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Descriptors:
Poverty; Disadvantaged Youth; Public Schools; Charter Schools; School Desegregation; Social Integration; School Effectiveness; Academic Achievement; Peer Influence; Student Attrition; Educational Finance; Faculty Mobility

Abstract:
In discussing socioeconomic integration before audiences, the author is frequently asked: What about high-poverty schools that do work? Don't they suggest that economic segregation isn't much of a problem after all? High-poverty public schools that beat the odds paint a heartening story that often attracts considerable media attention. In 2000, the conservative Heritage Foundation published a report, titled "No Excuses," meant to show that high-poverty schools can work well. The forward of the report proudly declared that the author "found not one or two ... [but] twenty-one high-performing, high-poverty schools." Unfortunately, these 21 schools were dwarfed by the 7,000 high-poverty schools identified by the US Department of Education as low performing. Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), a chain of 125 schools educating more than 35,000 students in 20 states and the District of Columbia, is often cited as evidence that high-poverty public schools ought to be able to produce very positive results. The school program emphasizes "tough love": a longer school day and school year, more homework, and the explicit teaching of middle-class habits and norms. (Contains 21 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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School Desegregation; Socioeconomic Status; Social Integration; Achievement Gap; Public Schools; Middle Class; Economically Disadvantaged; Students; Educational Change; Resistance to Change; School Choice; Politics of Education; Evidence; Educational Research; Cost Effectiveness; Barriers; Track System (Education); Magnet Schools; School Turnaround; Charter Schools

Abstract:
Integrating our schools is a goal that many of us share. But some seem to have given up on the idea, as plans to boost racial diversity have come under attack, and as the fixation on test scores has narrowed some people's concept of a good education. There is, however, new hope: integration by socioeconomic status. It's a cost-effective, legally sound strategy that can promote racial diversity while narrowing the achievement gap. (Contains 48 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Educational Change; Public Education; Private Schools; Educational Practices; Elementary Secondary Education; Charter Schools; Educational Quality; Equal Education; Data; Access to Information; Political Attitudes; Politics of Education

Abstract:
Like many parents and educators, the author is concerned about both quality and equity in the school systems and schools, public and private. He is equally frustrated at the seemingly zealous focus on producing more and more charter schools when America have had: (1) limited success in that arena; and (2) limited data on their success. That stated, he finds value in the charter experiment. He thinks it is helpful to find out-of-the-box ideas of educational reform. However, he is challenged when he senses a need to grow more and more charters when data show that they perform largely lesser than other public schools. They can be dressed up, but if they look and feel like the lowest-performing schools, guess what? They'll be low performing, too. The author always finds it interesting that a bunch of community and business people can come in and think they build a better school than the bunch with education credentials. Sometimes they can. Most of the time they fail miserably because they are in way over their pay grade with respect to educational pedagogy. Of course, the real problem is that there are too many underperforming, out-moded, and under-talented schools. These are the bad schools, and the word bad is fitting. Over 55 million students are taught in K-12 public and private schools in the United States annually. The sheer scope of this issue is hard to fathom. Nevertheless, it is a critical issue that must be contended with in America, and the charter discussion is an important piece of that discussion. In this article, the author makes a few targeted points about Dr. Maranto's review of his edited book, "Finding Superman: Debating the Future of Public Education in America" (2012). (Contains 2 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Educational Change; Art Education; Educational Policy; Advocacy; Neurosciences; Creativity; Alternative Teacher Certification; Student Evaluation; Teacher Evaluation; Charter Schools; Economic Climate; Technological Advancement; Educational Research; National Competency Tests; Academic Standards; State Standards; Skills; Federal Legislation; Educational Legislation; At Risk Students; Preservice Teacher Education; Curriculum Development; Faculty Development

Abstract:
The field of education in the United States is in a period of unprecedented change. Educators in all disciplines are challenged to understand and respond to the waves of reform sweeping over the national education landscape. Linking these reforms to meaningful outcomes that will produce more rigorous and effective measures of quality and performance in our schools is an ongoing goal for all educators as they work to respond to calls for educational reform. Changes in the general field of education have direct implications for arts education policy and practice. Arts educators find themselves in the position of making sense of these landmark reforms and changes in the context of arts education and determining what courses of action and responses they should pursue on the road to meaningful reform. This report provides an overview of a selected number of contemporary developments in the general field of education, brief summaries of consequential studies and education-related reports, and an examination of some policy issues these developments and reports raise for arts educators as they work to shape the future landscape of arts education. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Charter Schools; Parent Child Relationship; Interaction; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; High Schools; Parent Participation; Parent School Relationship; Virtual Classrooms; Interpersonal Relationship; Parent Teacher Cooperation; Motivation; Student Attitudes; Parent Attitudes; Traditional Schools

