How Do You Create an Achievement Culture?

As can be expected, school district performance varies significantly ranging from a low of 15% math proficiency or better to 100% proficiency.  A review of the data on school districts that are significantly outperforming the state average scores provide some insight into the nature of a phenomenon that can be called the Achievement Culture.  To identify these districts (including single district charter schools) we scanned the math MCAS results for 2009 using the following criteria.

1. If 70% of the district’s  students (grade 3-8) had a 2009 math MCAS score that is proficient or better – AND
2. 25% of the district’s students (grade 3-8) had a 2009 math MCAS score that falls into the advanced score range

The rationale was both simple and somewhat arbitrary.  We reasoned that if the district’s students, across each grades tested, achieved a 70% proficiency or better rate on the math MCAS there must be a culture where achieving MCAS proficiency is the norm. This cultural norm would set expectations of performance for all constituencies involved in the education of the district’s children including parents, students, teachers and school administration.  We also reasoned that selecting districts where 25% of the students in each grade tested were performing at an advanced level in math (well beyond proficiency) would demonstrate that the achievement culture was dominant and most likely supported through daily peer to peer interactions in the classroom and throughout the child’s school day.  The resulting districts are: