Sivan Tuchman | University of Arkansas (original) (raw)

Papers by Sivan Tuchman

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2020

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Jun 1, 2016

This report was made possible by a grant from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation. We thank t... more This report was made possible by a grant from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation. We thank the Foundation for its support. However, the statements made and views expressed in this report are solely the responsibility of the authors. We would also like to thank our peer reviewers, including Karega Rausch, for providing valuable feedback on an early version of this report. We are indebted to the many education and community leaders in both Washington, D.C., and New Orleans who generously lent their time to this research by welcoming our interviews and patiently answering our follow-up questions. Those who were instrumental in developing our understanding and documentation of discipline policy in these two cities include leaders at the D.C. Public Charter School Board, as well as at the Office of the State Superintendent of Instruction and State Board of Education. In New Orleans, various officials at the Recovery School District in New Orleans provided both insights and documentation of their recent work. We also thank the various charter school leaders, children's advocates, and community and civic leaders in both Washington, D.C., and New Orleans for helping us understand the early impact of the changes to school discipline policies. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Betheny Gross, PhD, is a senior research analyst and the research director at CRPE. She coordinates CRPE's quantitative research initiatives, including analysis of portfolio districts, public school choice, and common enrollment systems. Dr. Gross has examined evidence and outcomes of district reform across the country and has advised and consulted with district leaders to formulate strategy and implementation. She is coauthor of Strife and Progress: Portfolio Strategies for Managing Urban Schools (Brookings, 2013) and author of numerous research reports and articles. Dr. Gross holds a BA in Economics and Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA in Economics from the University of Iowa, and a PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Sivan Tuchman is a doctoral candidate in the University of Arkansas, Department of Education Reform. Her research focuses on policy concerns related to students with disabilities and special education. In particular, Ms. Tuchman focuses on the identification of students in special education and inclusion of students with disabilities. She is also one of the few scholars in the country who is working to better understand the experiences of students with disabilities who participate in school choice programs such as public charter schools, private school vouchers, homeschooling, and virtual learning. Ms. Tuchman holds a BA in Sociology from the

Educational research quarterly, Sep 1, 2017

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Oct 1, 2020

Center on Reinventing Public Education, 2021

Washington State schools were the first in the country to close as a result of the COVID-19 pande... more Washington State schools were the first in the country to close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, many districts-including Seattle Public Schools-have still not resumed in-person learning. As in other states, disruptions in schooling have impacted public school enrollment. In October 2020, Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) reported that enrollment was down by 3 percent in the state's public schools. Kindergarten enrollment declined by 14 percent. To better understand the enrollment trends in Washington State, we assessed statewide enrollment data across grade levels, among public schools-both district and charter-and for students who receive specialized services (see inset, Enrollment Data). Overall, we found that the greatest enrollment declines were among elementary students and those in special education. But enrollment patterns in the state's nine charter schools differed from their local school districts. Charter school enrollment increased 35 percent since the start of the pandemic last spring, including increases for K-4 students, students with disabilities, and English language learners. Enrollment Data This brief relies on two data sources. First, we use statewide enrollment trends reported by OSPI in October 2020 to examine changes in public school enrollment by grade level and for alternative learning environments. We use these statewide data to make comparisons between public school enrollment in fall 2019 and fall 2020. Second, we use statewide headcount data from the OSPI to examine changes in enrollment for charter schools and the school districts where charter schools are located. These data allow us to examine month-by-month enrollment changes by grade level and student service type; they do not, however, include information on student race/ethnicity or family poverty status.

