Focusing on the Participation and Engagement Gap: A Case Study on Closing the Achievement Gap

In this case study, we focus on 2 variables often neglected in conversations about closing the achievement gap. Most recommendations for closing the achievement gap center on extending learning time, including afterschool programs, extended year programs, and supplemental instruction. Our school focused on attendance and student engagement in our effort to close the achievement gap. By developing a schoolwide plan that ensured that attendance was noticed, corrected, and celebrated, students at our urban school began attending on par with their suburban counterparts. In addition, we focused on student engagement once they were at school. Through a number of schoolwide instructional routines, including teacher modeling and productive group work, students became involved in learning and their achievement improved. Together, these initiatives further closed the achievement gap.     

Character,Social–Emotional,and Academic Outcomes Among Underachieving Elementary School Students

Students with persistent disruptive behavior problems lose valuable time in academic lessons, are a distraction for classmates, and cause stress for teachers. Recent meta-analyses indicate that 87% to 92% of published studies on school-based interventions targeting student problem behaviors report results from demonstration projects (involving highly trained staff under ideal circumstances) rather than routine practice programs. This study investigates the routine use of a schoolwide classroom management program and its relationship to elementary students’ social and academic outcomes. Three years after training in the classroom management program, 56 second-, third-, and fourth-grade teachers in an urban school district were assessed for fidelity to the program. Program fidelity was determined via direct observation in the classroom and validated by teacher self-ratings of fidelity and administrator ratings of teacher fidelity. Dependent variables included student engagement during academic lessons, out-of-school suspension rates, and report card grades. Results indicated that high program fidelity was significantly related to greater academic engagement and fewer suspensions, but not higher report card grades. This study adds to the scant literature on implementation fidelity of routine programs with high-risk populations.     

Creating Good Schools for Children in Poverty Through Title I Schoolwide Programs

The Improving America' s Schools Act--the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act--will make schoolwide Title I programs available, beginning with the 1996-97 school year, to schools in which at least 50% of students are from families in poverty. Through schoolwide programs, eligible schools may combine Title I funds with other federal, stare, and local resources to upgrade the quality of education for all children. The legislation explicitly encourages schools and districts to design their own ambitious curricula for all students, keeping them in Title I programs within their regular education classrooms while minimizing the time they spend in "pullout" programs. In this article, we synthesize research on schoolwides with the views of experienced practitioners in 21 highly regarded schoolwide projects under Title I's predecessor, Chapter 1, to identify the principles guiding effective schoolwides. Findings are based on in-depth interviews with teachers and principals and on evidence of success found in reviews of project materials and outcome evaluations. Although schoolwide programs are locally devised and unique, the most successful build on a framework that includes these eight features: a shared vision, time and resources for planning and program design, skillful management and a well-defined organizational structure, a clear focus on academics, continuing professional development schoolwide, a commitment to cultural inclusiveness, patent and community involvement, and an accountability orientation. The study highlights promising practices that future Title I schoolwide programs can adopt to reorganize schools, streamline management, and upgrade the curriculum for children in schools serving communities with the highest concentrations of poor families.     

Roscoe Elementary School: Cultivating a Caring Community in an Urban Elementary School

The cultivation of a caring community within an urban neighborhood public elementary school is viewed by some educators as an impossibility, by others as being in conflict with academic effectiveness, and by still others as unnecessary for the successful achievement of students. Nevertheless, a significant group of educators advocates schools as caring communities, particularly in meeting the needs of low-income urban students of color. The research reported in this article is grounded in the assumption that there is a relationship between school culture and student achievement. An ethnographic case study of one urban public elementary school that exhibited both a strong caring community and a push toward academic excellence resulted in an analysis of the underlying characteristics that existed in the school. The findings suggest that a climate of mutual trust and respect, fluid boundaries centered around an ethic of caring, and a schoolwide sense of ownership and responsibility for students were central to the cultivation of the school' s caring community. Adapted school structures also fostered an ethos of community and ownership. In addition, the school expanded the definition of effectiveness beyond standardized test scores by focusing broadly on student learning, the link between the success of the individual and the success of the group, and the role of affect in promoting student achievement.     

Systematic educational change and teacher skill-building in developed and developing countries: the importance of teacher peer learning groups

Many developed and developing countries are seeking to systematically transform their education processes through Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The aim of this paper is to present findings from one aspect of a larger ICT study in a particular location in a developing country, with the specific focus presented here being ICT professional development and impacts. Research methods in the study included teacher and school leader surveys, targeted interviews and also case studies. Findings at a systems level generally indicated insufficient coordination of training and minimal follow-up occurring. In case study situations in which the school leader ensured a schoolwide approach to the professional learning of teachers, ICT was more embedded into student learning processes in classrooms. Considering ICT and other professional learning relevant to education, this paper has relevance for policy developers and school leaders in developed and developing world contexts. The need exists for using coordinated professional development processes, with more centralised ‘one-off’ training supplemented by schools and districts. The establishment of peer learning groups or mentors to support skill-building over time is also needed. Through these ongoing processes, teachers can more effectively make changes in their teaching practices, with potential impacts on student learning.     

