Zero’s Aren’t Permitted (ZAP Program)

Our very own Dr. Christa Warner of Wohlwend Elementary was published recently in the professional journal ASQ – American Society for Quality.  I have pasted what I believe to be the best part of the article below, in bold, followed by the entire article:

The ZAP Method

            At our school, we developed a program that resulted in 94% fewer failing grades. The program was called “Zeros aren’t permitted” (ZAP). This program was difficult for some teachers to accept at first, because they had been practicing a “no late work” policy for a long time. But some teachers believed the policy  was not teaching the students the meaning of responsibility.

            As we held discussions, teachers began to understand that the ZAP program was teaching responsibility more than their previous method had. We discussed the fact that in real life, teachers aren’t able to choose whether to do certain tasks, such as report cards or evaluations. We simply cannot call the superintendent and inform him or her that we will take a zero on our evaluations that were to be turned in on a specific date. We also discussed the amount of time we spent in grade level meetings talking about the same concern day after day, year after year, and how the old way didn’t seem to be working.

            Under ZAP, when students didn’t turn their homework in, the teacher would send their names and the assignment to the cafeteria. When the students came to lunch, we would have them work on the assignments while they ate. The student could leave the cafeteria when the assignment was finished. Faculty would check it to make sure it was of quality. If the student didn’t finish during the lunch period, we called the student’s parents, and the student stayed after school to complete it. We explained to the parent and the student that the skill was so crucial for them to learn, we simply couldn’t allow them to fail.

 

Visible Results

            When we first initiated the ZAP program, about 30 students per grade level were involved. However, once the students understood the program wasn’t going away, the number of students who were “zapped” dropped to about eight per grade level. Not only did the students became more responsible, their grades and achievement levels increased as well.

            Classrooms throughout the United States are changing, and educators must be prepared. Students who are considered at-risk for factors such as socioeconomic status, limited English speaking ability, race or geographic location deserve a quality education.

            Students who do not complete high school are at a disadvantage and will, over their lifetime, earn an average of $200,000 less than students who graduate high school and, $800,000 less than those who graduated college.¹⁰ With 50% of the prison population consisting of individuals who didn’t complete high school, it is no longer just a school issue, but also a societal one.

Effective Schools Can Overcome At-Risk Factors

By Christa Warner, principal, Wohlwend Elementary School

Many schools across the nation have mission and vision statements displayed in their buildings. The majority of these include a belief that all students can be academically successful and productive members of society. However, it is imperative for each teacher to truly believe this philosophy and for the school culture to support it.
It is easy for teachers to believe that only the students who pay for lunch, speak fluent English and live in a home with two parents can make academic gains. However, schools must believe that every one of their students is a worthy human being and able to learn, regardless of any at-risk factors that could potentially cause him or her to drop out of school.

Reaching the Students
With half of prison populations consisting of individuals who did not complete high school, we must do everything we can to reach and teach all students. Many students who are considered at-risk are academically successful. However, some students are not, and they are considered a contributing factor to 50% of beginning teachers leaving the profession within five years.1
Until the late 1990s, it was believed that economic status and innate ability determined a student’s achievement. After 35 years of research was compiled and studied, we know this is not true. Three main factors affect student achievement: school, teacher and home.
The decisions made by teachers have a greater impact on student achievement than decisions made at the school level.2 Effective teachers are responsive to students’ needs in the classroom. They clearly understand what the students must learn, how the students should be assessed and which instructional strategies they should implement.3
Effective schools provide interventions and programs for at-risk students so they have an opportunity to experience the same academic success as students without at-risk factors.4 The staff share a common vision and belief that all of their students can achieve. Therefore, the staff collaboratively works toward this goal and does whatever it takes to ensure academic success. Effective teachers implement a variety of instructional strategies to meet the different needs of their students. They need to know the content material and instructional strategies to be confident in their ability to teach.5

