Transcript of The Limits and Possibilities of Urban School Improvement: Lessons from the Inner City Robert F. and...
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- The Limits and Possibilities of Urban School Improvement:
Lessons from the Inner City Robert F. and Augusta Finkelstein
Memorial Lecture October 20, 2009 Alan R. Sadovnik Rutgers
University-Newark
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Agenda Introduction Data on
Achievement Gaps: Social Class, Race and Gender Data on U.S. Cities
Data on Newark and New Jersey Data on Long Island Sociological
Explanations for the Achievement Gap Reform Approaches School level
Societal and Community levels Types of Reforms and Effects
Governance Reforms School Finance Accountability under NCLB School
Choice Progressive v. Traditional Approaches Community-Based Limits
and Possibilities of Reform Conclusion
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Achievement GapMaking Progress
by Race 1996 NAEP 4 th Grade Math2007 NAEP 4 th Grade Math NAEP
Long-Term Trends, NCES (2004)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Achievement GapMaking Progress
SES
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach High School Gap has widened 17 Year
Olds--NAEP Reading 17 Year Olds--NAEP Math NAEP Long-Term Trends,
NCES (2004)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach African American, Latino &
Native American high school graduates are less likely to have been
enrolled in a full college prep track percent in college prep
Source: Jay P. Greene, Public High School Graduation and College
Readiness Rates in the United States, Manhattan Institute,
September 2003. Table 8. 2001 high school graduates with
college-prep curriculum. Full College Prep track is defined as at
least: 4 years of English, 3 years of math, 2 years of natural
science, 2 years of social science and 2 years of foreign
language
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach African American and Latino 17
Year-Olds Do Math at Same Levels As White 13 Year-Olds Source:
National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP 2004 Trends in
Academic Progress Note: Long-Term Trends NAEP
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach African American and Latino 17
Year-Olds Read at Same Levels As White 13 Year- Olds Source:
National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP 2004 Trends in
Academic Progress Note: Long-Term Trends NAEP
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Best available estimates of national
four-year graduation rates Class of 2006 Source: Ed Trust analysis
of enrollment data from the National Center for Education
Statistics, Common Core of Data using the Averaged Freshman
Graduation Rate (AFGR) methodology. For more information on the
AFGR methodology, see National Center for Education Statistics,
Users Guide to Computing High School Graduation Rates, Volume 2,
August 2006.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Differences in Graduation Rate by
Race
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Reading Achievement Gap Males v.
Females Age 17
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Math Achievement Gap Males v.
Females Age 17
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Low-Income African American Scale
Scores Source: NAEP Data Explorer, NCES
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Low-Income Latino Scale Scores Note:
Latino scores are not available for Atlanta. Source: NAEP Data
Explorer, NCES
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Low-Income African American Scale
Scores Source: NAEP Data Explorer, NCES
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Low-Income Latino Scale Scores Note:
Latino scores are not available for Atlanta. Source: NAEP Data
Explorer, NCES
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Demographic DifferencesNewark vs.
NJ
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Average Property Value Per Student
by District Grouping 1998-2003
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Comparing Demographics of Students
in New Jersey
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Child and Youth Well-Being
Indicators: Newark and New Jersey, 1997-2002
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Grade 11 (HSPA) Language Arts
Literacy 2001-02 to 2002-03
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Grade 11 (HSPA) Math 2001-02 to
2002-03
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Cumulative Promotion Index by
District Grouping Graduation by Traditional Grade 11 Exam by
District Grouping 1994-95 to 2002-03
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Categories of School Districts
According to Demographic Stability and Change Nassau and Suffolk
County, Long Island 1998-2007 (Wells, 2009) Table 1. Categories of
School Districts According to Demographic Stability and Change
Nassau and Suffolk County, Long Island 19982007 Category Stability/
Change over time Race SES (Free Lunch) Change over 8 Years Number
of LI Districts by Category 1 Stable, Predominantly Black and
Latino with Concentrated Poverty > 88% Black or Latino > 30%
receiving free lunch < 10% change in Black and Latino Nassau: 5
Suffolk: 3 Total LI: 8 2 Stable, Predominantly White and/or Asian
with Low Poverty and thus Concentrated Privilege > 75% White
and/or Asian < 8% receiving free lunch < 10% change in White
and/or Asian Nassau: 34 Suffolk: 49 Total LI: 83 3 Stable, Racially
and Socioeconomically Diverse 10% change in White Nassau: 13
Suffolk: 12 Total LI: 25
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Inequalities on Long Island:
Contiguous Districts
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Inequalities on Long Island: North
Shore vs. Urban Type Suburban Districts
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Sociological Explanations for the
Gap Functionalism: Meritocracy and Reduction of Inequalities
Conflict Theory: Reproduction of Inequalities Within School
Factors: Funding Curriculum and Pedagogy Teacher and Principal
Quality Tracking Outside School Factors: Effects of Poverty (i.e.
