The discussion on gaps in student achievement continues to be one of the most important discussions in education today; particularly as it relates to the underachievement of children of color. Equally challenging for educators is the continued lack of student motivation, undesirable student behaviors, and the overall underachievement of “at-risk” student populations across racial and ethnic lines. In this highly engaging, thought-provoking session, Principal Kafele will assert that the greatest difficulty in closing the achievement gap is the overwhelming assumption that the achievement gap is, in fact, the problem. He says that the achievement gap is a direct consequence of the failure to adequately address what he coined, the Attitude Gap (the gap between those students who have the will to achieve excellence and those who do not), that continues to persist in American classrooms. He will share with teachers how to close the Attitude Gap in their classrooms through a classroom climate/culture framework.