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2019

Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools ... more Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools but they must still pay costs that can't be adjusted immediately as school enrollment changes. Since 2017 critics in California and nationwide have claimed charter school growth undermines school district finances and forces cuts in the quality of schooling districts can provide. These claims have gathered momentum, especially in California districts, where in 2019 teachers unions made stopping charter school growth part of their collective bargaining agendas. As part of a settlement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the local school board released a statement in support of a temporary moratorium on charter school growth, and the State Superintendent of Schools has convened a task force to consider charter costs and the impact on school districts. The Legislature is now considering various bills on charter school policy. Despite the level of political activity around charter schools, evidence about their growth and effects on district enrollment is fragmentary. One study has tried to estimate what it costs a district when students transfer to charter schools, but its methods and uses of data do not follow professional norms for cost analysis. As a result, public discussion is spirited but not well informed. Because CRPE has done pioneering work on estimating and mitigating costs to districts in times of charter growth, we sought to provide the best evidence available for California in time to inform the current debate. We have written short briefs on three topics: As charter school enrollments have grown, what has happened to district enrollment, statewide and in critical localities like Oakland and Los Angeles? Are charters the main drivers of enrollment loss, such that ending charter school growth will stabilize district enrollment? Or is enrollment decline a deeplyrooted phenomenon that will continue regardless of what happens with charter schools? Does the loss of students to charter schools create escalating financial challenges for school districts, increasing the risk of fiscal distress as critics claim? Or can school districts adapt to changes in enrollment and meet their financial commitments in the face of enrollment loss? What factors shape school districts' ability to navigate changing financial circumstances?

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2019

Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools ... more Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools but they must still pay costs that can't be adjusted immediately as school enrollment changes. Since 2017 critics in California and nationwide have claimed charter school growth undermines school district finances and forces cuts in the quality of schooling districts can provide. These claims have gathered momentum, especially in California districts, where in 2019 teachers unions made stopping charter school growth part of their collective bargaining agendas. As part of a settlement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the local school board released a statement in support of a temporary moratorium on charter school growth, and the State Superintendent of Schools has convened a task force to consider charter costs and the impact on school districts. The Legislature is now considering various bills on charter school policy. Despite the level of political activity around charter schools, evidence about their growth and effects on district enrollment is fragmentary. One study has tried to estimate what it costs a district when students transfer to charter schools, but its methods and uses of data do not follow professional norms for cost analysis. As a result, public discussion is spirited but not well informed. Because CRPE has done pioneering work on estimating and mitigating costs to districts in times of charter growth, we sought to provide the best evidence available for California in time to inform the current debate. We have written short briefs on three topics: As charter school enrollments have grown, what has happened to district enrollment, statewide and in critical localities like Oakland and Los Angeles? Are charters the main drivers of enrollment loss, such that ending charter school growth will stabilize district enrollment? Or is enrollment decline a deeplyrooted phenomenon that will continue regardless of what happens with charter schools? Does the loss of students to charter schools create escalating financial challenges for school districts, increasing the risk of fiscal distress as critics claim? Or can school districts adapt to changes in enrollment and meet their financial commitments in the face of enrollment loss? What factors shape school districts' ability to navigate changing financial circumstances?

Journal of School Choice, Oct 2, 2017

Elementary teachers' referral to special education in light of inclusion and prereferral:" Every ... more Elementary teachers' referral to special education in light of inclusion and prereferral:" Every child is here to learn… but some of these children are in real trouble."

The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Jan 2, 2017

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2019

Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools ... more Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools but they must still pay costs that can't be adjusted immediately as school enrollment changes. Since 2017 critics in California and nationwide have claimed charter school growth undermines school district finances and forces cuts in the quality of schooling districts can provide. These claims have gathered momentum, especially in California districts, where in 2019 teachers unions made stopping charter school growth part of their collective bargaining agendas. As part of a settlement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the local school board released a statement in support of a temporary moratorium on charter school growth, and the State Superintendent of Schools has convened a task force to consider charter costs and the impact on school districts. The Legislature is now considering various bills on charter school policy. Despite the level of political activity around charter schools, evidence about their growth and effects on district enrollment is fragmentary. One study has tried to estimate what it costs a district when students transfer to charter schools, but its methods and uses of data do not follow professional norms for cost analysis. As a result, public discussion is spirited but not well informed. Because CRPE has done pioneering work on estimating and mitigating costs to districts in times of charter growth, we sought to provide the best evidence available for California in time to inform the current debate. We have written short briefs on three topics: As charter school enrollments have grown, what has happened to district enrollment, statewide and in critical localities like Oakland and Los Angeles? Are charters the main drivers of enrollment loss, such that ending charter school growth will stabilize district enrollment? Or is enrollment decline a deeplyrooted phenomenon that will continue regardless of what happens with charter schools? Does the loss of students to charter schools create escalating financial challenges for school districts, increasing the risk of fiscal distress as critics claim? Or can school districts adapt to changes in enrollment and meet their financial commitments in the face of enrollment loss? What factors shape school districts' ability to navigate changing financial circumstances?

