Long-term student retention and performance in charter schools

Charter Schools

Case Study Review and Development of Questionnaire

There is in existence a plethora of research that has been conducted on the long-term effectiveness of charter schools. Much of the research shines negatively on charter schools and their ability in retaining students on a long-term basis. It appears that these alternatives to public education are, at best, average, however, their performance over the long-term decreases exponentially. This work will review the research that has been completed in relation to charter schools and synthesize the findings in the form of a questionnaire that can be used to gather information from parents, educators, administrators, and community members related to the charter school in Tennessee. This work will present the questions posed in this study and explain the rationale for the development of the specific questions. Finally this work will make provision of methodologies that are used in the research.

A number of possibilities exist for the poor performance of charter schools but many conclude that a substantial part of the difference is due to high student turnover in these schools. According to Bracey (2005), "the attrition rate is much higher in charters than in regular public schools. That rate declines with the number of years that school has been open, but even charter that have been open for five years lose almost twice as many kids as their public school counterparts" (p.555).

Charter Schools

Case Study Review and Development of Questionnaire

Introduction

Charter schools operate under a contractual agreement with a chartering entity which may include a state agency, local board of education, universities and others. The chartered school is not bound by the public system rules and regulations however there is increased accountability for students in terms of achievement and outcomes. Depending on the statutory provisions that rule the district of the chartered school can be formed by various groups or individuals such as educators, parents, community members, groups that are both for-profit and for non-profit organizations and institutions of higher education as well. During the years of 1998-1999 there were 1,100 charter schools existing in approximately 34 states with over 250,000 students attending.

The movement of reform was fast-moving throughout the country. Eighty percent of Charter Schools have reported barriers related to such as a lack of start-up funds, inadequate operating funds and inadequate facilities to be the three largest barriers in developing and implementing their Charters. These fiscal and resource barriers are in the development and implementation of the Charters. Growth that is pressurized within a Charter School results in deteriorating facilities, and efforts to reduce class sizes, are utilizing an innovative option in addressing the demands for facilities or Charter Schools.

The Charter Schools are independently operated and this is true of the majority of state, local and district rules and regulations The Charter School is smaller in comparison to the public schools with medium enrollment rosters of approximately 150 students. More than 60% of charter schools enrolled fewer than 200 students as compared to 16% of traditional schools.

Methodology

The research method in this study will be that of review of available relevant peer-reviewed literature that is related to the subject of charter schools.

Literature Review

According to a Washington Post new report (Wells, 2005) entitled "We Must Rethink Rhetoric Behind Charter Schools" there has been" three major reports ... In the past five months ....released showing charter schools performed more poorly than public schools on the same tests" Further stated is that the one most recently released "issued this month by the Education Department presented a re-analysis of data from the National Assessment of educational Progress comparing outcomes for charter and public school students on these national exams [which] echoed NAEP finding released in August by the American Federation of Teachers.

Yet another report, released reluctantly by the Education Department this fall, looked at state exam data in five states and came to the same conclusion." (Wells, 2005) Charter schools are the creation of a visionary or a group of individuals that is mission-driven and all individuals in the group know what the mission is what the group stands for and stands in firm commitment to that vision. Many of the schools began from 'scratch' with little in the way of funds to support their beginnings. The structure of the mission-driven school is one that is ambitious and is a structure that is based on the function of service.

It has been argued by those in educational policy and legislators that charter schools will produce high quality and varied innovation as well as changing other schools within the district due to the innovative results. Further purported is that the achievement of foster students is higher in the charter school than in the traditional school. The Charter schools have the autonomy to effectively hire staff that fits its' specific program base. The development of the questionnaire takes into consideration the necessity to include questions that relate to teachers, students and parents alike.

Internal accountability standards include the weekly teacher sessions, end-of-term comprehensive exams and other such activities which is part of the design of constantly improving the charter school in the realm of teaching and learning. A yearly analysis of progress is also part of the effort of refining curriculum and instruction utilizing the data from the students towards the end of making instructional changes. Another important aspect of the Charter school is the partnering with parents and community that occurs. Due to the fact that the Charter School represents schooling "choice" the school is empowered to create a connection between the school and home environments. Parents are engaged as "authentic partners at many different levels." (U.S. Charter Schools 2005)

Charter Schools are characterized by a mix of diversity in terms of instructional models, the students and the staff. There has been noted to be an increasing lack of satisfaction with public education resulting in many movements for reform and improvement. Frustration exists among teachers, parents and other stakeholders who believe that the system is in need of restructuring. (Wohlstetter and Griffin 1998)

Survey Questionnaire

1. "What effects of funding strategies and economic barriers have been personally witnessed in the Charter Schools?

2. "Do you believe that investing in facilities and maintenance for school-grounds will provide payoffs of this investment?

