Since the release of the Coleman Report in the 1970s, the achievement gap in the United States has been a central topic of discussion. Education policymakers and people in the education sphere have been examining the primary causes for the disparities among certain students, as well as the most effective solutions to resolve these vast inequities. The following post will take a closer look at Alma Del Mar Charter School in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It will look at the culture-changing charter school model and the active efforts made within Alma Del Mar to address inequities, as well as analyze test score data from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS).
Alma Del Mar is an Expeditionary Learning public charter school that opened in August 2011. The school opened with a distinct mission to provide minority students and less affluent students in New Bedford the opportunity to compete with and succeed alongside or ahead of their more affluent peers. The school intentionally established itself as a culture changing charter school, rather than a public school, becoming a part of the growing movement of charter schools across the nation. Culture-changing charter schools are “tuition-free schools of choice that [are] publicly funded but independently run”. They adopt a highly rigid and structured approach, which establishes different norms for the students. Research demonstrates that culture-changing charter schools, such as Alma Del Mar, are decreasing the achievement gap and are increasingly leading to successful students.
The data analyzed below looks at the difference between white students, Hispanic and Latino students, and economically disadvantaged students by comparing the MCAS test scores in math and English between 4th graders in 2014 and 4th graders in 2018. The graph below illustrates the substantial improvement Alma Del Mar has made in narrowing the achievement gap between 2014 and 2018. The 19% achievement gap in 2014 between White and Hispanic/Latino 4th grade English students decreased to only a 5% gap in 2018. The 37% achievement gap in 2014 between White and Hispanic/Latino 4th grade Math students flipped in 2018 with Hispanic/Latino students scoring 24% higher than their White peers (see here and here).
Additionally, Alma Del Mar prides itself on being in the top 20% for Hispanic and Latino students and the top 15% for economically disadvantaged students, high needs students, and Black/African American student (see here). In 2018 Alma Del Mar’s MCAS averages continued to remain higher than the Massachusetts State averages (see here).
Alma Del Mar attributes the increasing success of their students to the highly intensive education program they have adopted. This program targets children K-8 with a curriculum that prioritizes a collegial trajectory, meaningful work, mastery of essential skills and content, ownership of learning, bold thinking while addressing complex academic and community issues.
Further, the school has been actively working to address one of the primary struggles high-need schools face, attracting and retaining quality teachers, which is widely considered to be significantly contributing to the persisting achievement gap (see here). Amrein-Beardsley highlights some common obstacles expert teachers say dissuade them from teaching at certain schools (see here). Three of the main obstacles mentioned were absent and unsupportive principles or leadership structures, excessive restrictions on the creativity and freedom teachers have with their classroom curriculum, and lack of parental involvement.
The current principal of the New Bedford charter school is Ms. Rolandria Justice. She is a highly ambitious and goal oriented leader who is committed to being a present figure within the school and having an active role in the individual success of the students. She has a “warm demander style of leadership which holds everyone accountable to fulfilling [the schools] mission… [while] making the members of the school community feel cared about each day” (see here).
Alma Del Mar works to hire teachers with diverse backgrounds and teaching styles who also possess the same core values and goals. The school expects the teachers to be “performative and creative” in the classroom, while also striving for results beyond the standardized test scores.
Finally, to ensure the increase in parental involvement at Alma Del Mar, at the start of each academic year the pupils soon to be teacher visits their home to meet the family and address any prior questions or concerns. Reports demonstrate that approximately ninety-seven percent of families consider these visits beneficial. Additionally, throughout the school year, parents are expected to participate in at least four in-person meeting with their child’s teacher. Overall, Alma Del Mar maintains just over a ninety-seven percent attendance rate (see here).
Since the opening of Alma Del Mar in 2011, it has become one of the most sought out K-8 schools for families in the area. It is clear that the achievement gap within the school is consistently decreasing, revealing improvements across race and economically disadvantaged people.