69传媒

School & District Management

District Initiative Key to Improving High 69传媒, Study Says

By Lynn Olson 鈥 February 08, 2005 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

State accountability systems can motivate low-performing high schools to change, a soon-to-be released study concludes, but many of those changes are likely to be modest at best.

The crucial factor in determining whether schools pursue more coherent agendas is district action, it found.

Researchers with the Consortium for Policy Research in Education at the University of Pennsylvania released highlights from the report, 鈥淗olding High Hopes: How High 69传媒 Respond to State Accountability Systems,鈥 during a meeting on high schools here Jan. 28-29, sponsored by the Education Writers Association.

The study examines how 48 high schools located in 34 districts across six states responded to state accountability policies in 2002-03, largely before implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. High schools in the states that had sanctions for both students and schools based on performance鈥擟alifornia, Florida, New York, and North Carolina鈥攚ere more likely to pursue improvement efforts, the study found. Even schools in the states without such stakes鈥擬ichigan and Pennsylvania鈥攈ad substantial, if less focused, responses. Regardless, results on state assessments were below average in all the schools studied.

At each site, researchers interviewed district administrators, school leaders, department chairmen, and teachers. Although the sample is small, the researchers said, it represents a range of school, district, and city sizes and student demographics.

Peripheral Actions

The study found that schools adopted a plethora of accountability-related initiatives, from voluntary tutoring sessions and test-preparation activities to more comprehensive overhauls of curriculum and instruction. Attempts to improve students鈥 ability to read, for instance, were undertaken in the majority of schools, ranging from remedial-reading programs to the creation of a reading department in one California high school.

But Betheny Gross, one of the study鈥檚 investigators, said many measures were peripheral to the core work of the school. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 actively disrupt the way teachers did their work, how they taught,鈥 she said.

鈥淗olding High Hopes: How High 69传媒 Respond to State Accountability Policies鈥 is scheduled be available from the .

In a majority of the schools, the search for solutions was haphazard and left up to individual teachers. They often did not look beyond their own experience or that of their colleagues, the study found, and department chairmen and principals frequently failed to provide guidance. Although some schools used data to guide change鈥攑articularly in North Carolina, where the tests were directly linked to course content and teachers received timely results鈥攖hat often was not the case.

鈥淭he lack of data use ... in many states stemmed in part from the infrequency of tests at the high school level鈥攕tate tests were administered once per year, and often only once during the high school years,鈥 the authors write. The lack of teacher training in data use also was a factor.

District Guidance

School districts were the most prominent and influential determinant of how high schools reacted to accountability pressures, the study found. Districts not only motivated high schools to act, but also guided the kinds of actions schools took. Teachers and administrators in more than half the high schools reported that district staff members either suggested or required the use of one or more improvement strategies in place in their schools. Engaged districts also tended to be more prescriptive, directing high schools to adopt specific strategies and monitoring how those practices were carried out.

Many districts in the study, however, did not actively promote improvements in their high schools. Researcher Elliot Weinbaum said districts that had particularly low-performing high schools, as measured by state tests; districts with larger central offices; and districts with strong leadership were most likely to support endeavors to make changes in their high schools. He suggested that building district capacity and finding effective incentives for districts to intervene in high schools are critical to improvement.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the February 09, 2005 edition of Education Week as District Initiative Key to Improving High 69传媒, Study Says

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Don鈥檛 Count Them Out: Dyscalculia Support from PreK-Career
Join Dr. Elliott and Dr. Wall as they empower educators to support students with dyscalculia to envision successful careers and leadership roles.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Improve School Culture and Engage 69传媒: Archery鈥檚 Critical Role in Education
Changing lives one arrow at a time. Find out why administrators and principals are raving about archery in their schools.
Content provided by 
School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

School & District Management School Leaders Rush to Manage Deportation Fears
School and district leaders describe a chaotic time amid changes to federal immigration policies.
9 min read
A line of school children with obscured faces board a school bus on their way to school.
E+/Getty
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About The Superintendent Persona?
The superintendent plays a crucial role in purchasing decisions. Test your knowledge of this key buyer persona and see how your results stack up with your peers.
School & District Management Opinion School Modernization Funds Are in Jeopardy. Here's What To Do
Upgrades to ground-source heat pumps keep students learning in hot weather and rack up energy savings, write two former school leaders.
Brenda Cassellius & Jonathan Klein
5 min read
Thermometer under a hot sun. Hot summer day. High Summer temperatures.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Thinking About Closing a School? What to Consider Besides Enrollment
It's not a given that closing a building will result in substantial savings.
6 min read
69传媒 in a combined second- and third-grade class talk in pairs.
69传媒 in a combined 2nd and 3rd grade class talk in pairs.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed