Educators discuss ways to turn high poverty schools into high performing campuses

Sept. 12, 2016


AUSTIN – Thirty speakers Monday focused on ways to help high-poverty schools become high-achieving campuses during the Learning Roundtable- Educating the Children of Poverty.

 Low expectations from adults is the biggest barrier to turning schools with large low-income children into high-performing schools, said William Parrett, director of the Center for School Improvement and Policy Studies at Boise State University.

 Kati Haycock noted that half of the students in almost all states from coast to coast in the southern half of the United States come from low-income families. In Texas today, 3.1 million public school students or 59 percent of all students are economically disadvantaged.

 But demographics isn’t destiny, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath told those attending the roundtable sponsored the State Board of Education and the Texas Education Agency.

 If we can find ways to successfully educate the children from low-income families, it will change lives, said Donna Bahorich, chair of the State Board of Education.

 Speakers discussed a variety of programs they’ve successfully implemented in Texas and around the country. This includes everything from a partnering with private daycares to bolster school readiness skills to hosting parent education universities.

 Three primary action areas focus on creating a healthy, safe environment, focusing on learning and building leadership capacity, said Parrett and Kathleen Budge, who coordinates Boise State’s Executive Educational Leadership Program.

 “We all have a part in making a difference in the lives of kids,” Bahorich said.
 
Videos of the conference presentations will be posted at http://www.adminmonitor.com/tx/tea/. PowerPoint presentations will be posted at http://tea.texas.gov/sboe/povertyroundtable/ .