Social Science Research Network, 2015

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes accountability testing into every... more The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes accountability testing into every American public school with the goal of 100 percent proficiency for all students. Making annual yearly progress (AYP) toward this proficiency goal for the total student population as well as at-risk subgroups was required in order for schools to avoid possible sanctions, such as school restructuring. In implementing NCLB, states had flexibility to determine the minimum size of these subgroups as to provide statistical reliability and accountability for as many schools as possible. If a school did not meet the state's minimum subgroup size, the proficiency of the students in the group were not calculated as part of AYP. The subjectivity of identification along with the lack of reliability in test score results makes manipulating the subgroup of students with disabilities possible and advantageous to schools. Using data from over 1,000 Arkansas schools for the years 2004-05 to 2013-14, school-level fixed effects analyses show that falling below the minimum subgroup cutoff of 40 is associated with a 1.5 percentage point decrease in students with disabilities at the school. For every student a school is above the cutoff, there is an increase of 0.09 percentage points in special education enrollment. Possible implications are discussed.

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Dec 1, 2020

Schools must make students with disabilities a priority and set up systems and structures to ensu... more Schools must make students with disabilities a priority and set up systems and structures to ensure they are not left behind again.

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Oct 1, 2020

There are approximately 240,000 highway-rail grade crossings in the United States and highway-rai... more There are approximately 240,000 highway-rail grade crossings in the United States and highway-rail grade crossing areas have been considered in this study as these are locations where crashes frequently occur. Existing studies on crash models at highwayrail grade crossings can be classified into two categories: accident frequency prediction models and driver injury severity models. Accident frequency prediction at highway-rail grade crossings have been investigated by previous studies using varied statistical models. Few studies, however, have focused on driver injury severity studies. Three drawbacks will be addressed in this research including limitations in traditional highwayrail grade crossings studies, limited models to study driver injury severity, and the relatively small databases. Three driver injury severity models are developed including vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter

Peabody Journal of Education

Center on Reinventing Public Education, 2021

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2020

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Jun 1, 2016

This report was made possible by a grant from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation. We thank t... more This report was made possible by a grant from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation. We thank the Foundation for its support. However, the statements made and views expressed in this report are solely the responsibility of the authors. We would also like to thank our peer reviewers, including Karega Rausch, for providing valuable feedback on an early version of this report. We are indebted to the many education and community leaders in both Washington, D.C., and New Orleans who generously lent their time to this research by welcoming our interviews and patiently answering our follow-up questions. Those who were instrumental in developing our understanding and documentation of discipline policy in these two cities include leaders at the D.C. Public Charter School Board, as well as at the Office of the State Superintendent of Instruction and State Board of Education. In New Orleans, various officials at the Recovery School District in New Orleans provided both insights and documentation of their recent work. We also thank the various charter school leaders, children's advocates, and community and civic leaders in both Washington, D.C., and New Orleans for helping us understand the early impact of the changes to school discipline policies. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Betheny Gross, PhD, is a senior research analyst and the research director at CRPE. She coordinates CRPE's quantitative research initiatives, including analysis of portfolio districts, public school choice, and common enrollment systems. Dr. Gross has examined evidence and outcomes of district reform across the country and has advised and consulted with district leaders to formulate strategy and implementation. She is coauthor of Strife and Progress: Portfolio Strategies for Managing Urban Schools (Brookings, 2013) and author of numerous research reports and articles. Dr. Gross holds a BA in Economics and Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA in Economics from the University of Iowa, and a PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Sivan Tuchman is a doctoral candidate in the University of Arkansas, Department of Education Reform. Her research focuses on policy concerns related to students with disabilities and special education. In particular, Ms. Tuchman focuses on the identification of students in special education and inclusion of students with disabilities. She is also one of the few scholars in the country who is working to better understand the experiences of students with disabilities who participate in school choice programs such as public charter schools, private school vouchers, homeschooling, and virtual learning. Ms. Tuchman holds a BA in Sociology from the

