GLOBAL INSIGHTS for MANAGING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE MARTINE UDAHEMUKA FOREWORD by LORD O’SHAUGHNESSY © the New Zealand Initiative 2017
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FAIR AND FRANK GLOBAL INSIGHTS FOR MANAGING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE MARTINE UDAHEMUKA FOREWORD BY LORD O’SHAUGHNESSY © The New Zealand Initiative 2017 Published by: The New Zealand Initiative PO Box 10147 Wellington 6143 New Zealand www.nzinitiative.org.nz Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The New Zealand Initiative, its staff, advisors, members, directors or officers. ISBN: 978-0-9941445-0-8 • print 978-0-9941445-1-5 • online/pdf RR33 Typeset by The Little Design Company and cover design by Mollica Sokhom Printing arranged by True North New Zealand Ltd FAIR AND FRANK GLOBAL INSIGHTS FOR MANAGING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE MARTINE UDAHEMUKA FOREWORD BY LORD O’SHAUGHNESSY 2017 The New Zealand Initiative is an independent public policy think tank supported by chief executives of major New Zealand businesses. We believe in evidence-based policy and are committed to developing policies that work for all New Zealanders. Our mission is to help build a better, stronger New Zealand. We are taking the initiative to promote a prosperous, free and fair society with a competitive, open and dynamic economy. We develop and contribute bold ideas that will have a profound, positive, long-term impact. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VI FOREWORD VII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IX INTRODUCTION: IN THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION SUCCESS 1 CHAPTER ONE: ENGLAND’S EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM FAILING SCHOOLS: SHAKING UP THE STATUS QUO 3 1.1 THE EVOLUTION OF THE ACADEMIES POLICY 3 1.2 A FAIRER WAY TO ASSESS STUDENT PERFORMANCE 6 1.3 FRANK AND FOCUSED SCHOOL INSPECTIONS 8 1.4 THE ACADEMIES POLICY: POTENTIAL AND PITFALLS 10 1.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS: THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF ENGLAND’S FAILING SCHOOLS REFORMS 16 CHAPTER TWO: NEW YORK CITY CHARTER SCHOOLS: ONE BIG APPLE SOLUTION FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS 17 2.1 THE BIG APPLE: A TALE OF TWO REALITIES 18 2.2 POVERTY OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY 18 2.3 THE CHARTER SCHOOL IDEA: AN ESCAPE HATCH FOR STUDENTS 19 2.4 ARE NYC CHARTER SCHOOLS DELIVERING ON THEIR PROMISE? 20 2.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS: NYC CHARTER SCHOOLS SERVING DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS 23 CHAPTER THREE: MASSACHUSETTS: WHERE COMPLACENCY IS NOT AN OPTION 25 3.1 EDUCATIONAL TRIUMPHS AND CHALLENGES 25 3.2 A MECHANISM TO IMPROVE LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS 26 3.3 A SECOND CHANCE FOR MASSACHUSETTS STUDENTS 28 3.4 CONCLUDING REMARKS: KEYS TO MASSACHUSETTS’ RESTART SUCCESS 28 CHAPTER FOUR: THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: HOW MUCH TEACHERS MATTER 31 4.1 NUMBERS DON’T LIE: STUDENTS FLED D.C.’S TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS 31 4.2 TEACHERS MATTER, THAT’S CLEAR 32 4.3 THE ROAD TO BETTER EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF TEACHER IMPACT 33 4.4 A FOCUS ON TEACHER QUALITY: THE IMPACT ON D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS 38 4.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS: EVALUATING TEACHER IMPACT IN D.C. PAID OFF 40 CHAPTER FIVE: THE HOUSTON OPPORTUNITY: IMPLEMENTING LESSONS FROM SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS 41 5.1 HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: POVERTY OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT 41 5.2 HOUSTON, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY: THE APOLLO 20 TURNAROUND INITIATIVE 42 5.3 DID THE HOUSTON EXPERIMENT WORK? 44 5.4 CONCLUDING REMARKS: USING WHAT WORKS TO HELP STUDENTS IN HOUSTON’S FAILING SCHOOLS 45 CONCLUSION 46 APPENDIX: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF SIGNAL LOSS 47 BIBLIOGRAPHY 49 TABLES, FIGURES, AND BOXES TABLE 1: SPONSORED ACADEMIES OPENED BY ACADEMIC YEAR (2000–16) 6 TABLE 2: LEARNING GAINS IN NYC CHARTER SCHOOLS COMPARED TO DISTRICT SCHOOLS 22 TABLE 3: LEARNING GAINS IN SINGLE AND MULTI-SCHOOL CHARTERS COMPARED TO DISTRICT SCHOOLS 22 FIGURE 1: SCHOOL PERFORMANCE REVIEW GRADES (OFSTED) 8 FIGURE 2: FIRST PAGE OF A SCHOOL REPORT IN ENGLAND (OFSTED) 9 FIGURE 3: FIRST PAGE OF A SCHOOL REPORT IN NEW ZEALAND (ERO) 9 FIGURE 4: POST-2010 SECONDARY ACADEMIES OFSTED OUTCOMES (2012 - 2015) 12 FIGURE 5: OFSTED SCHOOL REVIEW OUTCOMES (31 MARCH 2016) 12 FIGURE 6: MASSACHUSETTS READING AND MATHS PROFICIENCY (2015) 25 FIGURE 7: READING AND MATHS PROFICIENCY AMONG SUB-GROUPS IN MASSACHUSETTS (2014) 26 FIGURE 8: IMPACT SAMPLE SCORE CARD 36 FIGURE 9: TEACHER RATING UNDER IMPACT 37 FIGURE 10: IMPACT TEACHER EVALUATION CATEGORIES 37 FIGURE 11: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACHERS CAREER LADDER 38 BOX 1: THE FIVE PRACTICES USED BY HIGHLY EFFECTIVE NYC CHARTER SCHOOLS 23 BOX 2: UP ACADEMY BOSTON: FAILING YESTERDAY, THRIVING TODAY 27 BOX 3: IMPACT OBJECTIVES 34 ABOUT THE AUTHOR MARTINE UDAHEMUKA Martine Udahemuka is a