Author(s): |
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Source: |
American Federation of Teachers |
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Pub Date: |
2012-10-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Reports - Evaluative |
Peer Reviewed: |
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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Charter Schools; Educational Change; School Closing; Neighborhoods; Neighborhood Schools; Achievement Gains; Educational Improvement; School Districts; Poverty; Access to Education; Educational Quality; Teacher Competencies; Educational Indicators; Scores
Abstract:
School districts close schools for many appropriate reasons. School closure has now evolved into a school improvement strategy. Sometimes the strategy is to close the lowest-performing schools rather than low-enrollment schools and move the students into higher-achieving neighborhood schools. School closure also has become a common strategy to expand charter school density, despite extensive evidence that charter schools do not improve student achievement--especially for chronically low-performing students--any more than regular schools do. However, school closings raise concerns about the possible negative impacts on student achievement, neighborhoods, families and teaching staff. This article reviews research that focuses on school closure turnaround strategies. This review of research shows that one cannot simply shut down schools in high-poverty neighborhoods, blaming teachers and principals for the failure, and then expect the low-performing students to enroll in a dramatically higher-performing school. Rather, the research shows a more likely outcome is that school closure imitates an inevitably continuous pattern of academically harmful displacement for children already disadvantaged.
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Pub Date: |
2012-00-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
Peer Reviewed: |
Yes |
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Descriptors:
Neighborhood Schools; School Choice; Disadvantaged Youth; Criminals; Socioeconomic Influences; At Risk Students; Crime; Delinquency; Comparative Analysis; Adolescents; Middle School Students; High School Students; Racial Differences; Gender Differences; African American Students; Educational Quality
Abstract:
In this study, the author investigates whether the opportunity to attend a school other than a student's assigned neighborhood school reduces criminal activity, especially among disadvantaged youth. Many of the schools chosen by the students were "better" on traditional indicators, such as student test scores and teacher characteristics. All of them, however, were preferred by the applicant over the default option. The analysis therefore sheds light on whether efforts to expand school choice can be an effective crime-prevention strategy, particularly when disadvantaged students can gain access to "better" schools. He compares the criminal activity of students who won the lottery to attend their first-choice school to that of students who lost the lottery. He finds consistent evidence that attending a better school reduces crime among those age 16 and older, across various schools, and for both middle and high school students. The effect is largest for African American males and youth who are at highest risk for criminal involvement. In general, high-risk male youth commit about 50 percent less crime as a result of winning the school-choice lottery. They are also more likely to remain enrolled in school, and they show modest improvements on measures of behavior such as absences and suspensions. (Contains 2 figures.)
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Pub Date: |
2011-08-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Reports - Evaluative |
Peer Reviewed: |
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Descriptors:
Academic Achievement; Neighborhoods; High Schools; Neighborhood Schools; Admission Criteria; Grade 8; Grade 7; School Counselors; Counselor Role; School Choice; Student Interests; Selective Admission; Institutional Characteristics; Best Practices; Guidance; Principals; Middle School Teachers; Decision Making
Abstract:
Every fall, 8th graders in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) have the opportunity to apply to five district-managed high schools other than their own neighborhood school. One of the goals of Philadelphia's tiered system of neighborhood, citywide, and special admission high schools--many with specific curricular programs--is that students find the right "fit" to complement their academic record, skills, and interests. This selective system requires students to understand the characteristics of different high schools and to assess whether they meet the admission criteria in order to make strategic application decisions. This brief examines the role of the middle school counselor in helping students navigate this process. Students may also apply to charter or private high schools in separate processes, and some counselors discussed these options with students and their parents, but this brief focuses on the SDP high school application process. This brief focuses on middle school counselors, recognizing the critical role they play in supporting students in the high school application process. It outlines best practices for counselors in the SDP, focusing on three lessons: (1) the high school application process starts in 7th grade; (2) students and parents need guidance in making high school application decisions in 8th grade; and (3) enabling conditions in some schools allow counselors to provide individualized supports to students and families in this process. It also acknowledges common challenges that counselors face in implementing these best practices. The lessons from this study apply not only to counselors but to principals, 7th and 8th grade teachers, and other school staff who seek to individually or collaboratively support students throughout this process. Appended are: (1) Counselors are Critical: Lessons and Best Practices At-a-Glance; and (2) Overview of Counselor Duties at Study Schools. (Contains 5 footnotes.)
