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?