3. Has the market-based school reform been successful?

4. Is the student-to- teacher ration better at the Charter Schools than the traditional schools?

5. How are needs in terms of special staff priorities? (i.e. teachers, had teachers, staff specialists, school nurse, social worker, counselor, high school college placement director, parent, liaison, translator, special education resource specialist and librarian.)

6. Internal accountability is the method used toward improving teaching and learning. What difference in accountability has been witnessed in Charter Schools vs. traditional schools?

7. Does staff commitment appear stronger among teachers in Charter schools than those in private schools?

8. Are the retention rates in relation to teachers higher in the Charter Schools or in the traditional schools?

9. Does the mission statement focus on student achievement in core curricular areas?

10. Does the plan specify the material and practices that will be used to teach?

11. How will this be provided during the course of the school development process?

12. Accountability plan. Which assessment strategies and which performance standards will be used to evaluate success?

13. What problems has the charter school experienced from funding and what has been done within the community to answer that need?

14. Are parents of students at Charter Schools as involved as parents at the traditional school in terms of attendance to functions and volunteering in projects of the school?

15. Does it appear that the charter schools have pulled the best students from the public schools?

16. Do charter schools enhance student achievement and public education in general?

17. How will differences between charter school accountability and public school accountability impact education policy and practices?

18. What requirements are teachers held to meeting for employment in the Charter Schools?

19. Does this District offer medical or dental insurance to teachers?

20. Does this District offer retirement to its' teachers?

21. Are schools in this District required to participate in school assessments?

22. Have any schools within the District been awarded for achievement standards in the last two years and if so what were those awards?

23. Do the schools in this District assist with the professional development of teachers?

24. Does this district provide the following professional development opportunities for

a. School or District Administrators?

b. Include coordinators, supervisors, principals, directors, superintendents, and school

c. board members

d. Administrative internships

e. Training in management techniques

f. Training in evaluation or supervision

g. Training to use technology for planning, budgeting, decision-making, or reporting.

h. Training about advances in curriculum, teaching, or assessment.

i. Formal networking opportunities for personnel with similar responsibilities

j. Reimbursement to attend local, state, or national conferences?

k. Funding for university or college course work

l. Opportunities to serve as mentors within the district

m. Strategic planning retreats

n. Opportunities to visit schools or districts within or outside of the immediate community.

25. Has the Charter school in your District adhered to rules and regulations required by U.S. educational governance standards?

26. What punitive actions are taken against employees within the Charter School for failure to adhere to regulations set by the school board?

27. Are the attendance policies of the school strictly adhered to?

28. Are parents encouraged to participate in school functions and activities?

29. What is the turnover rate of the Charter school in the district where you reside?

30. Why is the charter school in question chosen above others in the area for attendance?

31. What is the turnover rate of teachers in the Charter School presently the focus of this survey?

32. What elements of the Charter School chosen for attendance influenced that decision?

33. Is there a committee that oversees future initiatives in terms of financial and resource planning for the Charter school?

34. If answer 33 was yes, is that committee elected or appointed and if so by who?

35. Are students encouraged to seek assistance in learning from afternoon tutors or any other provision of the school in relation to homework assistance?

36. Who screens the teachers as they are being interviewed and considered for employment with the school?

Rationale for the Survey Questions

The understanding of the demographics of the school are important however, understanding of the methods of instruction applied by teachers, the punitive measures taken in relation to non-performing schools, and other specifically relevant information.

Limitations of the Study

The fact that there is little existing study material in relation to the Charter School, gathering of data may be somewhat broad due to lack of information as to the direction to move towards n study their functioning capacities and achievement as well as their achievement in the education of students within that school.

Reading Instruction Best Practices

Literature Review

Statement of Thesis -- Number Two

'Best Practices" is a phrase that permeates educational research. Recently the National Academy of Sciences released a report concerning how children learn best. This report suggests that there is a set of best instructional practices that can be gleaned from a review of research in education. This work will review the published research concerning best practices in reading instruction and will further develop a set of categories or dimensions that comprise best practices in reading instruction and will as well include a review of the studies that support each category. Finally this work will conclude the review of literature with discussion of the ways that the different dimensions of best practices in reading instruction relate or the way that they do not relate one to the other.

Reading Instruction Best Practices

Literature Review

In the study of educational issues the term 'best practice' is widely and often used to describe that which is the best possible and most affective method of applications in classroom instruction. Specifically in the area of reading instruction the study the determination of best practice in instruction is important for making determination of the most affective instructional methods due to the importance of reading in the attainment of education.