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Pub Date: |
2011-09-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Books; Reports - Descriptive |
Peer Reviewed: |
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Descriptors:
Urban Schools; Neighborhoods; Neighborhood Schools; Principals; Public Education; Parents; Parent Participation; Educational Change; Change Strategies; Cooperative Planning; Fund Raising; Guides
Abstract:
"How to Walk to School" is the story--from the highs to the lows--of motivated neighborhood parents galvanizing and then organizing an entire community to take a leap of faith, transforming a challenged urban school into one of Chicago's best, virtually overnight. The fate of public education is not beyond our control. In "How to Walk to School", Susan Kurland, Nettelhorst's new and entrepreneurial principal, and Jacqueline Edelberg, the neighborhood mom, provide an accessible and honest blueprint for reclaiming the great public schools our children deserve. This book contains the following chapters: (1) Dream a Future: Identify Opportunities; (2) Chemistry: Capitalize on Desire; (3) Support Systems: Contract Services; (4) Academics: Raise the Bar; (5) Sell the Dream: Rebrand and Reposition; (6) Fundraising: Look Beyond a Climate of Care; and (7) The Nettelhorst Blueprint. Appended are: (1) Toolkit: How to Set-up a 501(c)(3); and (2) How to Learn More. [Foreword by Arne Duncan and afterword by Rahm Emanuel.]
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Pub Date: |
2011-11-22 |
Pub Type(s): |
Reports - Research |
Peer Reviewed: |
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Descriptors:
Proximity; Charter Schools; School Culture; Focus Groups; Interviews; Educational Experience; Parents; Surveys; Profiles; Family Income; Educational Attainment; Neighborhood Schools; Reputation; Parent Attitudes; Satisfaction; Educational Quality; Student Needs; Teacher Qualifications
Abstract:
This study was conducted in Spring 2011 with the purpose of better understanding the nature and experiences of New Hampshire charter school parents. Nine out of ten operating NH charter schools participated. Parents were invited to participate in an on-line survey and on-site focus group interviews. Results provide a profile of NH charter school parents as well-educated, with relatively high household income. Despite the close proximity of a neighborhood public school, charter school parents typically transport their children to their charter school. Philosophy, reputation, and dissatisfaction with prior school experience motivated parents to choose their charter school. Parents expressed satisfaction with the attention charter schools give to their child and dissatisfaction with the state charter school funding process. Overall, ninety six percent of the parents in this study rate their charter school experience as somewhat to very positive. Academics, overall school culture, meeting their child's needs, and the quality of teaching rank high on their areas of satisfaction. This study was designed to give a general picture of NH charter school parents. Thus, it does not identify results related to specific NH charter schools. A limitation of the study is that populations of certain schools may be under-represented in the results. Recommendations include NH charter schools developing mid-level administrative positions, informing parents about state-wide charter school issues through the local charter schools themselves, and harnessing untapped sources of constituents such as professional networks and business leaders. An appendix presents: 2011 NH Charter Schools Parent Survey Complete Results. (Contains 4 footnotes, 2 figures, 6 tables, and 4 charts.)
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Pub Date: |
2011-09-00 |
Pub Type(s): |
Reports - Research |
Peer Reviewed: |
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Descriptors:
Neighborhood Schools; School Choice; Enrollment; Public Schools; Higher Education; Databases; Selective Admission; Competitive Selection; Admission (School)
Abstract:
We study the impact of a public school choice lottery in Charlotte-Mecklenburg (CMS) on postsecondary attainment. We match CMS administrative records to the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), a nationwide database of college enrollment. Among applicants with low-quality neighborhood schools, lottery winners are more likely than lottery losers to graduate from high school, attend a four-year college, and earn a bachelor's degree. They are twice as likely to earn a degree from an elite university. The results suggest that school choice can improve students' longer-term life chances when they gain access to schools that are better on observed dimensions of quality.
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