Identifying Experience Gaps

Identify and quantify the degree of experience gaps in student's education in D.C. wards 3, 4, 7, and 8 through surveying.

Scott Goldstein - Founder & Executive Director of EmpowerEd

Scott has 10+ years of experience teaching in DC in the public, charter, private, and international space. His organization, EmpowerEd is a DC-based teacher leadership organization focusing on improving teacher retention, especially among educators of color, and elevate the voices of diverse educators in policymaking.

1. How does the student experience differ based on school of attendance and geographic region?
2. How does a student's identity, including their race, economic status, and community affect how they experience school?
3. Does access to enrichment activities, including field trips, extracurriculars, and hands-on learning, vary by school?

Utilize surveying, to uncover differences in student experiences by ward. Specifically, we sent a survey to 4 schools in each ward providing an incentive of $50 for each teacher who answered the survey.

Our research focused on wards 3, 4, 7, and 8.

[Insert graph of DC wards]

To get a comprehensive analysis of the experience gaps in the four wards of interest, we not only looked at public schools but charter schools at all levels including elementary, middle, and high school. This would allow us to better understand how experience gaps shift based on grade level.

1. Drafted a Literature Review
   1. We researched and crafted an in-depth literature review to understand the national & DC historical/current policies, how opportunity and experience gaps are measured, the drivers behind these gaps, and the long-term effects of opportunity gaps.
2. Defined the Experience Gap
   1. We understood experience gaps to be the differences internally in student feelings towards their individual school experience and externally towards school investment and access to resources. Internally this includes, culture, personal identity, sense of belonging, family, and community. Externally this includes the instruction, capital investment, resources, and disciplinary structures.
3. Performed a Content Analysis
   1. With guidance from our partner, we selected DCPS and DC Public Charter Schools in wards 3, 4, 7, and 8 to better understand the landscape of what experiences students have access to within their schools. We evaluated the schools based on their offerings (academic and extracurricular experiences), demographic information (Title I status, % at-risk population, students with special needs, racial makeup etc.), and overall performance (grades served, student enrollment, availability of before/after care, per pupils' expenditures, etc.).

We went through an iterative process, in close collaboration with EmpowerEd, to create our survey

Outdoor Exposure

Definition: the frequency and quality of students' interactions with the outdoors, including field trips, outdoor classes, and playtime.

Importance: Exposure to different environments aids in holistic development, fosters creativity, and can enhance the learning experience. Students do better in their indoor setting when they have had time outdoors, and time outdoors is a significant contributor to mental health.

Cultural Exposure

Definition: The exposure students have to diverse cultures, histories, and art

Importance: Exposure to different cultures enhances understanding, promotes inclusivity, and prepares students for a globalized world. Speaking and preparing students as global citizens and not just viewers of the world around them

Special Resources Access

Definition: Access to and usage of specialized resources like STEM labs, access to technology (computer labs, online learning platforms, etc.), or libraries.

Importance: Resources can significantly enhance the learning experience and provide practical knowledge.

Access to Arts Experiences

Definition: The amount of instructional time allocated to various cultural subjects, particularly in the arts like dance, theater, art, music, etc, and the accessibility of these experiences to all students

Importance: A balanced art inclusive curriculum contributes to well-rounded development and provides students with creative outlets beyond traditional academic rigor.

Partnerships & Collaborations

Definition: Engagement with external organizations, experts, or community members to enhance learning experiences.

Importance: External interactions can provide practical knowledge and expose students to real-world scenarios. Forms relationships that can help them succeed later in life.

Experiential Learning

Definition: The financial and resource allocation towards experiential learning activities, which includes project based learning, outdoor learning (using the city as a classroom/field trips).

Importance: Investment indicates a school’s commitment to providing diverse learning experiences. Students learn better by doing exploratory and experiential learning activities.

Parental Engagement & Advocacy

Definition: The involvement of parents in school activities and their advocacy for certain programs or experiences.

Importance: Parental involvement can significantly influence a school’s offerings and student experiences.

Exclusion (due to Special Education Needs, Disability Status, Student Behavior, or Academic Standing)

Definition: The differential treatment or exclusion of students based on their special education requirements or disability, student behavior/discipline, poor academic standing.

Importance:  All students deserve equitable experiences regardless of their educational needs and abilities.

Experiential Satisfaction

Definition: The overall satisfaction of students with the variety and quality of experiences offered.

Importance: Satisfaction levels can provide insights into areas of improvement.

Social, Emotional, Life (SEL) Skills

Definition:  Access to home education classes (laundry, cooking/stoves, knitting, gardening), financial literacy/economics (value of money classes), digital literacy (typing classes, online/administrative skills - safely for mental health)

Importance: These skills equip students with crucial tools for their survival that they may not get at home for their survival and ability to thrive

Sample Teacher Survey Questions

• How much autonomy and support do you have to incorporate cultural experiences?
• In a typical month, how often do students go outdoors?
• Has an external organization or expert visited your class this year?
• Have you witnessed exclusion of students from any school activity due to their special education status or disability?