Abstract:
A belief commonly held in the K-12 education community is that parents can have a positive impact on their child's learning. However, little research has examined parental involvement in an online learning environment. In this study, researchers using survey data found that generally students and parents viewed parent-instructor and learner-parent interactions as motivational. Students viewed learner-parent interaction as significantly more motivational than did their parents. The quantity of reported parental interactions was generally negatively correlated with course outcomes. These negative correlations may be the result of parents' tendency to increase interaction levels following poor student performance and may not reflect the actual impact of parental interactions on individual student learning. (Contains 11 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Charter Schools; Special Education; Caring; Traditional Schools; Graduation Rate; Investigations; Virtual Classrooms; Nontraditional Education; Online Courses; Disabilities; Educational Technology; Public Schools; Educational Environment; Curriculum; At Risk Students; Learner Engagement; Distance Education

Abstract:
For students with disabilities who are at risk of leaving high school without graduating, virtual schools have become a popular alternative to traditional schools. One promising approach to increasing graduation rates is to design learning environments that serve students with disabilities through the 5 Cs framework designed to increase school completion: Connect, Climate, Control, Curriculum, and Caring Community. A utilization-focused evaluation guided our investigation to determine the presence of and application of the 5 Cs in a special education program in a public cyber charter school. Specific examples are provided, and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Middle Schools; Charter Schools; Middle School Students; Economically Disadvantaged; Low Income Groups; Outcomes of Education; Academic Achievement; Social Studies; Mathematics Achievement; Reading Achievement; Science Achievement; School Effectiveness; Student Characteristics; Institutional Characteristics; Scores; Thinking Skills; Student Behavior; Student Attitudes; Learner Engagement; Academic Aspiration; Well Being; Satisfaction; School Attitudes; Norm Referenced Tests; High Stakes Tests; Student Surveys; Parent Surveys

Abstract:
The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is a rapidly expanding network of public charter schools whose mission is to improve the education of low-income children. As of the 2012-2013 school year, 125 KIPP schools are in operation in 20 different states and the District of Columbia (DC). Ultimately, KIPP's goal is to prepare students to enroll and succeed in college. Prior research has suggested that KIPP schools have positive impacts on student achievement, but most of the studies have included only a few KIPP schools or have had methodological limitations. This is the second report of a national evaluation of KIPP middle schools being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research. The evaluation uses experimental and quasi-experimental methods to produce rigorous and comprehensive evidence on the effects of KIPP middle schools across the country. The study's first report, released in 2010, described strong positive achievement impacts in math and reading for the 22 KIPP middle schools for which data were available at the time. For this phase of the study, the authors nearly doubled the size of the sample, to 43 KIPP middle schools, including all KIPP middle schools that were open at the start of the study in 2010 for which they were able to acquire relevant data from local districts or states. The average impact of KIPP on student achievement is positive, statistically significant, and educationally substantial. KIPP impact estimates are consistently positive across the four academic subjects examined, in each of the first four years after enrollment in a KIPP school, and for all measurable student subgroups. A large majority of the individual KIPP schools in the study show positive impacts on student achievement as measured by scores on state-mandated assessments. KIPP produces similar positive impacts on the norm-referenced test, which includes items assessing higher-order thinking. Estimated impacts on measures of student attitudes and behavior are less frequently positive, but the authors found evidence that KIPP leads students to spend significantly more time on homework, and that KIPP increases levels of student and parent satisfaction with school. On the negative side, the findings suggest that enrollment in a KIPP school leads to an increase in the likelihood that students report engaging in undesirable behavior such as lying to or arguing with parents. These findings are described in this report. The following appendixes are included: (1) Sample selection and baseline characteristics; (2) Constructing survey outcomes; (3) Schools attended by lottery winners and lottery non-winners; (4) Analytic methods for the matched comparison group analysis; (5) Analytic methods for lottery-based analysis; and (6) Validation of matching methods using lottery-based impact estimates. (Contains 46 tables, 78 footnotes, and 16 figures.) [For "What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: 'KIPP Middle Schools: Impacts on Achievement and Other Outcomes, Final Report,'" see ED540896.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Charter Schools; Citizenship Education; Values Education; Ethical Instruction; School Culture; Core Curriculum; College Preparation; Patriotism; Democracy; Student Behavior; Daily Living Skills; Case Studies