Health, Housing) Culture Family Peer Groups Neighborhood
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach School Based Reforms: Education
Equality Project Advocacy group focused on closing the achievement
gap through grass-roots organizing efforts Mission is to: Ensure an
effective teacher in every classroom Empower parents Create
accountability Make decisions around what is best for students
Encourage parents and students to demand more from schools, as well
as from themselves Advocate against those that have preserved
inequity Joel Klein & Al Sharpton
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Societal and Community Based Reforms
Addressing the Effects of Poverty A Broader, Bolder Approach to
Education 1) Continue to focus on school improvement efforts 2)
Increase and improve quality of early childhood programs 3)
Increase investment in health services 4) Understand how students
spend their time outside of school From:
http://www.boldapproach.org/statement.html Jean Anyon & Richard
Rothstein Pedro Noguera & Helen Ladd
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Types of Reform and Effects
Governance Reform School Finance Accountability School Choice
Progressive vs. Traditional Approaches Community-based Reforms
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Types of Reform and
EffectsGovernance Reform State Takeovers 29 states have legislative
power NCLB gave states authority to takeover school districts that
failed to meet state standards Improve education systems by
increasing level of local accountability (see Anderson & Lewis,
1997; Bushweller, 1998) Mayoral Control Baltimore, Boston, Chicago,
Cleveland, Hartford, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
Detroit Mixed results on success (see Wong, et al., 2007;
Viteritti, 2009; Kirst, 2002; Chambers, 2006)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Types of Reform and EffectsSchool
Finance NEW JERSEY Thorough and Efficient Education Robinson v.
Cahill (1970- 1976) Abbott v. Burke (1979- 2009) Bacon v. Davy
(2003) Abbott v. Burke XX, (SFRA) (2009) NEW YORK Sound and Basic
Education Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. NY State (1993-2006)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach National Inequities in State and
Local Revenue Per Student Gap High Poverty vs. Low Poverty
Districts $773 per student High Minority vs. Low Minority Districts
$1,122 per student Education Trust analyses based on U.S.
Department of Education and U.S. Census Bureau data for the 2005-06
school year.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach
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- Types of Reform and Effects Accountability under NCLB SCHOOL
QUALITY NCLB neglects the concentrations of poverty in American
schools From: Can Separate Be Equal? The Overlooked Flaw at the
Center of No Child Left Behind Richard D. Kahlenberg, The Century
Foundation, 4/23/2004Can Separate Be Equal? The Overlooked Flaw at
the Center of No Child Left Behind
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach TEACHER QUALITY Students at
High-Minority Schools More Likely to Be Taught by Novice Teachers
Analysis of 2003-2004 Schools and Staffing Survey data by Richard
Ingersoll, University of Pennsylvania (2007) Note: Novice teachers
are those with three years or fewer experience.. High-minority 75%
students non-white. Low-minority 10% students non-white.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Poor and Minority Students Get More
Inexperienced* Teachers Source: National Center for Education
Statistics, Monitoring Quality: An Indicators Report, December
2000. *Teachers with 3 or fewer years of experience. High poverty
Low poverty High minority Low minority Note: High poverty refers to
the top quartile of schools with students eligible for free/reduced
price lunch. Low poverty- bottom quartile of schools with students
eligible for free/reduced price lunch. High minority-top quartile;
those schools with the highest concentrations of minority students.
