Charter Schools in the Local Context

1
Charter Schools in the Local Context

• EDS/Soc 126 Topic 10 Part 2

2
Some Quick Facts about Charters in San Diego

• 35 charters
• 13,000 students (10 of SDUSD)
• 30 of 35 South of 8

• Notables
• KIPP
• High Tech Hi
• King-Chavez
• UCSD Partnerships with Preuss, Gompers

3
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?

4
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)

5
Reminder Advocates CLAIM Charter Schools

• Reduce bureaucracy
• Stimulate competition among public
  schools--public schools will improve or close
• Improve students academic performance
• Are more innovative than public schools
• Will be held accountable

6
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)

7
EVIDENCE _at_ 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

8
EVIDENCE _at_ CLAIM that SD Charters Innovate

• Preuss/Gompers Based on research on schooling
  and cognitive development
• Universal development (CicourelMehan)
• Detracking rigorous curriculum scaffolds
  (AlvarezMehan)
• HTH Based on Dewey/Meierinquiry and
  project-based learning

9
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

10
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

11
Preuss/Gompers Theory of Action

• Political
• UCSD Contentious debate led to CREATE Preuss
• Gompers Also contentious Activist parents
  Supt community groups led to charter

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Other Local Innovations HTH, KIPP

• Range of academic calendar (zero periods,
  contracts, periods of varying, longer school
  year)
• Local personnel decisions
• Embed teacher professional development in school
  day
• Project based learning (hands-on, tie students
  experience to disciplinary concepts)
• Range of assessmentsnot just standardized
  testsincluding portfolios, exhibitions
• HTH offers teaching credential!

13
EVIDENCE _at_ CLAIM that SD Charters
ImprovePerformance

• Preuss 4-year College Enrollment
• 2004 80 (N55)
• 2005 84 (N75)
• 20O6 78 (N87)
• 2007 87 (N78)
• 2008 87 (N87)
• 2009 93 (N93)
• 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
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EVIDENCE _at_ CLAIM that SD Charters
ImprovePerformance

• School 2007API 2008API
• Preuss 877 881
• HiTechHi 807 785
• SDHS IB 783 800
• SDHSLEADS 637 717
• CfordIDEA 570 573
• Hoover 562 578
• Lincoln n/a 540

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EVIDENCE _at_ 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

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Summary

• Local Charters have better record than US
  average
• Bureaucracy
• Competition
• Student achievement
• Educate all students? Or promote more segregation?