Research Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative working on education policy. She is the author of Signal Loss: What We Know About School Performance. Martine was a student success advisor and learning consultant at Massey University, and has published research on migrant and refugee integration in New Zealand. She was also with the Aid Programme at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Martine holds a Master of Arts in Industrial and Organisational Psychology with First Class Honours from Massey University. FAIR AND FRANK V ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author thanks the numerous people who contributed their time and expertise to this report. Thanks to the New Zealand Ministry of Education staff and Roger Partridge, Murray Jack, and Alan Gibbs for their feedback on an earlier draft of the report. Special thanks to international reviewers and interviewees whose experience in the school reforms enriched this report. Particular gratitude goes to the staff and students at the schools visited. The responsibility for all views expressed and any remaining errors and omissions lies with the author. International contributors* England Alison Ryan Senior Policy Advisor, Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) Becky Francis Director, UCL Institute of Education Briar Lipson Director of Curriculum, Assessment and Training, Floreat Education Academies Trust Charlotte Pearce Cornish Project Manager, Floreat Education Academies Trust Christopher Wood Inspector, Ofsted Hugh Greenway Chief Executive, The Elliot Foundation Ian Moore Education Consultant Lord O’Shaughnessy Founder, Floreat Education Academies Trust Jennifer Partridge Teacher, ARK Walworth Academy Katy Episcopo Vice Principal, ARK Walworth Academy Simon Stokes Senior Policy Advisor, Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) Yvonne Powell Principal, ARK Walworth Academy New York City Charles Sahm Director, Education Policy, Manhattan Institute Dean Ball Deputy Director, State and Local Policy, Manhattan Institute Derrell Bradford Executive Director, New York Campaign for Achievement Now Isaac Gorodetski Director, State and Local Policy, Manhattan Institute James Merriman Chief Executive Officer, New York City Charter School Center Jordan Stockdale Education Policy Analyst, Office of the First Deputy Mayor, City of New York Karin Goldmark Senior Education Policy Advisor, Office of the First Deputy Mayor, City of New York Kevin Shrum Principal, Harlem Prep Elementary School Margaret Marrer Assistant Superintendent, Democracy Prep Public Schools Massachusetts (Boston and Cambridge) Brad Alan Chief of Staff, The Education Innovation Laboratory (Edlabs), Harvard University Gavin Samms Chief of Dissemination, The Education Innovation Laboratory (Edlabs), Harvard University Jamie Gass Director, Center for School Reform, Pioneer Institute Jim Peyser Secretary of Education, Massachusetts Meghan Howard Noveck Chief Academic Officer, The Education Innovation Laboratory (Edlabs), Harvard University Peter Hull Doctoral student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Rucha Vankudre Research Director, The Education Innovation Laboratory (Edlabs), Harvard University Scott Given Chief Executive Officer, UP Education Network Thomas Birmingham Distinguished Senior Fellow in Education, Pioneer Institute Tom Moreau Assistant Secretary of Education, Policy & Planning, Massachusetts Yusuke Narita Doctoral student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology The District of Columbia John Schilling Chief Operating Officer, American Federation for Children Kimberly Howard Data Architect, The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), D.C. Michelle Hudacsko Deputy Chief, IMPACT, District of Columbia Public Schools Mike Petrilli President, The Thomas B. Fordham Institute Ron Haskins Senior Fellow and Co-director, Center on Children and Families, The Brookings Institution Whitney Marcavage National Policy Director, American Federation for Children Houston Elisa Villanueva Beard Chief Executive Officer, Teach for America Terry Grier Superintendent, Houston Independent School District (HISD) Tiffany Cuellar Needham Executive Director, Teach for America, Houston Region * Positions may have changed from the time of writing. VI THE NEW ZEALAND INITIATIVE FOREWORD About 15 years ago I was starting out on my Education Secretary Michael Gove – “Raising the policy career. Based in the Conservative Research bar, closing the gap” – which brings to life the idea Department, I was the desk officer for education and of a levelling up, not a levelling down. tasked with two activities: attacking the then Labour Finally, there is the most controversial topic of Government for its education policies, and coming school autonomy itself. As this report shows, and up with some alternatives for the Conservatives. is evidenced by the OECD, there has been a trend As it turned out, some of the very policies of the towards school-level autonomy over many years but administration I was meant to be opposing – within an accountability framework of publishing increasing rigour in primary schools, creating Teach outcome data, inspection regimes, and intervening First to attract high quality graduates into teaching, in failing