Improving beginning reading instruction and intervention for students with LD: reconciling "all" with "each"

We begin with an examination of the tensions that exist between educational efforts that target the needs of all students and efforts that target the needs of individual students with disabilities. Next, we provide reasons why, in beginning reading, a schoolwide system designed to teach all students to read can also support individualized and flexible instruction designed to teach each student to read. Finally, we describe a schoolwide beginning reading model that includes a schoolwide framework or infrastructure that supports comprehensive and coordinated reading goals, assessment, and instruction for all students integrated with ongoing progress monitoring and instructional adjustments that allow for differentiated and individualized instruction for each student, including students with disabilities.     

Connecting the Classroom and the Community: Exploring the Collective Impact of One District–Community Partnership

This study explored how one district–community partnership, comprised of seven nonprofit community partners that serve five elementary schools in a single urban school district, improved community literacy. This collective case study used semi-structured interviews to investigate the perspectives of 17 partners and analyzed student assessment data. Results revealed greatest benefits for first grade students and a need for consistent district leadership. This research is viewed through Hanleybrown, Kania, and Kramer’s (2012) collective impact framework.     

Leadership as Accountability for Learning: The Effects of School Poverty, Teacher Experience, Previous Achievement, and Principal Preparation Programs on Student Achievement

In the current era of accountability for achievement, school principals play the pivotal role of instructional leader. In a high-stakes testing environment, leadership preparation programs in universities and school districts need to be positively related to academic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between school leadership preparation programs and student achievement in urban settings. Because leadership is contingent on the setting, school contextual factors and their impact on student achievement framed this study. Regression techniques were employed to construct a conceptual model with predictors of criterion and norm-referenced student achievement scores. Confirming previous research findings, student poverty, teacher experience, and previous achievement were the strongest predictors and accounted for a significant amount of variance in student achievement; however, university and district preparation programs were not significant predictors. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.     

The instructional audit in urban school settings: A descriptive policy analysis of instructional delivery using signal-receptor assessment theory and information referenced testing

High levels of student absenteeism, low SES home environments, and a general lack of experienced teachers to service the school curriculum all contribute to difficulties in insuring the delivery of apriori school district defined instructional programs. The importance of urban school site educational evaluation is underscored by recent studies which show that the effectiveness of instructional delivery is an important predictor of student antisocial behavior such as drug abuse, gang activity, vandalism. This study examines some of the problems associated with instructional evaluation in urban school settings using signal-receptor assessment theory analysis and a new type of test scoring procedure called Modified Confidence Weighted-Admissible Probability Measurement (MCW-APM). With MCW-APM, school administrative personnel can simultaneously evaluate and obtain policy relevant information for instructional leadership concerning the signal (instruction as delivered), the reception (student learning as received), and the assessment instrumentation itself (sensitivity of the test). Additionally, this method of scoring permits individual student performance on school district developed CRTs to be referenced to an information based standard (informed, partially informed, uninformed, and misinformed) of mastery as a selection standard instead of a percent correct score.     

Evaluation of an Extended School Day Program for African American Males in the Context of Single Gender Schooling and Schoolwide Reform: A Case for Extending the School Day for African American Males

This article presents the results of the 2nd-year evaluation of an after-school program designed for an extended school day program serving African American middle school students in the city of Baltimore, Maryland (ACCESS-West). This study describes the effects of schoolwide reform especially as it relates to single-gender schools, educating African American males, and extending the school day. The ACCESS-West program goals included improving academic achievement, improving student attitude toward school, decreasing chronic truancy and absenteeism, and increasing parental engagement and involvement. Second-year results reveal that three of the four goals were met but that the interplay between schoolwide reform and implementing the extended-day program had mixed effects on the program. Staffing and administrational changes and high percentages of special needs students adversely affected the program and results. Dedication, commitment, and implementation positively contributed to the outcomes of the 2nd-year results. The results contribute to the growing body of literature and research that continues to investigate the effects of single-gender schools on minority males. The results suggest that the schools need a number of years to establish their areas of staffing, administration, curriculum, and student enrollment before the results they can expect positive results. These results also suggest that providing African American males with an extended-day program that is flexible, yet structured, can provide positive results academically, behaviorally, and with the challenges of parental engagement and involvement.     

Special Issue Introduction: Career and Life Planning Key Feature Within Comprehensive Guidance Programs

Career and life planning is viewed as a process that starts early in the elementary school through adult life and it should be at the heart of any guidance program. This journal discusses the value and process ideas at each of the school and grade levels. The authors also discuss how parents, employers, and teachers enhance the career planning process by expanding student options, encouragement, motivation, mentoring, and providing career life experiences. Career planning is viewed as a structured and expected series of events and activities a student would go through as a part of their school experience. It forwards the idea that to assure all youth have a plan for life transition and success takes state department of education policy and support, local district expectations, time, and resources, and students who see the value in participating. The counselor is viewed as the key agent in such a program and needs to demonstrate that early, continuous and high quality life planning improves not only academic achievement, but life and employment success.     