Sample Student Survey Questions

• Have you had a life changing experience in or through your school?
• How frequently have you missed out on an experience that other students get to enjoy due to (academic standing, special education status, behavioral issues, etc)
• On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your experiences offered at school?
• Are there things you want to learn in school that you don't get to learn now?

The primary goal of our research was to uncover the hidden narratives behind the data, revealing the true spectrum of student experiences and thereby addressing the 'Experience Gap'.

Have you had a life changing experience in school or through your school?

Middle School Experiences:

• Academic and personal exploration: "I learned about my sexuality... and was also introduced to Model UN..."
• Building self-confidence through friendships: "I've made a lot of new friends, and have built my self-confident."
• Facing adversity: "There was a shooting and we had to stay inside the school for an hour and a half..."
• Overcoming challenges: "I have overcome a major amount of my social anxiety."
• Disappointment in school experience: "Never this school is not the best."

High School Reflections:

• Growth and self-perception: "Some students... encouraged me to wear lashes in high school for the first time..."
• Academic progress: "Yes, I am currently taking Dual enrollment courses..."
• Transformation and aspiration: "I liked this school very much and I wanna become a new person..."
• Life lessons: "High School helped me realize how unfair the world is..."
• Varied experiences: While some students didn't have noteworthy experiences, "No, I didn't have any life-changing experience in school," others found value in creating meaningful relationships: "Making my friendsx."

Are there things you want to learn in school that you don't get to learn now?

Ward 8 High School Insights:

• Vocational training interest: "Yes, taking a college class for nursing..."
• Satisfaction with current education: "No, I’m satisfied with what I have now."
• Internship and hands-on learning: "Medical internships or classes."
• Requests for specific courses: "A cooking class."
• Cultural and history education: "Yes I want to learn more about black history."
• Additional activities and better amenities: "Yes, better lunches" and "more school events."

Ward 3 Middle School Desires:

• Inclusive education: "I want to learn more about LGBTQIA+ people and their communities..."
• Financial and college readiness: "I want to learn about money and colleges..."
• Outdoor and practical skills: "More outdoors stuff like learning how to camp."
• Academic extensions: "More about how to type correctly and chemistry."
• Everyday life skills: "Simple everyday skills like gardening, cleaning, sewing, etc.

Teacher Analysis for Affluent Schools:

• Question: Are parents able to participate to the extent that they would like in school-hosted opportunities?
• "Many of our school-sponsored activities that are outside the school day, are completely parent driven and run."
• Question: How many opportunities do students typically get in a year that could be transformative? Please provide details.
• "World language trips are by far the most unique experience given to Deal students. This is made possible by the fact that many of the parents can afford the price of these trips ($2k-$6k depending on Costa Rica, France or Taiwan), thus allowing some lower income students to join via scholarship."
• Analysis: Affluent schools offer a wide array of expensive educational trips, made accessible through scholarships, demonstrating a commitment to inclusive, high-quality educational experiences.

Teacher Analysis for Less Affluent Schools:

• Question: Are parents able to participate to the extent that they would like in school-hosted opportunities?
• "I'm honestly not sure! My school does very minimal parent outreach about experiential learning, though, so I assume that many parents would like to be involved but are not asked or made aware of opportunities."
• Question: How many opportunities do students typically get in a year that could be transformative? Please provide details.
• "All students have access to at least one... interactive learning experience. These opportunities increase in 11th and 12th grade but are quite limited in 9th and 10th grades." and "Though Central office support, the school has a Becoming Manager to support innovative programs for students."
• Analysis: Less affluent schools recognize the value of experiential learning but face challenges in communication and equitable access. Efforts like the 'Becoming Manager' role aim to improve the situation by enhancing student opportunities across all grades.

Limitations: The scope of our current analysis is limited due to a relatively low number of responses, which constrains the diversity and depth of insights we can derive. As we continue to collect data in the upcoming months, we anticipate a richer, more comprehensive understanding of the student experiences across various demographics.

Future Research: So far, our research has predominantly captured perspectives from schools in more affluent areas. In the future, we aim to include a broader spectrum of schools, especially from less affluent neighborhoods. This expansion is key to understanding and addressing the unique challenges and opportunities across socio-economic contexts.

Potential Insights with More Data: With an increase in data, particularly from students at similar educational levels but different economic backgrounds, we hope to perform comparative analyses that could reveal significant educational disparities or highlight effective practices.

Conclusion: The initial findings have begun to sketch out the disparities and privileges inherent in our current educational systems. Moving forward, next semester we plan to continue our efforts by expanding our data collection to include a wider range of schools, particularly those from less affluent backgrounds. By gathering more input, we aim to build on our current findings and develop strategies that ensure all students have access to transformative educational experiences. This ongoing work is essential for creating an equitable educational environment that meets the needs of all students, regardless of socio-economic status.