DVMSAC District Commitments

Representatives of the Superintendent's Steering Committee convened in May 2005 to define what they deem to be the critical and fundamental conditions of work for enhancing student achievement and closing the achievement gaps.

All Consortium districts are committed to attending to the following conditions in their efforts to enhance the achievement of all students, and most specifically increase the achievement, engagement and future success of their students of color.

• Disaggregating all student performance or outcome data by race/ethnicity, gender, English language proficiency, disabilities/special needs, and socio-economic status at the district, school and classroom levels
• Collecting and analyzing data that assesses attitudes and perceptions of students, parents, teachers, administrators and staff relative to achievement and school success in order to better understand the nature of the gaps within the district
• Enhancing expectations for success and instilling greater rigor in course content and establishing higher cognitive expectations for all students
• Examining and adjusting district and school policies, organizational structures, grouping practices and student placement processes so as to insure underachieving students' access to rigorous courses, curriculum and support
• Enhancing positive relationships between adults and students by attending to the cultural competencies of educators and the social/cultural dynamics of the school and/or district
• Continually examining issues of student motivation, expectations, and engagement from multiple instructional and cultural perspectives, and change practices
• Making school/job embedded professional learning, ongoing school/classroom assessment of student progress and program evaluation of instructional and support programs consistent practices in the organization
• Establishing and promoting entry level expectations for preschool learning experiences with service providers, parents, and care givers

For more information, contact:
Dr. Robert L. Jarvis, Director of K-12 Outreach and Director of DVMSAC
Penn Center for Educational Leadership
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
215-746-7375