Audio: Overcoming Challenges to Close the Achievement Gap

Overcoming Challenges to Close the Achievement Gap. Like many schools, educators at Ladera Del Norte Elementary school were committed to supporting the success of all students, but they needed to strategically overcome a number of challenges in their mission to close achievement gaps.

Ladera Del Norte also prioritizes community involvement in student learning, especially in support of celebrating students’ heritage and culture. Maestas recommends that schools working to close achievement gaps “embrace the individuality of every child”, and use their unique strengths as the starting place to help them thrive.

In this audio profile, Principal Phyllis Maestas explains how they improved their use of PLC time, which was “the first big step to closing the achievement gap”. Over time, teachers became more skilled in quickly identifying and meeting student needs. Now, even students themselves “know what they’re supposed to learn and how they’re going to get there.”

To listen to the full podcast, scroll down. You can download the transcript here.