Tacoma on the way to closing the gap?

Tacoma School Board heard an update on the achievement gap May 27, and for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t all bad news.

The gap, which refers to a disparity in academic success between racial minorities, low-income students and their white, middle-class counterparts, is a nationwide phenomenon that has plagued the district for several years.

The district made it a priority in the most recent school years by conducting studies, gathering community input, working with consultants and hiring a Deputy Superintendent, Carla Santorno, who is tasked with the issue full-time.

On May 27, the board heard district progress and goals from Santorno, as well as approval from prominent leaders of the local black community, and a consultant who assessed the district earlier this school year.

Reverend Arthur Banks spoke on behalf of new community umbrella group United Community Voices for African American Student Achievement, who stated they are glad to see the district making progress, and they are willing to help in the ongoing work.

The group includes religious and black community groups the Ministerial Alliance, Tacoma Black Collective and the local NAACP chapter, among other, smaller groups.

“We view 2010 as a major shift … in our local black community,” Banks said. “(The district) is on the right track with a few missing links that will be addressed soon.”

Leaders of the group said they met with Santorno recently to go over issues that they feel need to be addressed, and how members within United Community Voices feel they could help.

“We want to partner with the district,” said Tom Hilyard, chair of the education committee for the Tacoma Black Collective. “We’re asking them to think outside the box.”

He said the many organizations that comprise United Voices have countless resources and educators at their fingertips who would be willing to help out.

Tom Dixon, founding president of the Tacoma Urban League, said he felt the group’s meeting with the deputy superintendent started out very positively, and gave them the opportunity to outline United Community Voices’ top parameters.

“In order for us to do what we know we can do we need parent involvement, a get-ready for math advocate, a how-to-work-in-groups (instructor) and a prepare for the next grade facilitator.”

Board member Kim Golding said she appreciated the United Voices’ organization and willingness to work with the district, not fight against them.

“It’s meaningful to have community members come to you with solutions, not just complaints about a problem.”

Santorno followed up with a report on the progress the district has made thus far, and ongoing goals for the next school year.

She said high points for work in the 2009-10 school year include establishing a 40-person advisory committee, starting culturally responsive training for teachers and diversity recruitment strategies, a Student Voice summit held last month, a historic black college fair that reached 10 times as many students as years past, expanding mentorship opportunities, and reviewing programming at elementary and middle-school levels.

“This is about action,” Santorno said. “Our task force members said they don’t want to see the word ‘plan’ any more.”

Goals for next year include quarterly meetings with diverse communities and special interest groups, implementation of a dropout prevention task force, Student Voice groups in every high school and middle school and mandatory cultural competency training for staff.

“I believe if we can measure it, we can change it,” Santorno said.

Education consultant Thelma Jackson studied the ins and out of the district’s instruction, learning and achievement earlier this school year. She reported back to the board and district staff at the May 27 meeting.

“It is nice to see the school year coming to a close and see this action plan that has evolved,” she said. “It’s in step and it’s in tune and with the continued work that lies ahead, (change) should happen.”

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