Changes in Student Population
In an ABC News recently report, “One in 10 Schools Are ‘Dropout Factories,’” the author describes demographic changes throughout the country and the impact it has on the dropout rate. The report explains that high schools with high dropout rates have a large percentage of minority students, and their challenges go beyond academics. Many of these students live in poverty and are in need of additional aid, such as social services.6
Schools all over the United States have changed dramatically over the past three decades. Thirty years ago, students of color made up 22% of the school population. In 2002, the number increased to 39%. Demographers project students who were once the minority will become the majority in the next 30 years. By mid-century, no single race or ethnic group is expected to make up a significant majority of the U.S. population. In 1985, there were 1.5 million students who spoke English as another language. In 1995, this increased to 3.2 million, and the number continues to grow.
As schools’ demographics have changed, the range of students’ abilities has increased.7 These demographic changes, which are also described in the ABC News report, are at-risk factors for dropping out of school. However, this doesn’t mean more students will drop out of school in the future. Research indicates that effective schools can overcome at-risk factors and produce students with high academic achievement.
One reason students drop out of school is their lack of success, both academically and behaviorally. When they are able to connect with their teacher or another adult in the school, students are more likely to succeed academically and behaviorally by accepting the rules, procedures and disciplinary actions.8
Student motivation has also been linked to academic achievement. Students who seek success and enjoy challenges and new tasks are motivated to do well in school. However, the student who typically experiences failure is less likely to try new things and will give up easily if a task becomes difficult.
Effective teachers are supposed to set high expectations in their classrooms and have challenging curriculums. This can become a difficult task with students who are at-risk and have experienced failure frequently. The teacher must challenge these students while not setting unattainable goals that give them excuses to procrastinate or fail.9
To support students who are at-risk, teachers must frequently provide them feedback on their academic progress and engaging tasks that are perceived by the students as skills related to their lives. Students must be taught how to set attainable goals, the dynamics of motivation and skills to develop their self-worth.
We need to teach students to develop a high level of motivation. Students need to understand what the essential outcomes are for the class and have opportunities to monitor their own progress.
As the students take tests, they need to meet with their teacher and set goals for specific time periods. The goals should focus on specific skills and be attainable. A graphic organizer, such as a chart, allows students to visually understand their progress. As the students reach their goals and move forward, it is important for the teacher, student and parent to recognize the achievement and celebrate.
We also need to educate our teachers and have them analyze practices. There must be a climate and belief that failure is not an option. If a student doesn’t complete his or her homework, he or she cannot simply take a zero. This strategy is easy for an at-risk student to use because failure is not new to them.
The ZAP Method
At our school, we developed a program that resulted in 94% fewer failing grades. The program was called “Zeros aren’t permitted” (ZAP). This program was difficult for some teachers to accept at first, because they had been practicing a “no late work” policy for a long time. But some teachers believed the policy  was not teaching the students the meaning of responsibility.
As we held discussions, teachers began to understand that the ZAP program was teaching responsibility more than their previous method had. We discussed the fact that in real life, teachers aren’t able to choose whether to do certain tasks, such as report cards or evaluations. We simply cannot call the superintendent and inform him or her that we will take a zero on our evaluations that were to be turned in on a specific date. We also discussed the amount of time we spent in grade level meetings talking about the same concern day after day, year after year, and how the old way didn’t seem to be working.
Under ZAP, when students didn’t turn their homework in, the teacher would send their names and the assignment to the cafeteria. When the students came to lunch, we would have them work on the assignments while they ate. The student could leave the cafeteria when the assignment was finished. Faculty would check it to make sure it was of quality. If the student didn’t finish during the lunch period, we called the student’s parents, and the student stayed after school to complete it. We explained to the parent and the student that the skill was so crucial for them to learn, we simply couldn’t allow them to fail.

Visible Results
When we first initiated the ZAP program, about 30 students per grade level were involved. However, once the students understood the program wasn’t going away, the number of students who were “zapped” dropped to about eight per grade level. Not only did the students became more responsible, their grades and achievement levels increased as well.
Classrooms throughout the United States are changing, and educators must be prepared. Students who are considered at-risk for factors such as socioeconomic status, limited English speaking ability, race or geographic location deserve a quality education.
Students who do not complete high school are at a disadvantage and will, over their lifetime, earn an average of $200,000 less than students who graduate high school and, $800,000 less than those who graduated college.10 With 50% of the prison population consisting of individuals who didn’t complete high school, it is no longer just a school issue, but also a societal one.
References
1. Joel A. Colbert and Diana E. Wolf, “Surviving in Urban Schools,” Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 43(b), 1992, pp. 193-99.
2. Robert J. Marzano, What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action, Assn. for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), 2003.
3. Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe, Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design, ASCD, 2006.
4. Robert J. Marzano, What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action, ASCD, 2003.
5. Linda Darling-Hammond and John Bransford, Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able to Do, Jossey-Bass, 2005.
6. Nancy Zuckerbrod, ”One  in 10 Schools are ‘Dropout Factories.’’“ www.abcnews.go.com, Nov. 1, 2007.
7. Linda Darling-Hammond and John Bransford, Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and Be Able to Do, Jossey-Bass, 2005.
8. Robert J. Marzano, What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action, ASCD, 2003.
9. Ibid.
10. Paul E. Bartman, “One-third of a Nation: Rising Dropout Rates and Declining Opportunities,” Educational Testing Services policy information report, 2005.

Christa Warner, is principal of Wohlwend Elementary School, St. Louis. Visit the school’s website for more information.