Low minority-bottom quartile of schools with the lowest
concentrations of minority students
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Components of NCLB Require
states and districts to report school-by-school data on student
test performance, broken out by whether the student is
African-American, Hispanic, Native-American, Asian American, White
non-Hispanic, Special Education, Limited English Proficiency (LEP),
and/or Low Income. States must set adequate yearly progress (AYP)
goals for each school. In order to meet AYP, not only must each
subgroup make progress in each year in each grade in each subject
but there must be 95% participation of each subgroup as well. The
increments in AYP should be arranged so that 100% of students reach
proficiency by 2014.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Components of NCLB (cont.)
Annual testing of students in Grades 3-8 in reading and math plus
at least one test in Grades 10-12; Science testing to follow.
Graduation rates are used as a secondary indicator for high
schools. Schools that dont meet AYP for two years are labeled In
Need of Improvement (INOI). Initially, this means that schools must
offer students the option to go to another public school and/or to
receive federally funded tutoring. Monies would also be made
available for teacher professional development. In the absence of
meeting future AYP targets, schools would be subject to
restructuring (firing teachers and principal; state takeover;
private company takeover; etc.).
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Components of NCLB (cont)
Schools must have highly qualified teachers for the core academic
subjects (English, reading or language arts, math, science, foreign
languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history and
geography) by 2005-6.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Debate: Supporters Positions
Advocates, including progressive organizations such as the
Education Trust, argue that its annual testing and disaggregation
requirements will force states to ensure that low-income students
who continue to lag far behind higher income students will meet the
same standards, and thus reduce the achievement gap by 2014.
Conservative groups argue that the emphasis on testing will require
schools to improve teaching and learning or face eventual closure
or restructuring. Continuation of standards movement necessary to
improve international competitiveness of U.S. schools.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Debate: Critics Positions The
law does not provide sufficient funds to improve failing schools
and, more importantly, is heavy on punishment and light on building
school capacity. Fails to acknowledge the social and economic
foundation of unequal schooling and is a backdoor to the
implementation of publicly funded school vouchers and the
dismantling of public education in the U.S. Unfair to students with
disabilities and Second Language Learners.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach The Debate: Critics Positions
(cont.) No uniform national measure of proficiency: state
comparisons impossible; states can hide low standards. Evaluates
schools rather than students: schools with high mobility rates are
punished for such a high turnover. Assessments are based on a
zero-sum definition of proficiency rather than a value added one:
schools whose students show significant progress but are still
below proficiency are labeled as failures rather than rewarded for
their progress.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Positive Effects of the Law Has put
spotlight on the inequalities of educational achievement like no
other law, due to diasaggregation of results. Resulted in attention
to persistently failing schools. Attention is being paid to teacher
quality in a more systematic manner.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Negative Effects of the Law
Over-emphasis on standardized tests, resulting in teaching to the
test. Use of mean proficiency adversely affects schools with
low-income and minority students. Punishes schools for problems
outside of their control, such as poverty, health problems, etc.
Over-emphasis on literacy and mathematics, has resulted in ignoring
other subjects such as science, social studies, music and art.
