Friday, February 15, 2013

Study: School closings 'may hinder, rarely help students' academic progress'

In the weeks ahead, as Chicago, Philadelphia and other large urban school districts pursue large-scale school closing reform policies, I will be taking a look at some of the current research on how such policies impact the lives of students.

Research for Action, a non-profit education research organization, has done a study of large-scale school closings which includes the impact of closings on student learning.  The study was done on behalf of the Philadelphia City Council. Philly's school district is currently moving ahead with its plan to close 37 schools.

According to RFA, research on the effects of mass closings in an unnamed district found small, persistently negative effects on displaced students. These negative effects were ameliorated when students were sent to better achieving schools but the study's authors don't necessarily support school closures as a means for improving student achievement. The study concludes:
Research suggests school closings may hinder, and rarely help, students’ academic progress. Our analysis of Philadelphia’s closing and receiving schools reveals that in at least some cases, students may be transferred to lower or comparably-performing schools based on standardized achievement data and AYP determinations. A caveat here is that the measure of any school building goes far beyond student test scores and accountability determinations, and other factors—such as indicators of parental and community engagement and student safety—should be considered as well.

2 comments:

  1. BS about Solis press statements that UNO did a bad thing. Solis is head of that Mafia and Rangel is one of the anointed. But so is Reyes and a lot of state and house representatives. I think, for the better of da familia, he is setting up some false distance. They go from their Mafia money being city jobs, like with HDL, and I am sure many are still there, to Charter Schools- Wow how cushy.

    CPS is definitely in a train wreck- at the local school level to the Board. very scary, sad and pathetic that Rahm can put white corporate Republican men as the real people running CPS starting wit the king of dat mafia- Cawley the master muscle from Winnetka- large donor to the Romney Campaign while he sits in his multi-million dollar house in Winnetka unless he is down at 125 firing people. very nice guy-.

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  2. Sorry, late to the party, but why are most of the faces in that cartoon white? You know that won't be happening in any white neighborhoods.

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