An Inquiry High School: Learner-Centered Accountability at the Urban Academy (original) (raw)
Related papers
Creating Accountability in Big City School Systems. Urban Diversity Series No. 102
1991
Accountability has always been a basic concept in public educa6ion, although ideas about how to accomplish it have changed over the years. Problems in urban schools have given rise to the hope that carefully created systems of accountability might spur school improvement and school restructuring. Devising a system of genuine accountability in a large urban school is a zomplex task, involving careful sorting of responsibilities and a thoughtful set of measures for assessing school effectiveness and student progress. The following types of mecnanisms operate simultaneously within a system of accountability: (1) political accountability; (2) legal accountability; (3) bureaucratic accountability; (4) professional accountability; and (5) market accountability. Bureaucratic accountability, professional accountability, and market accountability are all currently proposed as strategies for school improvement. Accountability systems need multiple statistical
2000
This report presents findings from a forum held in 2000 with urban educators representing 15 districts nationwide. The forum, which was facilitated by educational researchers from Columbia University's Teachers College, shared best practices for reforming high poverty urban high schools and reviewed the Department of Education's "Transforming Title I High Schools: Enacting Comprehensive, Standards-Based Reform in Challenging Settings." Ten important results from the discussion included: educational reform does not occur in a vacuum; standards-based reform is complicated in urban high schools by having to meet the many nonacademic needs of diverse students; continuous leadership development is critical to improving urban high schools; practitioners bring diverse experiences to the work of urban high school reform; practitioners must maintain a high level of commitment; a clear vision with high standards is critical; and public attitudes about investing in low-income urban students must be addressed. A list of 21 critical components for successful urban high schools is included (e.g., create an environment for school staff to learn from one another, recognize and address diverse students' needs, recognize and reward exemplary teachers, encourage and foster teacher renewal, build collaborative relationships with teacher unions, and provide adequate funding). (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
1994
In 1987, parents and teachers from diverse neighborhoods of a local school district in New York (New York) founded the Bronx New School, a small public elementary school of choice that was meant to be learner-centered, with high standards for all. The school was organized into heterogeneous, multi-age classes and structured to encourage collaboration among faculty, students, and families. In spite of political stresses, the school's founding values have survived. This report focuses on the first 3 years of its life, a time when a comprehensive assessment system was designed and used throughout the school. The assessment system was designed to support instruction and learning through the collection of descriptive records of student growth. Teacher-kept records, student-kept records, and samples of student work in portfolios are used in combination to develop a picture of student learning. A developmental framework constructed by teachers provides a general guide for expectations of progress. The implementation of the system
Journal of Law and Education, 2009
This article looks at the educational plight of urban low income children and explores the opportunities for success that small urban high schools provide. It then distills commonalities among successful small schools to demonstrate three central points: 1) that small is essential but not sufficient; 2) that small schools offer an opportunity for urban school districts to help improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged students by providing a fertile environment where individualized instruction, more class time, bettertrained teachers, and a curriculum that prepares students psychologically and emotionally, as well as intellectually can help them overcome the adverse effects of poverty; and 3) that law students can benefit from supporting educational reform by partnering with small schools in urban communities.
Toward an understanding of excellence in urban pedagogy: A portrait of a high school
2007
of a High School This case study describes processes in an urban high school, which contribute to excellence in urban pedagogy, and investigates teachers ’ and educational leaders ’ perceptions of the factors influencing their commitment to school success. Six themes related to excellence in urban pedagogy were identified. Data in the form of semi-structured interviews, observations, and document review de scribe a school in which the leadership strives to develop human capability at all levels through empowerment and shared decision-making. The study indicates that students ’ achievement is a collective responsibility and strong instructional leadership is a key for success in urban schools. More studies may be needed to show how contextual experience of teachers and teacher’s self-efficacy are related.
The Narrowing of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Age of Accountability Urban Educators Speak Out
Urban Education, 2007
Under the curricular and pedagogical impositions of scripted lessons and mandated curriculum, patterns associated nationwide with high-stakes testing, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the phenomenon known as the “narrowing of curriculum,” new teachers in New York City (NYC) find their personal and professional identity thwarted, creativity and autonomy undermined, and ability to forge relationships with students diminished—all critical factors in their expressed job satisfaction. These indirect consequences of accountability regimen as it operates in NYC may exacerbate new teacher attrition, especially from schools serving low-income students. The data reported here suggest a mixed picture of frustration and anger, alongside determination, resistance, and resilience in the face of these impositions. Responses vary by school and grade level, lending support to the notion that the organizational environment serves as a critical factor in teachers' early career decisions a...
Urban Education, 2019
The Every Student Succeeds Act redefines the priorities of our nation’s education system. Prior to its passage, turnaround strategies advanced solutions for low-performing schools. Research literature examining how these reforms impacted the schooling experiences of students attending these schools is lacking. We present the results of a qualitative case study of a reconstituted urban school in the Southwest United States, providing the perspectives of 10 students with dis/abilities and the effects accountability reform efforts had on their high school experience. Three expressed needs and desires were identified: (a) a positive school identity, (b) stability, and (c) to be recognized and heard.