SIC DISTRICT FEATURE

BOISE DISTRICT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Each month, RISE/TVEP will focus on a Southern Idaho Conference District program. This month, it's the Community Schools program in the Boise School District, and Taft Elementary School.

History

In 2015, United Way CEO Nora Carpenter led a group of Treasure Valley non-profit, business, and education leaders to Salt Lake City to visit the Promise Partnership program operated by the SLC United Way. The visit was productive and introduced the group to a new way of thinking about provision of wrap-around services in areas of high poverty.

Not long afterward, just by chance, then Boise Superintendent Don Coberly and Dr. Robert Barr, former Boise State University Education Dean, national expert on poverty and schools, and author of the award winning book "Building a Culture of Hope" were both shopping at a Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Boise.

Coberly was looking for additional options to address needs of students at some of Boise's highest poverty schools, and Barr had been working with the Vancouver School District (Washington) and their Community Schools program. Dr.Barr recommended a visit, and provided contact information.

Within a month, Deputy Superintendent (now Superintendent) Coby Dennis, Director (now Deputy Superintendent) Lisa Roberts, and several others visited Vancouver and learned about their program. Vancouver runs a district-directed program that provides "wrap-around" services for students in a particular district neighborhood. 

Typically, a district-hired community liaison coordinates services that include a food pantry, clothing closet, access to technology, medical and dental services, translation services, help with filling out forms, assistance with finding housing, and all other manner of supports for families. Many partners are involved in each of the Community Schools, including non-profits such as the United Way and the Y, area hospital and clinics, churches, and others. The idea is to support those families so the children can come to school ready to learn.

Boise initiated its program with five Community Schools (Whitney, Whittier, Morley Nelson, and Garfield Elementary Schools, and Frank Church Alternative High School, then added a sixth last year at Taft Elementary.

Taft's Community School

Taft Elementary School was built in 1960 to relieve overcrowding at nearby Collister and Lowell Elementary schools. Ninety-two percent (92%) of Taft's 330 students qualify for free/reduced lunch, and a third of the school's student population has Limited English abilities. Twenty-one languages are spoken by Taft students, and over 80 students are refugees.

"Home of the Tigers"

Taft has a food pantry, and clothing is available for families, as well. Licensed mental health services are available, and medical and dental services can be accessed at the school. Additionally, the Boise District's Ready Set Go! program provided school supplies at a central location (Dennis Technical Education facility) prior to the beginning of the school year, serving over 1,000 students.

RISE/TVEP Co -Director Wil Overgaard and Taft Principal Tim Lowe

Many partners have stepped up as part of the Community School, including local churches, hospitals, Boise City Parks and Recreation, and non-profits. Principal Tim Lowe works with the community partners, as does Community Schools Coordinator Michelle Weickum. Michelle provides classes as part of the Community School services, such as knitting, sewing, and world rhythms drumming.

Taft Community Schools Coordinator Michelle Weickum

Boise's Community Schools have quickly grown into an essential part of the fabric of the District, and are greatly appreciated by community members. In the words of a Taft parent:

"When my family came to Taft, we had just lost everything we owned except our family vehicle...I was once told that if you are homeless, it is impossible to do the everyday things that people take for granted. I didn't realize how true this was until I experienced it."

...The Taft community helped us in so many ways, but I want to mention just a few of them that changed our lives. At Taft, my kids were able to have school breakfast, hot lunches, and an after school snack, care, and activities....After working hard to overcome homelessness, joblessness, sleeping in a garage and on floors, wondering if we would have enough to eat...I (now) have my dream job and my kids sleep in warm beds every night and we have food on the table...My kids are smiling again. I am smiling again.

I would not be where I am today without this support. I truly believe God must have led us to Taft to get us through this time. I have never experienced or witnessed such support with so much respect and love. Taft helped us to meet our basic needs and more when there was no one else. Because our basic needs were met, I was able to focus on creating a successful future for my family. I will be forever grateful for Taft's generous and respectful support that helped my family get back to our 'normal'."

MAJORS AND INSTITUTIONS OF GRADUATION

FOR BOISE DISTRICT COLLEGE GRAD ALUMNI

NOTE: The data used in this series of posts was provided by the Boise District, using files from the National Student Clearinghouse. Its purpose here is to show the information Districts can put together about college progress and success of their students.

Majors

A few years ago, the Boise District provided data regarding college graduation for Boise District alumni from the classes of 2007-10. This is the second post updating that information, featuring the most popular majors of 2011-18 Boise District graduates.

The 3 most popular majors among Boise District alumni were the same as they were for the classes of 2007-10; Biology, Business, and Psychology. Health Sciences and Mechanical Engineering were a bit more popular than in our previous analysis. But Computer Engineering/Science, the 24th most popular major for the classes of 2007-10, was the 7th most popular major among the classes of 2011-18 college graduates. Marketing is also more popular than in our previous analysis, moving from 14th to 8th.

That's a major change in the popularity of CS, but it's really to be expected. Computer Science has been a major emphasis in the District's Advanced Placement program, with the addition of a new course (AP Computer Science Principles) and enhanced college offerings, especially at BSU and at Idaho.  Clearly, many more students are making this area their specialty.