Abstract:
This policy brief is the second in a series of in-depth case studies exploring how top-performing charter schools have incorporated civic learning in their school curriculum and school culture. This brief focuses on National Heritage Academies, a for-profit charter management company that runs 74 schools in Michigan and eight other states. NHA schools focus intensely on building strong foundations in the four core subjects--English language arts, math, science, and social studies--while also teaching electives like art, music, physical education, and technology. They are traditional in their approach to teaching, but adopt some student-centered teaching ideas. (Contains 22 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Charter Schools; Teaching Methods; Citizenship; Democracy; School Culture; Citizenship Education; Educational Policy; Case Studies; Integrated Curriculum; Effective Schools Research; Institutional Mission; Democratic Values; Program Descriptions; Social Capital; Skill Development; Leadership Training; Professional Development; Educational Practices

Abstract:
This policy brief is the first in a series of in-depth case studies exploring how top-performing charter schools have incorporated civic learning in their school curriculum and school culture. This paper introduces Democracy Prep, a network of seven public charter schools with a civic mission at its core. Democracy Prep's founder and superintendent is Seth Andrew, an energetic former teacher born and raised in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. Andrew's passion for civic activism and academic rigor are at the center of Democracy Prep's model. The network's motto--"Work hard. Go to college. Change the world!"--couples the "no-excuses" charter school movement's emphasis on student achievement with a decidedly civic focus. The fact that Democracy Prep is a charter school is crucial to its civic mission. Andrew views charter schooling as an ideal venue for experimenting with exactly "how" to teach citizenship. In this brief, the authors describe Democracy Prep's unique approach to teaching citizenship and discuss the lessons that other schools might learn from one charter school network's experience. With civic education increasingly marginalized because of testing and accountability demands that focus on reading and math, insights from schools built around citizenship are much needed. (Contains 21 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Academic Standards; Accountability; Achievement Gap; Administrator Effectiveness; Alignment (Education); Budgets; Career Readiness; Charter Schools; College Readiness; Core Curriculum; Data; Educational Assessment; Educational Change; Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; Federal Legislation; Formative Evaluation; Grants; Higher Education; Language Arts; Leadership Effectiveness; Literacy; Low Achievement; Mathematics Achievement; Measurement Objectives; Models; Outcomes of Education; Partnerships in Education; Poverty; Principals; Professional Development; Program Effectiveness; Program Implementation; School Districts; School Effectiveness; School Turnaround; State Government; State Standards; STEM Education; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Evaluation

Abstract:
This State-specific summary report serves as an assessment of Tennessee's second year of Race to the Top implementation. The report highlights successes and accomplishments, identifies challenges, and provides lessons learned from implementation from approximately September 2011 through September 2012. During Year 2, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) revamped its approach to project management to ensure meaningful project oversight and revised project work plans and goals that focus on measuring project performance and impact at the State educational agency (SEA) level. The State also participated in partnership meetings with local educational agencies (LEAs) to build relationships focused on data and collaborative problem solving. These meetings reinforced the State's goal of transitioning from compliance monitoring to a more collaborative role as LEAs implemented their Race to the Top plans. Although Tennessee made excellent progress in Year 2, it still faced challenges as it rolled out the Tennessee Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), built data systems to support instruction, and expanded its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) network. Moving into Year 3 of its grant, Tennessee plans to build on its accomplishments and address its challenges from Year 2. The State is reassessing its implementation plans in several reform areas to ensure continuous improvement and effective implementation. For example, the State is making changes to its educator evaluation system to address feedback from teachers and principals. In addition, TDOE is enhancing its existing Field Service Centers (FSCs) to provide content-specific supports to LEAs and schools. The FSCs will now be called Centers of Regional Excellence (COREs) and will leverage the existing strengths of FSCs and add additional capacities to provide support to LEAs as they implement the CCSS and the new evaluation system. The State's plans for Years 3 and 4 rely heavily on effective CORE implementation, highlighting the need for the State to establish high-quality centers and mechanisms to assess their effectiveness. A glossary is included. (Contains 20 footnotes.) [For "Race to the Top. Tennessee Report. Year 1: School Year 2010-2011. [State-Specific Summary Report]," see ED529330.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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