Project ACHIEVE began its partnership with Hotchkiss Elementary School, an inner-city science magnet school, at the very end of the 1994-95 school year, its first year in existence. In the Dallas Independent School District, Hotchkiss Elementary continues to be involved in Project ACHIEVE activities, although most of the on-site work (and reported data) occurred through the 1999-2000 school year.
Demographically, Hotchkiss Elementary’s enrollment increased from the beginning of 1994 through the 1997-98 school year (when 1193 students attended). Enrollment then decreased to 853 students in the 1999-2000 school year when a new school opened in the area. Overall, the average number of students attending Hotchkiss over the past six years was 996 students, with an average racial makeup of 42% African American, 39% Hispanic, 14% Caucasian, and 5% other minority or students not classified.
Relative to poverty, during the six years of on-site implementation, 80% of Hotchkiss’ students received federal lunch support. The school’s mobility rate (students enrolling and withdrawing from the school) steadily increased from 17% during the 1994-5 school year to 55% during the 1999-00 school year. Student attendance averaged 96% during this entire period, while teacher attendance averaged 97%.
Hotchkiss Elementary School’s Project ACHIEVE Results in Brief
Because Project ACHIEVE was not introduced to the school’s staff until April of the 1994-95 year, this year is used as a baseline and comparison year for the next five years which have been analyzed by clustering the first two and last three years of data, respectively. This cluster analysis was completed to recognize the fact that school reform and functional outcomes often take from three to five years to occur.
Student Discipline Outcomes
The outcomes below were analyzed using the first school year of contact (1994-1995) as a “baseline” year, and comparing that data to the outcomes from the next five years of Project ACHIEVE involvement organized by averaging the first two and last three years of implementation, respectively.
Relative to student discipline outcomes, the results indicated that:
Total discipline referrals to the principal’s office dropped from 56.1 referrals per 100 students during the baseline year prior to Project implementation, to 13.0 referrals per 100 students for first two years of the Project (less than one referral per school day over an entire year), to 3.0 referrals per 100 students during the last three years of implementation (less than one referral per week over the school year)
Academic Outcomes
The outcomes below were analyzed using the first school year of contact (1994-1995) as a “baseline” year, and comparing that data to the outcomes from the next five years of Project ACHIEVE involvement organized by averaging the first two and last three years of implementation, respectively.
Relative to academic achievement outcomes, the results indicated that:
- The number of grade retentions was 2.0 retentions per 100 students during the baseline year, 2.5 students per 100 students for the first two years of Project implementation, and 3.6 retentions per 100 students for the next three years
- Relative to academic achievement, Hotchkiss Elementary used both the ITBS (reported in mean normal curve equivalents) and the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS; reported as the percentage of students passing).
Special Education Outcomes
The outcomes below were analyzed using the first school year of contact (1994-1995) as a “baseline” year, and comparing that data to the outcomes from the next five years of Project ACHIEVE involvement organized by averaging the first two and last three years of implementation, respectively.
Relative to special education outcomes, the results indicated that:
- The annual number of special education referrals was 3.4 referrals per 100 students for the “baseline” year (1994-95) versus an average of 3.8 referrals per 100 students for the first two years of the Project (1995-97) versus an average of 5.6 referrals per 100 students during the last three years of the Project (1997-2000)
- Special education placements were 1.9 placements per 100 students for the baseline year versus an average of 2.8 placements per 100 students for the first two years of the Project versus an average of 3.0 placements per 100 students during the last three years of the Project
- To functionally compare these special education data, it should be noted that approximately 12% of all students nationwide receive special education services. Thus, while trending slightly upward, the special education placements for Hotchkiss Elementary are well below the national averages.
- Relative to the ITBS Total Reading section, the first through sixth graders taking this test earned a mean normal curve equivalent of 48.08 during the year prior to Project implementation, a 47.68 during the next two years, and a 46.47 during the next three years
- On the ITBS Total Math section, the students scored a 44.73 mean normal curve equivalent during the baseline year, a 46.26 during the next two years, and a 49.86 during the next three years
- On the TAAS Reading section, taken by Hotchkiss’ third through sixth graders, 68.7% of the students passed their respective test during the baseline year, 67.6% passed the test during the next two years, and 81.7% passed during the next three years through the 2000 school year
- On the TAAS Math section, again taken by the school’s third through sixth graders, 55.1% of the students passed their respective test during the baseline year, 65.1% passed the test during the next two years, and 78.6% passed during the next three years
- Finally, on the TAAS Writing test, taken only by the school’s fourth graders, 80.5% passed the test during the baseline year, 77.6% passed the test during the next two years, and 90.9% passed during the next three years through the 2000 school year
