You Can't Raise
Achievement Until the Barriers That Poverty Creates Are Eliminated
One Principal's Solution
by Marilee Bylsma, Executive
Director, Leadership Academy, Detroit Public Schools
The role of the principal is as diverse as the community s/he
serves. The ultimate goal for all schools is improved student
achievement, but the methods for achieving this goal vary in each
community. Principals who serve children living in high-poverty
neighborhoods have the unique responsibility of developing learning
communities capable of meeting the specific needs that arise when
a large number of the children attending school live in difficult
situations brought on by poverty.
You cannot increase student achievement in these areas until
you address the barriers created by poverty. Principals in high-poverty
neighborhoods must lead staff to go beyond traditional job expectations.
School staff in high-poverty areas should develop deep commitment
to meeting the challenges of ALL students and making decisions
in their best interests.
Breaking Down Barriers
Poverty creates some unique obstacles to learning. The most challenging
of these is when students come to school with a limited base of
prior knowledge. For example, fifth graders in one Detroit school
were confused by a test question involving adding the prices of
various items on a menu. Eighty-six percent of the group had never
ordered food from a menu in a restaurant. Students in high poverty
urban areas also may fail to comprehend what they read about fishing,
going camping in the summer, or attending a concert or play. Student
comprehension is limited because the students do not have an experience
base to relate to what they are reading.Unmet physical needs present
another huge common obstacle to learning in high-poverty neighborhoods.
If a student is hungry, cold, or tired, s/he has difficulty concentrating.
A hungry student doesn’t care about doing division. To overcome
these obstacles to student achievement, principals can work with
the community to secure donations for proper clothing and food
for students and to find ways to provide students with broad experiences
for increased comprehension. As the word spreads throughout the
community, people tend to help children in need.
Building Teams
Principals must believe that no single individual is as smart
as the whole school team. This is especially true in areas where
poverty is prevalent. By recognizing the talents, resources, and
contributions of others, principals set a tone for collaboration
and successful decision-making. Exemplary leaders bring out the
best in each member of the staff and use their talents to enrich
the school community and student potential. A mission statement
that speaks to the importance of shared responsibility for student
achievement by all staff, parents, community partners, and administrators
is a good step toward team building.
Teachers can no longer teach in isolation and principals cannot
sit in an office making decisions while talking about being collaborative.
Principals have multiple responsibilities, including:
- Modeling the qualities they want their staffs to embrace.
- Facilitating the educational process by providing all members
of the team with the tools they need to do their job while setting
high expectations for job performance.
- Observing what motivates others and empower- ing team members
to see the team building vision.
Data Provides a Road Map
The principal collects data for the staff that will construct
a picture of the school. Student test scores for each teacher
and each grade level over a period of years (factoring in poverty
level, student mobility, teacher mobility, and the average years
of teaching experience) can paint a picture that identifies patterns,
needs to be addressed, and areas to be remediated. For example,
data may indicate that when the mobility (changing schools) and
poverty levels increase, test scores decrease. With this knowledge,
the school may decide to institute a specific program for children
who are highly mobile.
Curriculum Matters
To raise student achievement in any school, teachers must teach
what the students need to learn at each grade level based on district
and state standards and assessments. The principal of a high-poverty
school must monitor the achievement of individual students, work
with the teacher to identify interventions for students as needed,
and monitor classroom instruction. A student-centered curriculum
that meets the needs of individuals encourages high levels of
achievement. The curriculum should be rich in hands-on experience
inside and outside of the classroom.
Equipping Others and Expecting Results
Staff in high-poverty schools must collectively identify the
barriers that poverty creates for their students. Then, each staff
member must commit to each student’s learning and achievement
and believe that failure is not an option. As the school leader,
the principal must not confuse leadership with power and authority.
The school leader must enable everyone to catch the vision and
work together to achieve the goals of the learning community,
holding each staff member accountable for her/his unique role
in helping ALL students learn.
Marilee Bylsma is the Executive
Director of the Leadership Academy for Detroit Public Schools.
The Leadership Academy provides professional development for principals,
assistant principals, and those aspiring for these positions.
Marilee is the former principal of Detroit’s Samuel Gompers
Elementary School where 98 percent of the population is at poverty
level. Samuel Gompers Elementary is a National Blue Ribbon School,
a Golden Apple for High Achievement School, and a National Title
One Distinguished School.
For more information, contact: Marilee Bylsma at (313) 494-7727
or e-mail Marilee.bylsma@detroitk12.org.
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