in a number of the narratives.  Youth described how their struggles in math led to an avoidance strategy of skipping.
  

The full study from which these highlights are drawn will be released in early 2014 at www.wsohp.org.

By Antony Smith, PhD Associate Professor, University of Washington Bothell and Principal Investigator  for the Washington Student Oral Histories Project.

Youth interviewed for the Washington Student Oral Histories Project often described a ‘perfect storm’ of factors—school, social, personal—that led them down the pathway to dropping out of school. To explore school-related factors, we asked these youth a number of questions about academic topics, with a particular emphasis on reading skills and development. Our goal was to better understand how disconnected youth experienced reading, how they saw themselves as readers, and how these perceptions of reading may have shifted over time from early childhood through adolescence. Across the more than 50 stories shared, a consistent pattern emerged: As youth became increasingly disconnected from school, they also became increasingly disengaged from reading. This post explores that pattern.

Reading Engagement in Elementary School
Almost every youth we interviewed possessed fond memories of early elementary grades, and many could recount positive associations with early reading activities, such as trips to the library, story time, or favorite picture books. As one youth described:

“I liked reading.  We had reading time in the morning and I always thought that was cool.  And I liked seeing friends…In the beginning years, it was the teacher [who]would read to us and like fourth, fifth and sixth grade we got to read ourselves.”

Perhaps buoyed by early positive classroom experiences with reading and books, youth often considered themselves ‘good readers’ in elementary school. They felt they could read words, finish books, and keep up with peers. Interestingly, youths’ perspectives seemed to emphasize decoding (reading the words) over comprehension (understanding the meaning) as what constituted a ‘good reader.’ Nevertheless, many youth held positive perceptions of reading in this early stage of schooling.

Middle School:  The Great Disconnect from Reading
Youths’ stories suggest that as they became disconnected from school they also became disengaged from reading. The transition from elementary to middle school seemed to impact this process; youth recalled feelings of frustration and isolation in their new school environment. This sense of isolation may have a profound effect on student engagement, raising the question, “How might middle school reading programs be structured differently, to better support and engage young adolescent readers?”  In their recent study of middle grade students’ reading engagement, Ivey and Johnston [1] note that engagement for young adolescents involves not just individual comprehension but also social interaction. Engaged reading in middle school may be enhanced by incorporating features that promote social interaction and motivation, such as:

·         Interesting texts
·         Real world interactions
·         Autonomy support (choice of texts)
·         Strategy instruction
·         Opportunities for collaboration
·         Teacher involvement

Engaged reading, framed in terms of features like these, has the potential to connect students’ lives with texts in a relational and deeply personal way. It is, Ivey and Johnson observe, “Fundamentally about highly consequential dimensions of readers’ socioemotional lives” [2].

Stories of middle school reading shared by youth we interviewed bore little resemblance to the list of engaged-reading classroom features listed above. Instead, youth recalled reading ‘boring’ books, struggling alone to complete reading assignments, feeling isolated in classes, and avoiding reading, in general.  In class, students were asked to read out loud, something many absolutely dreaded. As one youth recalled,

“I hate reading out loud ‘cause I’m not a good reader.  That really got me, too.  So I would like – for me, it would be like I make jokes so I wouldn’t have to read out loud.  I would get myself in trouble so I wouldn’t have to do it and they would kick me out of my class, and I would be in the office”

Reading, no longer a fun activity, seemed to have become both a chore and potential source of shame and humiliation. Suddenly youth did not want to read, did not like to read, and ultimately did not read, even outside of school. This growing disengagement from reading was also most apparent in what youth couldn’t recall about reading in their early and later adolescent years. Even among those who professed to be competent readers, many could not name a single book they had read in middle or high school—whether assigned or chosen. Further, few could recall the kinds of books or materials they had read in other subjects beyond language arts, such as mathematics, science, or social studies. Sitting in classes alone, often struggling to make friends and connect with teachers, youth appeared to become increasingly disengaged with reading and at the same time disconnected from school in general.

Could an Engaging Reading Program Help Steer Students Away From Dropping Out?
The bleak perceptions of reading held by youth we interviewed contrast sharply with the way middle school students in Ivey and Johnston’s research study perceived reading and how they saw themselves as readers. After a year of reading and discussing self-selected, high interest young adult fiction (as part of the study’s intervention), a large majority of participating 8th graders reported reading for extended periods, discussing books with peers and family members, and making connections between book characters and their own lives. Additionally, the study documented positive shifts in the students' self-perceptions and confidence as readers. Discussing these findings, Ivey and Johnston assert, “Engagement clearly cannot be reduced to a solitary cognitive relationship of focused attention. Engaged reading must be fully personal and fully and inseparably relational” [3].

