DTIC ADA373178: Assessing the Progress of New American Schools

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Assessing the
Progress of
New American
Schools
A Status Reuort
RAND
EDUCATION
Mark Berends
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A
Approved for Public Release
Distribution Unlimited
20000204 068
Assessing the
Progress of
New American
Schools
A Status Report
Mark Berends
with
Joanna Heilbrunn
Christopher J. McKelvey
Thomas Sullivan
tik-Wi^-ZW
Prepared/or
New American Schools
RAND
EDUCATION
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A
Approved for Public Release
Distribution Unlimited
The research described in this report was supported by New
American Schools.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Berends, Mark, 1962-
Assessing the progress of New American Schools : a status
report / Mark Berends with Joanna Heilbrunn, Christopher
McKelvey, Thomas Sullivan,
p. cm.
"MR-1085-EDU."
Includes bibliographical references (p ).
ISBN 0-8330-2761-1
1. New American Schools (Organization). 2. School
improvement programs—United States—Evaluation.
3. Educational change—United States. I. Title.
LB2822.82.B45 1999
371.2 ' 00973—dc21 99-44907
CIP
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PREFACE
As a private nonprofit corporation, New American Schools (NAS) be-
gan in 1991 to fund the development of designs aimed at transform-
ing entire schools at the elementary and secondary levels. Having
completed its competition, development, and demonstration
phases, NAS currently is scaling-up its designs to form a critical mass
of schools within several partnering districts.
The purpose of this report is to describe the baseline characteristics,
such as school demographics and performance, of a large number
of NAS sites in the early implementation stages of NAS's scale-up
phase. During this phase, RAND's research activities include moni-
toring the progress of a large sample of NAS schools in eight jurisdic-
tions from the 1994-1995 school year through the 1999-2000 school
year. This report provides a description of the schools' demograph-
ics, climate, and test scores. The next step in the RAND analysis is to
report on trends in implementation, school performance, and re-
lated factors.
RAND will monitor changes in this sample of schools over the next
several years. This report establishes a baseline for tracking the
changes. The hope is that all those interested in school improve-
ment—parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers,
community members, etc.—will benefit from the analysis.
Other RAND reports about New American Schools include
• Lessons from New American Schools' Scale- Up Phase: Prospects
for Bringing Designs to Multiple Schools, Susan J. Bodilly, 1998
(MR-1777-NAS).
PREFACE
As a private nonprofit corporation, New American Schools (NAS) be-
gan in 1991 to fund the development of designs aimed at transform-
ing entire schools at the elementary and secondary levels. Having
completed its competition, development, and demonstration
phases, NAS currently is scaling-up its designs to form a critical mass
of schools within several partnering districts.
The purpose of this report is to describe the baseline characteristics,
such as school demographics and performance, of a large number
of NAS sites in the early implementation stages of NAS's scale-up
phase. During this phase, RAND's research activities include moni-
toring the progress of a large sample of NAS schools in eight jurisdic-
tions from the 1994-1995 school year through the 1999-2000 school
year. This report provides a description of the schools' demograph-
ics, climate, and test scores. The next step in the RAND analysis is to
report on trends in implementation, school performance, and re-
lated factors.
RAND will monitor changes in this sample of schools over the next
several years. This report establishes a baseline for tracking the
changes. The hope is that all those interested in school improve-
ment—parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers, researchers,
community members, etc.—will benefit from the analysis.
Other RAND reports about New American Schools include
• Lessons from New American Schools' Scale-Up Phase: Prospects
for Bringing Designs to Multiple Schools, Susan J. Bodilly, 1998
(MR-1777-NAS).
Preceding Page*Blank
iii
iv Assessing the Progress of New American Schools
• New American Schools After Six Years, Thomas K. Glennan, Jr.,
1998 (MR-945-NASDC).
• Lessons from New American Schools Development Corporation's
Demonstration Phase, Susan J. Bodilly, 1996 (MR-729-NASDC).
• Reforming and Conforming: NASDC Principals Discuss School
Accountability Systems, Karen Mitchell, 1996 (MR-716-NASDC).
• Designing New American Schools: Baseline Observations on Nine
Design Teams, Susan J. Bodilly, Susanna Purnell, Kimberly
Ramsey, and Christina Smith, 1995 (MR-598-NASDC).
Funding for this research was provided under a contract with NAS
and was supported by The Ford Foundation, The Pew Charitable
Trusts, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and another donor. This
report was written under the aegis of RAND Education, which is
directed by Dominic Brewer (see http://www.rand.org/centers/
education).
CONTENTS
Preface iü
Figures vii
Tables ix
Summary xi
Acknowledgments xvii
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1
The New American Schools Reform Effort 2
Key Questions Underlying RAND's Assessment 3
Organization of the Report 4
Chapter Two
TOWARD AN UNDERSTANDING OF SCHOOLWIDE
REFORMS: ASSESSMENT OF THE SCALE-UP PHASE ... 5
Key Elements of the Designs 5
New American Schools Approach 8
Design-Based Assistance 8
Engaging District Support 9
RAND's Assessment 11
Data Collection Efforts 11
Analytic Approach to Key Questions 14
Significant Features of RAND Research 19
Chapter Three
BASELINE DESCRIPTION OF NEW AMERICAN
SCHOOLS 21
vi Assessing the Progress of New American Schools
Sample of New American Schools 21
Sources of Data 23
Response Rates 23
Demographic Characteristics of Schools 24
School Climate: NAS Schools Compared to the Nation's
Schools 27
Problems Related to Diverse Student Populations 28
Problems Related to Engagement of Students and
Faculty 29
School Achievement Before Design Implementation .... 31
Chapter Four
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND WORK AHEAD 35
References 37
FIGURES
1.1. Phases of New American Schools Initiative and
RAND Roles 3
3.1. Percentage of Poor Students in NAS Schools,
1994-1995 25
3.2. Percentage of Racial-Ethnic Minority Students
in NAS Schools, 1994-1995 . 26
3.3. Percentage of Elementary School Principals
Reporting Moderate to Serious Problems
Related to Diverse Student Populations 28
3.4. Percentage of Secondary School Principals
Reporting Moderate to Serious Problems
Related to Diverse Student Populations 29
3.5. Percentage of Elementary School Principals
Reporting Moderate to Serious Problems
Related to Engagement 30
3.6. Percentage of Secondary School Principals
Reporting Moderate to Serious Problems
Related to Engagement 31
3.7. Baseline Achievement Levels of NAS Sites
Compared to District or State Averages on
Standardized Tests 32
VII
TABLES
2.1. Key Questions of RAND Assessment and Data
Collection Activities 15
3.1. 1995-1996 Target Sample for RAND Longitudinal
Sample 23
3.2. Principal Interview Sample, Spring 1997 24
IX