A RETROSPECTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY of SCHOOL CLOSURE GLENDA E. TONEFF-COTNER Bachelor of Music Bo
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TRANSFORMATION OR TRAGEDY? A RETROSPECTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF SCHOOL CLOSURE GLENDA E. TONEFF-COTNER Bachelor of Music Bowling Green State University May 1986 Master of Guidance and Counseling University of Toledo August 1995 Education Specialist University of Toledo August 2000 Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN URBAN EDUCATION at the CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY MAY 2015 © COPYRIGHT BY GLENDA E. TONEFF-COTNER 2015 We hereby approve the dissertation of Glenda E. Toneff-Cotner Candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education degree This Dissertation has been approved for the Office of Doctoral Studies, College of Education and Human Services and CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY College of Graduate Studies by ______________________________________________________ Dissertation Chairperson: Anne M. Galletta, Ph.D. Curriculum and Foundations, May, 2015 ______________________________________________ Dissertation Methodologist: Joanne Goodell, Ph.D. Teacher Education, May, 2015 _______________________________________________ Marius Boboc, Ph.D. Curriculum and Foundations, May, 2015 _______________________________________________ Brian E. Harper, Ph.D. Curriculum and Foundations May, 2015 ________________________________________________ Leigh Chiarelott, Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction, University of Toledo, May, 2015 Student’s Date of Defense: May 1, 2015 DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my husband, Craig Cotner, as well as my sons, Andrew and Trent Hathaway. I also dedicate this work to anyone who has experienced school closure and to those who are yet destined to live through the closing of their school. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I continue to be inspired by Dr. Anne Galletta and Dr. Joanne Goodell. Every apprentice needs to have a mentor who is willing to share his or her knowledge and expertise related to the field. I was lucky in that I actually had two mentors. Both of these women have my utmost respect and admiration. I will be forever grateful to my department chair, Marius Boboc, who has continued to support my professional growth. Quite honestly, I think he was as anxious for me to complete my PhD as I was. I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to family members who were with me from the beginning of this journey to the end, specifically, my two sisters, Michelle Beck and Julia Kohler, as well as my father, Michael Toneff. Lastly, I would like to thank my closest friends for their support and encouragement, with special acknowledgement to Jessie and Thom Baginski, as well as Carmine Stewart, Jeanne Hufford and Donna Bochi. TRANSFORMATION OR TRAGEDY? A RETROSPECTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF SCHOOL CLOSURE GLENDA E. TONEFF-COTNER ABSTRACT School closure has become an accepted method of school reform policy as outlined in federal legislation found in The No Child Left Behind Act. The academic literature regarding school closure is limited and tends to be quantitative in design, focusing on the relationship between student achievement and school closure and/or student transitions. Qualitative studies around this topic have only recently emerged, focusing on the immediate impact of school closure and transition. There is a need for a retrospective study, reflecting on the long-term effects of school closure on individuals and their communities, as told by the students who experienced it. This study seeks to understand the experience of DeVilbiss students who attended the high school in the year its closure was announced, and who transitioned to a neighboring high school for the 1991-1992 school year. Using semi-structured interviews to explore issues related to transitions, the study will examine identity, social capital, relational trust, community connectedness and engagement, school and community pride, tradition, and the sense of belonging. The study will offer insight into the long-term effects of school closure, particularly through the eyes of those who experienced the closing of DeVilbiss High School. The study has implications for current and future policy decisions. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................vi LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................xvii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................xviii CHAPTER I.................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 School Closure................................................................................................................ 2 Economic Factors ........................................................................................................... 7 Problem Statement.......................................................................................................... 8 Research Questions......................................................................................................... 9 Significance of the Study.............................................................................................. 10 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER II .............................................................................................................. 18 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 18 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 18 Theory of Action and Policy......................................................................................... 21 Theory of Action and School Choice ........................................................................... 24 Poverty, Unemployment and Housing.......................................................................... 27 Population Change and Migrating Patterns .................................................................. 29 White Flight and Urban Flight...................................................................................... 30 Urban Renewal and Breakdown of Poor Communities................................................ 31 Community Activism.................................................................................................... 35 vii Consequences of School Closure and Community Response ...................................... 36 Economics and Equity .................................................................................................. 41 Disaster Capitalism ....................................................................................................... 43 School Choice .............................................................................................................. 47 Consequences of NCLB................................................................................................ 50 Community and Identity ............................................................................................... 51 Identity and Loss........................................................................................................... 58 Social Capital/Place Identity/ Place Attachment .......................................................... 61 Segregation and Identity ............................................................................................... 65 Best Practices .............................................................................................................. 67 The Birth of DeVilbiss High School............................................................................. 70 DeVilbiss High School Showing Symptoms of Decline .............................................. 74 The Death of DeVilbiss High School .......................................................................... 77 The Transition Plan for Displaced Students ................................................................. 87 Saying Goodbye............................................................................................................ 90 Rebirth/Repurposing of DeVilbiss................................................................................ 92 The Rest of the Story .................................................................................................... 93 CHAPTER III .............................................................................................................. 95 METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 95 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 95 Research Phenomenon and Questions .......................................................................... 96 Rationale for Qualitative Research ............................................................................... 98 Research Paradigm ....................................................................................................... 99 viii Research Methodology ............................................................................................... 101 Choosing the Sample .........................................................................