From the stories youth told us, their reading experiences in middle grades (and beyond) were neither personal nor relational. Instead, disengaged reading folded into the larger process of disconnecting from school, leading youth down the pathway to dropping out of school. These experiences lead to the question: Could engaged reading in middle and high school have helped divert youth from the pathway to dropping out? Perhaps not, as multiple factors beyond school contributed to the process of dropping out. Nevertheless, the kinds of powerful personal connections to reading and the increased sense of collaboration and community experienced by students in Ivey and Johnston’s study might give disconnected youth a tangible reason to stay in school. We found that academic mindset, the belief that one is able to do work and has the intelligence necessary to succeed, was a powerful factor influencing youths’ school failure. It is reasonable to think that academic mindset could be boosted by fostering engaged reading through shifts in middle school curriculum and instruction. Shifts like these may help at-risk students improve skills and see themselves as successful readers who are part of a larger reading community. Engaged reading may make it possible for disconnected youth to build confidence, persevere in completing reading and academic tasks, graduate on time, and ultimately become lifelong readers who are motivated to learn. ansmith@uwb.edu

Notes
1. Ivey, G., & Johnston, P. H. (2013). Engagement With Young Adult Literature: Outcomes and Processes. Reading Research Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 3, pp.255–275. doi:10.1002/rrq.46
2. Ibid, p. 257.
3. Ibid, p. 271.

By Barbara Waxman, Senior Consultant, Paragon Education Network - One of the most oft-heard expressions in education these days is the “flipped classroom.”  This expression is coupled with enthusiastic and optimistic words such as “innovative,” “transforming education” and “turning the traditional classroom on its head.”  It refers to the idea of making a short video of a lecture and then asking students to watch the video for homework (perhaps coupled with online discussions) and then using class time to work on problems related to the lecture while the teacher circulates and helps individual students.  Flipped classrooms are touted as especially useful for math and science classes in high school.  The inventor of these short videos is Salman Khan, who began doing videos for a young cousin who preferred a medium that could be referred back to rather than an in-person tutorial. 

However, why would one take a not very effective practice – a droning lecture or demonstration of a procedure – and insert it at the beginning of a class or as homework the night before?  Short explanatory videos that focus solely on procedures may be very useful under certain circumstances and for certain audiences – for highly motivated students wanting to practice and correct their work, or for those studying for SATS and GREs or reviewing previously learned and forgotten material.  However, research on student disengagement suggests that the “flipped” approach will likely do little to help the vulnerable, unmotivated, unsure and unconfident learners in a classroom.  Indeed, what if a student is homeless or does not have access to a computer or tablet?  In addition, given that these videos focus on procedural knowledge as opposed to conceptual understandings, they serve to reinforce a mechanistic and rote way of approaching education.  The following jingle about dividing fractions illustrates this approach well:  “Your job is not to reason why; just invert and multiply.”

“Flipping” may free up class time for collaborative work and concept mastery and help the teacher move away from the document projector, but that can be accomplished in other ways. Contrast the lecture (flipped or otherwise) to the following sequence of practices: 

• Introducing the topic in an intriguing way that invites curiosity and activates students’ prior knowledge
• Posing intriguing problems that plunge students into collaboratively grappling with concepts and procedures important for the topic – and creating a “need to know”[1]
• Introducing key vocabulary
• Explicitly teaching collaboration and discussion skills
• Watching closely (formatively assessing) how students approach the problems
• Bringing students together during the middle of the lesson to point out issues and to address patterns (or have students present dilemmas and approaches)
• Isolating and analyzing typical misconceptions students are prone to
• Using the last part of the class to synthesize what was learned or to have students make quick videos (e.g., Educreations) to document – and remind them – of their learning

In classrooms that use these practices students are asked to do the thinking and the work the entire time, not to passively observe for a portion of the time.  The above ideas may well engage and motivate learners, particularly the unconfident ones or those with gaps, as is so often the case with vulnerable youth.
Barbara@penconsulting.org

[1] See Dan Meyer’s excellent Ted Talk, which is relevant to this, and many other points in the post. 

By Lori Markowitz, Executive Director, Youth Ambassadors.  Seattle’s Cleveland High School is experimenting with new approaches to truancy and dropout prevention, banking on the power of peer influence.  In the 2012-13 school year the school joined with Youth Ambassadors (YA), a local non-profit (http://youthambassadors.net/ ) to develop and pilot a peer mentoring project aimed at supporting freshman who appeared to be most at risk for school failure and dropping out.  This pilot project was launched in partnership with the City of Seattle, as part of the City’s Be There Get There school attendance campaign (https://getschooled.com/articles/182 ).  