Educational research quarterly, Sep 1, 2017

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Oct 1, 2020

Center on Reinventing Public Education, 2021

Washington State schools were the first in the country to close as a result of the COVID-19 pande... more Washington State schools were the first in the country to close as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, many districts-including Seattle Public Schools-have still not resumed in-person learning. As in other states, disruptions in schooling have impacted public school enrollment. In October 2020, Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) reported that enrollment was down by 3 percent in the state's public schools. Kindergarten enrollment declined by 14 percent. To better understand the enrollment trends in Washington State, we assessed statewide enrollment data across grade levels, among public schools-both district and charter-and for students who receive specialized services (see inset, Enrollment Data). Overall, we found that the greatest enrollment declines were among elementary students and those in special education. But enrollment patterns in the state's nine charter schools differed from their local school districts. Charter school enrollment increased 35 percent since the start of the pandemic last spring, including increases for K-4 students, students with disabilities, and English language learners. Enrollment Data This brief relies on two data sources. First, we use statewide enrollment trends reported by OSPI in October 2020 to examine changes in public school enrollment by grade level and for alternative learning environments. We use these statewide data to make comparisons between public school enrollment in fall 2019 and fall 2020. Second, we use statewide headcount data from the OSPI to examine changes in enrollment for charter schools and the school districts where charter schools are located. These data allow us to examine month-by-month enrollment changes by grade level and student service type; they do not, however, include information on student race/ethnicity or family poverty status.

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2019

Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools ... more Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools but they must still pay costs that can't be adjusted immediately as school enrollment changes. Since 2017 critics in California and nationwide have claimed charter school growth undermines school district finances and forces cuts in the quality of schooling districts can provide. These claims have gathered momentum, especially in California districts, where in 2019 teachers unions made stopping charter school growth part of their collective bargaining agendas. As part of a settlement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the local school board released a statement in support of a temporary moratorium on charter school growth, and the State Superintendent of Schools has convened a task force to consider charter costs and the impact on school districts. The Legislature is now considering various bills on charter school policy. Despite the level of political activity around charter schools, evidence about their growth and effects on district enrollment is fragmentary. One study has tried to estimate what it costs a district when students transfer to charter schools, but its methods and uses of data do not follow professional norms for cost analysis. As a result, public discussion is spirited but not well informed. Because CRPE has done pioneering work on estimating and mitigating costs to districts in times of charter growth, we sought to provide the best evidence available for California in time to inform the current debate. We have written short briefs on three topics: As charter school enrollments have grown, what has happened to district enrollment, statewide and in critical localities like Oakland and Los Angeles? Are charters the main drivers of enrollment loss, such that ending charter school growth will stabilize district enrollment? Or is enrollment decline a deeplyrooted phenomenon that will continue regardless of what happens with charter schools? Does the loss of students to charter schools create escalating financial challenges for school districts, increasing the risk of fiscal distress as critics claim? Or can school districts adapt to changes in enrollment and meet their financial commitments in the face of enrollment loss? What factors shape school districts' ability to navigate changing financial circumstances?

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2019

Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools ... more Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools but they must still pay costs that can't be adjusted immediately as school enrollment changes. Since 2017 critics in California and nationwide have claimed charter school growth undermines school district finances and forces cuts in the quality of schooling districts can provide. These claims have gathered momentum, especially in California districts, where in 2019 teachers unions made stopping charter school growth part of their collective bargaining agendas. As part of a settlement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the local school board released a statement in support of a temporary moratorium on charter school growth, and the State Superintendent of Schools has convened a task force to consider charter costs and the impact on school districts. The Legislature is now considering various bills on charter school policy. Despite the level of political activity around charter schools, evidence about their growth and effects on district enrollment is fragmentary. One study has tried to estimate what it costs a district when students transfer to charter schools, but its methods and uses of data do not follow professional norms for cost analysis. As a result, public discussion is spirited but not well informed. Because CRPE has done pioneering work on estimating and mitigating costs to districts in times of charter growth, we sought to provide the best evidence available for California in time to inform the current debate. We have written short briefs on three topics: As charter school enrollments have grown, what has happened to district enrollment, statewide and in critical localities like Oakland and Los Angeles? Are charters the main drivers of enrollment loss, such that ending charter school growth will stabilize district enrollment? Or is enrollment decline a deeplyrooted phenomenon that will continue regardless of what happens with charter schools? Does the loss of students to charter schools create escalating financial challenges for school districts, increasing the risk of fiscal distress as critics claim? Or can school districts adapt to changes in enrollment and meet their financial commitments in the face of enrollment loss? What factors shape school districts' ability to navigate changing financial circumstances?

