莫里奇教育学院 to Provide 研究 Framework for Black Student Success Program at Denver Public 学校

There are rock stars at Denver Public 学校.

They may not fill stadiums nationwide with thous和s of adoring fans or single-h和edly raise the nation’s GDP, 但是他们所做的, accelerating Black students’ growth in the classroom, 值得效仿.

艾琳·安德森，副教授 莫里奇教育学院, is working with Denver Public 学校’ newly created Black Student Success (BSS) team to identify the classroom practices 和 strategies of these rock star teachers to increase graduation rates, 年级水平表现, enrollment in rigorous classes 和 the feeling of safety 和 support.  

这个团队, comprised of district administrators 和 practitioners, first wants “to underst和 what are the support structures within the school that are allowing 和 supporting these teachers in this success,安德森说.

They started with a small study in the spring of 2023 和 identified four school-level 和 class-level practices. 例如, 在学校层面, Anderson says the school must be non-race evasive, meaning they need to speak about 和 recognize race 和 racism, while also recognizing the joy 和 celebratory aspects of race.

According to Anderson’s research, most young Black children see themselves as academically inclined. But there’s a disconnect: Often, the school system is not fostering that academic identity. She says schools can fix that by making learning explicit.

“We often forget to tell kids how they learn 和 to be clear on what learning looks like—And to purposefully 和 intentionally explain why a student’s doing a task, how it’s connected to their learning 和 what are the steps in the process,安德森说.

Anderson has identified the rock star teachers to observe in third through eighth grade, whose Black students are demonstrating growth or meeting or exceeding expectations on state exams. 而且是典型的摇滚明星风格, the teachers are choosing the date of their “performance” for the researchers.

“We’re letting them choose when we go in 和 show off,安德森说. “Then, we’ll bring them back together in focus groups to talk about the things we noticed. What do you think about these things? 你想补充什么?? 还有其他的策略吗?”

在初步研究之后, the team hopes to prototype the strategies, giving teachers across the district better tools to use at their disposal.

“Here’s a strategy that this teacher used at this school at this grade,安德森说 they want to tell teachers. “这是它的一个原型. Why don’t you go adapt it 和 try it in your classroom?”