Leading with intent: cultivating community conversation to create shared understanding

School improvement is a central focus for school leaders. Whilst measures such as high-stakes testing and other government accountability agendas have at times marred the discourse of school improvement, how schools develop their capacity to ultimately improve the core business of student learning remains important. As an extensive area of scholarship, much has been written to support leaders in improving learning and teaching in their school. Indeed, studies demonstrate the value of establishing schoolwide goals and expectations and the importance of using evidence to improve teaching practice. This article presents qualitative data from 4 independent schools in the state of New South Wales (NSW) Australia which suggest that whilst the concept of school improvement is not new, the capacity of schools to embrace some key concepts found in this area of study is limited. The article proposes that through cultivating conversations within their communities, schools can foster shared understanding and enhance their capacity for improvement.     

Leadership Effectiveness and School Development: Putting Reform in Perspective

System‐wide and school‐based initiatives continue to be linked through staff and leadership development programs. Factors such as reduced funding are having an impact on structures and organization. The clear focus on instruction and school based planning have helped the district maintain its direction while adapting initiatives to meet changing needs and resources.     

Mandatory voice: Implementation of a district‐led student‐voice program in urban high schools

This qualitative case study explores how urban high schools implement a district‐initiated student‐voice program, referred to as Student Advisory Committees, intended to improve school climate. The study uses an implementation science framework to analyze interview data from principals and advisors in 22 urban high schools. An iterative, top–down thematic analytic procedure was used for analysis and interpretation of the data. The results suggest wide variation in how the program was implemented in terms of fidelity, dosage, quality, program reach, and adaptation, with contextual school factors—namely, principal and school characteristics—that help to explain this variation. In addition, the findings indicate that these contextual factors had a significant influence on how the school district implemented the student advisory committees. The authors discuss the implications for program implementation in the context of urban school districts and for school psychologists.     

Sample Exclusion and Student Attrition Effects in the Longitudinal Study of Middle School Mathematics Performance

Achievement data from a longitudinally matched student cohort from a large school district in the southwestern United States were analyzed to investigate sample exclusion and student attrition effects on estimates of student, school, and district mathematics performance. Use of 2- and 3-level longitudinal growth models to estimate the growth trajectories of middle school students revealed that mathematics performance differed across 2 sample conditions. Relative to the achievement outcomes associated with a sample that included all students from the longitudinal cohort, district and school achievement were generally higher and student group performance more similar in the smaller, more advantaged student sample used for district accountability reporting. Further investigation of the school performance estimates showed that cross-sample changes in student achievement outcomes were closely related to the proportion of students from special student populations who were excluded from the district accountability sample. The achievement differences and the differential patterns of association demonstrated in this study suggest that conclusions drawn about district and school performance and relationships between student characteristics and student achievement outcomes may depend to some degree on which students are included in an analytic sample. Investigators seeking to take advantage of longitudinal designs in school effectiveness research are cautioned to closely examine their data for nonrandom student attrition and document the impact of sample exclusion and student attrition effects in the research and accountability reports that are produced from longitudinal data sets.     

Principals’ Instructional Leadership Within a Teacher Performance Appraisal System: Enhancing Students’ Academic Success

The purpose of this study was to identify principals’ instructional leadership actions within a comprehensive teacher evaluation system in successful schools rated as recognized or exemplary by the accountability measures in place. The study followed a multiple case study approach. Participants included six school administrators within the same school district. From these three were principals and three assistant principals, representing all three schools levels—elementary school, middle school, and high school. The main data sources consisted of interviews, observations and journaling. Data were analyzed inductively to discern emerging themes. Findings of the study revealed that principals’ instructional leadership actions at all three levels included setting clear expectations, monitoring instruction through walk-through observations, and providing professional development opportunities according teachers’ needs. Furthermore, the cross site analysis revealed that principals tend to rely on instructional leadership actions that are pertinent to each grade level’s needs. Findings also suggest that principals, indeed, apply the teacher performance appraisal system as a basis to enhance instruction and improve student achievement.     

Profiling as a Possible Management Aid: Some Considerations

A schoolwide language assists the mapping of subject content, supports teachers to discuss teaching and learning issues and enables a shared understanding of school leadership to emerge, so that student learning is improved. This article presents findings from a mixed methods study investigating Leadership for Learning (LfL) in independent schools in the state of New South Wales, Australia. By being intentional about the language used for learning and leadership, schools are more likely to establish LfL as a community-wide activity that is inclusive, collaborative and distributed. These findings also reinforce the critical role played by school principals in leading learning.     

The Integrating and Segregating Effects of School Choice

We evaluate the integrating and segregating effects of three distinct school choice programs in San Diego. We go beyond the traditional question of racial integration and examine the integration of students by test scores, parental education levels, and language status. In addition to measuring the net integrative effects of school choice, we also examine the underlying motives behind student participation in school choice programs and the limiting influence of supply-side constraints. Two of the programs that we consider are rooted in 1970s integration-based reforms that provide public transportation for program participants. The third program is a state-mandated, open-enrollment program that requires participants to find their own transportation to and from their choice schools. We find that the two programs with underlying integrative objectives do indeed integrate the district, but the open-enrollment program segregates the district along most dimensions. Provision of busing and geographic preferences appear to be important factors in promoting integration.