Journal of School Choice, Oct 2, 2017

Elementary teachers' referral to special education in light of inclusion and prereferral:" Every ... more Elementary teachers' referral to special education in light of inclusion and prereferral:" Every child is here to learn… but some of these children are in real trouble."

The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Jan 2, 2017

Center on Reinventing Public Education, May 1, 2019

Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools ... more Districts must no longer pay to educate students who transfer to publicly funded charter schools but they must still pay costs that can't be adjusted immediately as school enrollment changes. Since 2017 critics in California and nationwide have claimed charter school growth undermines school district finances and forces cuts in the quality of schooling districts can provide. These claims have gathered momentum, especially in California districts, where in 2019 teachers unions made stopping charter school growth part of their collective bargaining agendas. As part of a settlement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles, the local school board released a statement in support of a temporary moratorium on charter school growth, and the State Superintendent of Schools has convened a task force to consider charter costs and the impact on school districts. The Legislature is now considering various bills on charter school policy. Despite the level of political activity around charter schools, evidence about their growth and effects on district enrollment is fragmentary. One study has tried to estimate what it costs a district when students transfer to charter schools, but its methods and uses of data do not follow professional norms for cost analysis. As a result, public discussion is spirited but not well informed. Because CRPE has done pioneering work on estimating and mitigating costs to districts in times of charter growth, we sought to provide the best evidence available for California in time to inform the current debate. We have written short briefs on three topics: As charter school enrollments have grown, what has happened to district enrollment, statewide and in critical localities like Oakland and Los Angeles? Are charters the main drivers of enrollment loss, such that ending charter school growth will stabilize district enrollment? Or is enrollment decline a deeplyrooted phenomenon that will continue regardless of what happens with charter schools? Does the loss of students to charter schools create escalating financial challenges for school districts, increasing the risk of fiscal distress as critics claim? Or can school districts adapt to changes in enrollment and meet their financial commitments in the face of enrollment loss? What factors shape school districts' ability to navigate changing financial circumstances?

Social Science Research Network, 2015

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes accountability testing into every... more The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) brought high-stakes accountability testing into every American public school with the goal of 100 percent proficiency for all students. Making annual yearly progress (AYP) toward this proficiency goal for the total student population as well as at-risk subgroups was required in order for schools to avoid possible sanctions, such as school restructuring. In implementing NCLB, states had flexibility to determine the minimum size of these subgroups as to provide statistical reliability and accountability for as many schools as possible. If a school did not meet the state's minimum subgroup size, the proficiency of the students in the group were not calculated as part of AYP. The subjectivity of identification along with the lack of reliability in test score results makes manipulating the subgroup of students with disabilities possible and advantageous to schools. Using data from over 1,000 Arkansas schools for the years 2004-05 to 2013-14, school-level fixed effects analyses show that falling below the minimum subgroup cutoff of 40 is associated with a 1.5 percentage point decrease in students with disabilities at the school. For every student a school is above the cutoff, there is an increase of 0.09 percentage points in special education enrollment. Possible implications are discussed.

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Dec 1, 2020

Schools must make students with disabilities a priority and set up systems and structures to ensu... more Schools must make students with disabilities a priority and set up systems and structures to ensure they are not left behind again.

Center on Reinventing Public Education, Oct 1, 2020

There are approximately 240,000 highway-rail grade crossings in the United States and highway-rai... more There are approximately 240,000 highway-rail grade crossings in the United States and highway-rail grade crossing areas have been considered in this study as these are locations where crashes frequently occur. Existing studies on crash models at highwayrail grade crossings can be classified into two categories: accident frequency prediction models and driver injury severity models. Accident frequency prediction at highway-rail grade crossings have been investigated by previous studies using varied statistical models. Few studies, however, have focused on driver injury severity studies. Three drawbacks will be addressed in this research including limitations in traditional highwayrail grade crossings studies, limited models to study driver injury severity, and the relatively small databases. Three driver injury severity models are developed including vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter

Peabody Journal of Education

Center on Reinventing Public Education, 2021