Outcomes based view of education has resulted in ignoring the
social and developmental functions of schooling.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Types of Reform and Effects --
School Choice Charter Schools Charter school performance mirrors
public schools in Newark (Barr, Sadovnik, et al., 2006) NYC charter
school students have increased achievement over students who were
not accepted into charter school (Hoxby, et al., 2009) Vouchers
Cleveland voucher program legalized by US Supreme Court in 2002 18
school choice programs in 10 states and D.C.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Types of Reform and Effects
Progressive Approaches (Based on John Dewey) Central Park East
Secondary School (CPESS) (New York, NY) Under Deborah Meier:
Progressive small school, 90% Black/Latino; 80% Free/Reduced Lunch;
Graduation Rate 95+% College attendance Rate: 95+% Closed and
reorganized in 2002; Non-progressive Graduation rate: 40%
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Traditional Approaches (Based on
Delpit, 1995) Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) 82
college-preparatory schools in 19 states and D.C. College
matriculation rate above 80%; student population 90% Black/Latino;
more than 80% Free/Reduced lunch North Star Academy (Newark, NJ):
Uncommon Schools Charter school serves over 900 students in grades
K-2 and 5-12 11month, extended day schedule 95% College
matriculation; 100% Black/Latino; 90% Free/Reduced Lunch
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Types of Reform and Effects
Community-Based Reforms Full service and community schools Dryfoos
(1994) Harlem Childrens Zone Project Newark Broader Bolder
Approach
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Possibilities: Effective School and
District Level Reform Put all childrennot just somein a demanding
high school core curriculum. Teachers mattermake sure they are high
quality and supported. Focus on improving low-performing schools.
Motivate more students and prepare more students for higher
education. Principals matterfocus on effective leadership. Focus on
instructional time. Source: www.edtrust.orgwww.edtrust.org
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Osmond A. Church School New York,
New York
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Osmond A. Church School, P.S./M.S.
124 Queens, NY 924 students in grades PK-7* 40% African American
33% Asian 23% Latino 97% Low-Income Source: New York Department of
Education, https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/ * In 2005-06
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Source: New York Department of
Education, https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/ Osmond A. Church
School Osmond A. Church School High Achievement for All Grade 3 ELA
(2006)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Source: New York Department of
Education, https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/ Osmond A. Church
School Osmond A. Church School High Achievement for All Grade 6
Math (2006)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High
Elmont, New York 1,945 students in grades 7-12 77% African American
27% Low-Income Source: NY Department of Education
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Elmont: Out-Performing the State
Secondary-Level English (2006) Source: New York Department of
Education, https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb/
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Improvement and High Performance at
Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High Source: NY Department of
Education
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach More Students Graduate at Elmont
Memorial Junior-Senior High Source: NY Department of Education
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Limits of Urban School Reform
Problems associated with replication and scaling up for both
district and charter schools Failure to address outside school
factors (community, peer group, health and environmental factors)
Failure to address economic factors (labor force and wage issues)
Often perpetuates a simplistic No Excuses ideology of school
improvement
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Based upon the evidence, successful
urban school improvement will require Systemic reform aimed at both
the school, student, community, economic and societal levels, which
includes: At the school level: Equity school finance reform
Equitable distribution of high quality teachers and principals
School level reforms based on research based findings on effective
schools and comprehensive school reform District level reform best
on research based best practices of successful urban districts (i.e
Charlotte and Austin)
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach At the student, community, economic
and societal levels Address student and family health,
environmental, and social- psychological needs Implement research
based best practices family involvement programs (i.e. Comer;
Epstein) Implement research based best practices gang prevention
programs Link school reform to urban community and economic
development Develop urban revitalization programs Promote school
level economic integration through affordable housing programs and
magnet school choice programs Address pernicious effects of poverty
through urban social and economic policies
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Conclusion More sociological
research is needed to inform urban educational policy. The focus on
reducing the achievement gap in NCLB should not be eliminated.
Emphasis on equal opportunities to learn need to be included in all
reforms. Emphasis on building capacity of schools and districts in
need of improvement must be included in all reforms. Emphasis on
factors outside schools, including poverty, community and
neighborhood variables, need to be included in all reforms.
Sadovnik, A.R., ODay, J; Borhnstedt, G., & Borman, K. (eds.)
(2008). No Child Left Behind and the Reduction of the Achievement
Gap: Sociological Perspectives on Federal Educational Policy. New
York: Routledge.
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- Jersey Roots, Global Reach Alan R.Sadovnik, Professor of
Education, Sociology and Public Affairs Co-director, Institute on
Education Law and Policy and Newark Schools Research Collaborative
Rutgers University-Newark sadovnik@andromeda.rutgers.edu