The project is unique in that it is embedded in a structured, for-credit class, which meets during the regular school day, with YA providing the class facilitator/instructor.  Mentors are high school juniors and seniors who sign up for a year-long course that blends classroom-based instruction with service learning.  The course is predicated on achieving positive youth outcomes for both mentors and mentees.  For the older youth the overarching goal is to develop knowledgeable, compassionate, and skilled mentors who learn to apply problem-solving, advocacy and leadership skills to benefit their younger peers.  In addition, the course provides opportunities for exploring careers in education and youth development.  For the freshman mentees, the goal is to offer structured, peer-guided information and support that increases mentees’ sense of connection to school and, ultimately, improves their attendance.

This first year of the project, 20 mentoring students and 40 mentees participated in the experiment.  The mentors spent the first semester learning about student disengagement and other education-related topics from YA staff and guest speakers from the community.  They also engaged in extensive in-class exercises, such as role playing, to develop the skills they would need to be an effective “near-peer” mentor and advocate for their mentee.  Three Youth Ambassador mentors were invited on an all-expense-paid trip to attend the 3rd Annual America’s Promise Alliance Grad Nation Summit in Washington DC. The Summit is supporting a nationwide campaign to end the high school dropout crisis and prepare young people for college and the 21st century workforce. The three participants shared information they gained at the Grad Nation Summit with their fellow mentors at Cleveland, infusing the peer mentoring project with additional energy and ideas.

Mid-year, after several months of initial training, the would-be mentors met potential freshman mentees, who all had problems with chronic absenteeism.  In a twist to the traditional approach to matching a mentee and mentor, the mentees themselves got to select with whom they wished to work.  Giving mentees a say in the process undoubtedly helped motivate them to stick with their matches.  Mentees also received encouragement in the form of small stipends and prizes provided through the Be There Get There campaign. The school facilitated the mentoring process by providing space where the pairs could meet weekly during a 45-minute advisory time period.  All matches were expected to meet weekly; in some cases, where the match relationship was especially strong, mentors and mentees also got together at lunch or other times, as well.

Was the first year a success?  It’s still a little too early to tell.  A formal evaluation will be completed once the school year is over and the research results will provide a fuller picture of the project.  But the initial evidence is encouraging.  None of the 40 mentees dropped out of the program or out of school.  Almost all the mentees improved their attendance and grades—some making significant strides in both areas.  Building upon the experiences of this first year, Cleveland plans to extend this promising project another year, using City of Seattle school levy monies to hire a full-time certified teacher.   At least one other school that has heard about Cleveland’s experiences is interested in trying something similar.  The approach appears to have great potential for improving outcomes for both mentees and mentors.  However, even if the experiment proves wildly successful, it won’t be sustainable over time unless schools figure out a way to fund it as a regular part of their programming.  For more information on the project, contact Lori at lori@youthambassadors.net .

Posted by Deborah Feldman, Co-manager, Washington Student Oral Histories Project - In spring of 2012 the Washington Student Oral Histories Project (WSOHP) collected oral histories from more than 30 youth in the Puget Sound area who had previously dropped out or been seriously truant.  We wanted to learn through their firsthand accounts what had led them down a pathway to truancy and dropping out.  And we especially wanted to hear from these struggling youth about their school experiences from elementary through high school and how those experiences might have influenced their personal trajectories.   

Before we embarked on this project we were not sure how well the oral history approach work.  Would youth even want to talk with us?  Would they be able to reflect on their experiences and share candidly?  Would their personal experiences be too painful to dredge up? Some who worked with at-risk youth advised us that we might be disappointed in the results: The higher-risk youth we planned to speak with were likely to skip over, cover up or even lie about critical events leading to their school problems.  They might not have the ability or interest in engaging in a lengthy interview.  Therefore, we shouldn’t expect to really learn very much about the dropout process directly from them.   

Yet others serving this population were more encouraging, enthusiastic, even, about a project on “dropouts” that would tap youth voice.  Previous research on dropping out had been largely quantitative, based on survey data and student records.  From this data we knew a lot about the correlates of dropping out (what characteristics make a student more at-risk for dropping out), but very little about the actual dropping out process and the causal connections driving that process.  One of the main ways we felt we could fill in this knowledge gap was by systematically gathering, analyzing and interpreting the narratives of those who are at the center of the process—the youth themselves.
As it turned out, we needn’t have worried about the youths’ commitment to being authentic participants in this research endeavor.  Almost all the youth we spoke with in our first round of interviews (and subsequently in our second round, as well) were motivated, even eager in many cases, to share their stories with us. (The average interview time was close to 50 minutes.)  Of course, the youths’ version reflected their perceptions, which might not mesh with how the adults in their lives would see things.  But their stories were remarkable in their candor, detail and poignancy.   For example, a student described the pain of transferring to a new school and her inability to adjust socially and academically:

In sharing recollections, some were brought close to tears; many deeply regretted the course their educational lives had taken and struggled to make sense of their own motivations and decision-making.    At the end of the interview a number thanked us for the opportunity to tell their story—they fervently hoped that by telling their stories, they could broaden awareness and understanding.
dfeld@seanet.com