There are a number of text- and student-related factors that make content area reading difficult for some students. In the report entitled "Teaching Children to Read" the National Reading Panel (NRP) in April 2000 stated that there are five key components to effective reading instruction program which are:

1. Phonemic Awareness

2. Phonics

3. Fluency

4. Vocabulary

Fluency

In terms of fluency it is purported that reading practice is critically important in achieving fluency. Two approaches of instruction have been used in teaching fluency in reading. The first which is repeated oral reading that is guided. The second is independent silent reading which provides encouragement to students in the initiative of reading on their own with little in the way of guidance or feedback.

The NRP in a series of electronic literature searches made identification of 364 literature searches in relation to the effects of guided oral reading instructional practices. 16 studies were included in the meta-analysis and 21 additional studies were used in the meta-analysis were used in the qualitative interpretation of the methods of instruction. It was concluded by the Panel that procedures of guided and repeated reading instruction had a "significant and positive impact" in relation to word recognition, fluency, and comprehension across a range of grade levels."

Comprehension is a vital component in reading skill development and ultimately in achieving educational attainment. According to Durkin, 1993) comprehension is the "essence of reading" and is essential to not only academic learning in all subject areas but to lifelong learning as well." (NRP, 2005) Three themes emerged in the study of development of reading comprehension skills as follows:

1. Reading comprehension is a complex cognitive process that cannot be understood without a clear description of the role that vocabulary instruction play in the understanding of what has been read.

2. Comprehension is an active process that requires intentional thoughtful interaction between the reader and the text.

3. The preparation of teachers to better equip students to develop and apply reading comprehension strategies to enhance understanding is intimately linked to student's achievement in this area."

Vocabulary Instruction

Knowledge of vocabulary is important of reading skill development. In fact as early as 1925 Whipple noted that reading power growth results in word knowledge growth. There are two stated types of vocabulary which are (1) Oral and (2) Print. If the word that is in print is upon sight unfamiliar to the reader but the reader has that word in their individual spoken language knowledge base then the decoding is fairly easy, however if the word is not in the reader's knowledge base the decoding process if practically impossible.

In determining how reading can be best taught in relation to comprehension the NRP study examined over 20,000 research citations that had been identified through search of electronic and manual literature searches. A comprehensive review of literature in 50 studies dated from 1979 to the present with 21 different methods represented state findings that instruction in vocabulary leads to comprehension gains however appropriate methods are required as tot he age and ability of the reader. Computer use in vocabulary instruction was found to be 'more effective' than the methods that are traditional methods. Vocabulary is learned on an incidental basis of reading or listening to others speak. Vocabulary development is enhanced through techniques such as repeated exposure and task instruction.

The literature search made identification of 453 studies since 1980 that focused on issues in relation to comprehension of text. Studies published between 1970 and 1979 (if relevant) resulting in 481 studies that were initially reviewed. The panel stated that it identified 16 categories of text comprehension instruction and 7 are stated to have "a solid scientific basis for concluding that "these types of instruction are helpful when used alone, but many are more effective when used as a part of a multiple-strategy method. The types of instruction are;

Comprehension monitoring: readers learn how to be aware of their understanding of the material;

Cooperative learning, where students learn reading strategies together;

Use of graphic and semantic organizers (including story maps), where readers make graphic representations of the material to assist comprehension;

Question answering, where readers answer questions posed by the teacher and receive immediate feedback;

Question generation, where readers ask themselves questions about various aspects of the story;

Story structure, where students are taught to use the structure of the story as a means of helping them recall story content in order to answer questions about what they have read; and Summarization, where readers are taught to integrate ideas and generalize from the text information.

Findings in the study states that "evidence suggests that a teaching combination of reading comprehension techniques is the most effective." However, more information is needed on the methods of teaching teacher in utilizing those strategies. Further questions remain as to the effectiveness of certain methods of teaching different age groups. Two major approaches exists in preparing teachers for instruction in comprehension strategies which are:

(1) Direct Explanation and;

(2) The Transactional Strategy Instruction.

The Direction explanation approach is in focus on the ability of the teacher to explain clearly the reasoning and mental processes that are involved in reading comprehension success. Instead of specific strategies the teachers assist students in:

(1) to view reading as a problem-solving task that necessitates the use of strategic thinking, and;

(2) learning to think strategically in relation to comprehension problem-solving. Findings were that "teachers could be instructed in these methods [and that] teachers required instruction in explaining what they are teaching, modeling their thinking processes, encouraging student inquiry, and keeping students engaged."

The studies gave clear indication that "in order for teachers to use strategies effectively, extensive formal instruction in reading comprehension is necessary, preferably beginning as early as preservice." Stated is that "more research is needed" in addressing the questions of: "Which components of teacher preparation are most effective? Can reading comprehension strategies be successfully incorporated into content area instruction? How can the effectiveness of strategies be measured in an optimal manner? Can strategies be taught as early as grades 1 and 2, when children also are trying to master phonics, word recognition, and fluency? How can teachers be taught to provide the most optimal instruction?

Findings state that that: "professional development produced significantly higher student achievement."