The Big Picture: School-Initiated Reforms, Centrally Initiated Reforms, and Elementary Achievement in Chicago (1990-2005)
Author: Designs for Change
Publisher: Designs For Change
Publication Date: 2005, September
Full text available online at: http://www.designsforchange.org/
Description (written by WestEd)
This report discusses research analyzing school achievement over the past 15 years in 144 inner-city elementary schools in Chicago identified as low-achieving in 1990. These "Substantially Up Schools" show substantial sustained achievement gains in reading, and even more so in mathematics. Changes in these schools included having principals chosen by an elected Local School Council, having unionized staff, and making sure all adults work together as a team to improve education.
The researchers identified "Five Essential Supports for Student Learning" common to the effective schools: effective school leadership, social supports for learning (school culture), family and community partnerships that support learning, adults that collaborate and learn, and quality learning activities.
Key changes include instituting Local School Councils; Principals on Contract; New Teacher Powers; Infusion of Funds; Improved Student Achievement a Top School Priority; and Diminished Central Authority.
The report suggests two areas in which these schools can continue to improve:
1) The schools need support and mutual assistance to help each other.
2) The central administration needs to discontinue or radically change initiatives not showing substantial effects, reinvesting those resources in initiatives that are effective.
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From WestEd.org
While there is evidence that some dropout prevention programs have positive effects, the degree to which districts in the region are using evidence-based programs has not been documented. This report details a pilot project to generate and share knowledge by building a searchable database of dropout prevention programs and policies.
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