As you can see, the status of most of the next group of majors is relatively static, with the exception of Communications and History, which have decreased in popularity since the classes of 2007-10.

Institutions

As is to be expected, a significantly higher  number of Idaho students graduate from higher ed institutions in their home state than go to school outside of the state. That's also true of the Boise District, with the exception of Boise High School.

The specific choices of Boise District students have changed a bit since the District examined the data for alumni of the classes of 2007-10.

Almost 60% of 2011-18 Boise District alumni who graduated from college did so in the state of Idaho.  Graduates from Utah State University and the University of Utah accounted for another 4.6% of the total. 

COLLEGE DEGREES EARNED BY

BOISE DISTRICT ALUMNI, 2011-18

NOTE: The data for the following 3 posts were provided by the Boise School District. The information contained in the posts was derived from files provided to the district by the National Student Clearinghouse, an organization which compiles college enrollment record for schools districts, among other research information. Districts in Idaho have access to NSC information for their students. These blogs are intended to show the kind of information districts can glean to inform their patrons about college enrollments and graduation for their students.

A few years ago, the Boise District made a post detailing the major areas of the most popular degrees earned by Boise District alumni, detailing subject cluster areas and examining demographic characteristics of the degree-earners. This post and the two following it will examine the data using data from  ore recent graduating classes.

District officials looked at certificates and degrees earned by students from the high school classes of 2011 to 2018. Obviously, the vast majority of the degrees came from the classes of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018 have earned many fewer than 100 certificates and degrees, since they've been in college fewer than four years.

Here are some of the data we gleaned from our analysis. In terms of the number and type of degrees:

There were also 40 Master's Degrees earned by alumni from  these classes. However, for purposes of this comparison we will look at 4-year college grads for the remainder of the post, since they are the vast majority of the diploma earners.

STEM degrees are clearly the most popular among District alumni, followed by Social Science degrees and degrees in Business, Accounting. and Management. The paucity of degrees in education may be a bit misleading, since prospective secondary teachers often get their degrees in a field like History , English, or Math and then add a secondary teaching credential. However, it's concerning when we look at the changes in degree area percentages since the District's previous investigation.

So, Business and STEM degree percentages have increased, while percentages of Social Science, Eduication, and Performing Arts/Art degrees have declined. Not too surprising - with the amount of attention given to STEM in Boise's schools, it makes sense that more students would be attracted to majors in those areas.

ASSESSING THE STATUS OF 
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN IDAHO

Idaho is one of four states that currently provides no state funding for preschool programming. The status of pre-K educational opportunities in Idaho for kids ages 3 – 5 includes federally funded programs like Head Start, private preschools, as well as programs with funding sources from local governments, businesses, non-profit organizations, and school districts.

The Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC) has been given approval from Governor Little to submit a grant proposal to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services to develop a strategic plan to assess and facilitate collaboration and coordination among existing programs of early childhood care and education across the state.  Idaho is one of six states along with several territories that has been singled out and encouraged to submit a Preschool Development Grant.

There are many studies that reveal the benefits of preschool programs for children preparing to enter school. One such study was conducted by a task force of scientists from Georgetown University, Vanderbilt, Duke, the Brookings Institution, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of California Irvine, University of Wisconsin Madison, and the University of Michigan. Their report, “The Current State of ScientificKnowledge on Pre-Kindergarten Effects” (2017) reviewed the current status of preschool education in the United States. Some of their major findings include:

•  All kids benefit from preschool, but poor and disadvantaged kids make the most gains.
• Dual language learners show large benefits in both developing English language proficiency and academic skills
• Successful programs rely on well implemented evidenced-based curriculum delivered by teachers that have received quality training

Nationwide nearly 55% of 3-5 year-olds attend a center-based preschool program. That means that 45% of preschool aged children do not participate in any early childhood programs. The percentage of preschool participation increases to 75-80% if the family income is over $97,000. Families with income levels at or below the poverty level are more likely (50%) to participate in federally subsidized programs like Head Start, designed to serve these families. The percentage participation drops below 50% for families with incomes between the federal poverty level ($24,250) and $48,500.

In a recent parent survey conducted by the RISE Prepared for School Workgroup, 53.4% of the Treasure Valley parents who responded to the survey said their children were enrolled in a preschool program. In Canyon County, which has a higher level of poverty than the surrounding area, that percentage dropped to 44%.  According to the survey, the number one reason for parents not to enroll their children in a program was cost.

And what are the benefits of preschool for children? 

Here’s one example from a rural community in the Treasure Valley with a high percentage of poverty (61% of its children in grades K-3 are eligible for free and reduced lunches):

The Weiser School District conducted an informal study of the preparedness of children for kindergarten by administering a pre-reading and math assessment when those children registered for school.  The children who had been enrolled in a center-based preschool program scored twice as high on the readiness assessment. In the most recent administration of the fall IRI (2019) those children who had participated in a preschool program scored significantly higher on the iStation reading assessment than those students who had not participated. Fifty percent (50%) of the children who had participated in preschool were rated “at grade level” on their first IRI compared to 12% of their peers who had not participated in any program. 

Many other communities in Idaho have partnered with the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children and its partners to promote "Preschool the Idaho Way". The evidence continues to mount in favor of providing pre-school opportunities for children in Idaho.