Post on 23-Feb-2016
description
Charter Schools in the Local Context
EDS/Soc 126: Topic 10 Part 2
Some Quick Facts about Charters in San Diego
35 charters13,000 students (10%
of SDUSD)30 of 35: South of 8
• Notables:– KIPP– High Tech Hi– King-Chavez– UCSD Partnerships
with Preuss, Gompers
Dimensions of Reform• Structural/Technical Changes--add resources, such
as equipment, teachers, modify school day, class size, school size (Gates)
• Cultural Changes--address educators’, citizens’ beliefs about reasons for performance (race, ethnicity, gender) (Oakes, Turning Points)
• Political--mobilize constituencies to assist with change effort (civil rights struggles)
• Some Reform Efforts deploy only one; others lead with one, activate the others
• Question: Which “theory of action” do charters use?
Goals/Purposes of Charters
• Possibilities– Increase parental choice; level the playing field--
participate in contest mobility system (Turner)– Develop a critical consciousness among youth
through critical pedagogy (Nash)• Actualities: Increase parental choice; level the
playing field--participate in contest mobility system (Turner)
Reminder: Advocates CLAIM Charter Schools:
Reduce bureaucracyStimulate competition among public
schools--public schools will improve or close
Improve students’ academic performanceAre more innovative than public schoolsWill be held accountable
EVIDENCE about CLAIM that SD Charters Reduce
Bureaucracy
• San Diego Charters, like all charters do report about compliance with State and federal laws, standards and accountability (annual API scores)
• San Diego charters can and do hire teachers locally (local control vs. tenure/union issue)
EVIDENCE @ CLAIM that SD Charters Stimulate Competition
Like the national situation, very little evidence
Local case: Lincoln HS attempts to adopt Preuss practices of modified block schedule, on-site teacher professional development
Constraints: SDEA rules and regulations
EVIDENCE @ CLAIM that SD Charters Innovate
• Preuss/Gompers: Based on research on schooling and cognitive development– Universal development
(Cicourel&Mehan)– Detracking: rigorous
curriculum + scaffolds (Alvarez&Mehan)
• HTH: Based on Dewey/Meier—inquiry and project-based learning
Previous Academic Record
Social
Support
System
Preuss/Gompers Theory of Action
• Structural– Only college prep track– Longer school day,
week, year– Advisory periods– Teacher Professional
development in school day
– Range of assessments-portfolios, exhibitions
Preuss/Gompers Theory of Action
• Cultural– GCMS: “Culture Camp”
to instill common high expectations, predictability
– College teams– signs, banners, uniforms
to signal “college going culture”
– UCSD students serve as tutors, role models
Preuss/Gompers Theory of Action
• Political– UCSD: Contentious
debate led to CREATE & Preuss
– Gompers: Also contentious: Activist parents + Sup’t + community groups led to charter
Other Local Innovations: HTH, KIPP
Range of academic calendar (zero periods, contracts, periods of varying, longer school year)
Local personnel decisionsEmbed teacher professional development in school dayProject based learning (hands-on, tie students’ experience
to disciplinary concepts)Range of assessments—not just standardized tests—
including portfolios, exhibitionsHTH: offers teaching credential!
EVIDENCE @ CLAIM that SD Charters ImprovePerformance
• Preuss: 4-year College Enrollment– 2004: 80% (N=55)– 2005: 84% (N=75)– 20O6: 78% (N=87) – 2007: 87% (N=78)– 2008: 87% (N=87)– 2009: 93% (N=93)
• Preuss: State-wide Tests (API)– 2004: 2nd in County (844)– 2005: 1st in County (861)– 2006: 2nd in County (879)– 2007: 1st in County (877)– 2008: 1st in County (881)– 2009: 1st in County (894)
GCMS
EVIDENCE @ CLAIM that SD Charters ImprovePerformance• School 2007API 2008API• Preuss 877 881• HiTechHi 807 785• SDHS IB 783 800• SDHSLEADS 637 717• C’fordIDEA 570 573• Hoover 562 578• Lincoln n/a 540
EVIDENCE @ CLAIM that SD Charters ImprovePerformance• School 2007API 2008API• Preuss 877 881• TorreyPines 852 849• La Jolla Hi 829 818• HiTechHi 807 785• Scripps 785 820• Pt Loma 672 709
Summary
• Local Charters have better record than US average:– Bureaucracy– Competition– Student achievement– Educate all students? Or promote more
segregation?