Helping Low-Performing Schools and Districts Meet Standards

Helping Low-Performing Schools
and Districts Meet Standards
Research, Articles & Editorials

Study of State Support for Low-Performing Schools
Council of Chief State School Officers (2003)
Recognizing states' urgent need to strengthen their systems of support to low-performing schools, the Council of Chief State School Officers released a study that describes five state systems of support to low-performing, high-poverty districts and schools. The five states that participated in this study were Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and Texas. (Requires free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Raising Student Achievement: An Internet Resource Guide for Redesigning Low-Performing Schools
American Federation of Teachers (current)
This resource guide presents advice, information and materials that union, district and community leaders can use to tackle schools' intractable problems with student achievement and/or behavior. Originally published in 1997, this Internet version is periodically updated with links to new resources and upcoming events.

Step by Step
National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform (current)
This site is designed to help those who are thinking about school improvement work through the change process. It provides links to tools that can be used at every step of the way, from assessing the particular needs of an individual school to researching the efficacy and "fit" of existing reform models to evaluating data in regard to implementation and results.

When Theory Hits Reality
SRI International (2001)
A new study shows that high-stakes accountability isn't enough to fulfill the promise of standards-based reform. Clear expectations for instruction are as crucial as clear expectations for student learning--so are the supports that can help schools meet both. (Requires free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Academic Excellence for All Urban Students: Their Accomplishment In Science and Mathematics
Systemic Research, Inc. (2001)
This report offers a summary of initial findings from the National Science Foundation's Urban Systemic Initiative in 22 large urban school districts. The focus of the initiative has been standards-based curriculum and instruction, aligned assessments, policies, professional development, resource alignment, leadership, and partnerships. Overall, the report demonstrates important gains in student achievement, with the largest benefits for districts that have been participating in initiative the longest

Comprehensive School Redesign: A Roadmap to Resources
American Federation of Teachers (2000)
In conjunction with its Internet resource guide (see above), the AFT has developed a tool to help educators identify the best available tools and materials for each step in the school redesign process, including assembling a school redesign team, conducting a needs assessment, building support for change, selecting a program and more.

Working Together for Reliable School Reform
A. Datnow & S. Stringfield, Journal of Education for Students Placed At Risk, Vol. 5 (2000)
Amanda Datnow and Sam Stringfield, from the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (CRESPAR) at Johns Hopkins University, summarize major findings from several, multiyear studies of schools that have adopted externally developed reform designs (such as Success For All or the Comer School Development program). They examine key stages in the school change process, including adoption of a reform model, issues of implementation, and sustainability of reform over time. Based on the findings, the authors also offer lessons on how districts, schools, and design teams might successfully work together to implement and sustain reform. (Requires free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

An Educators' Guide to Schoolwide Reform
American Institutes for Research (1999)
Commissioned by a group of national education organizations and conducted by the AIR, this study reviews research data on 24 school reform models, rates the quality of support provided by the model developers, and provides additional information on the cost and number of schools implementing the models.

Hope for Urban Education: A Study of Nine High Performing, High-Poverty, Urban Elementary Schools
U.S. Department of Education & The Dana Center (1999)
This report from the U.S. Department of Education profiles nine high-poverty schools that are attaining levels of achievement in math and reading that are above most schools in the nation. This publication describes each of those schools and their shared characteristics, as well as their important differences. Also included are ideas on how this success might be replicated. (Requires free download of Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Quality Counts ‘98:The Urban Challenge
Education Week and Pew Charitable Trusts (1998)
Quality Counts ’98 provides a detailed analysis of the plight of many low-performing urban schools. It includes information concerning the achievement gap, the concentration of poverty, and the challenge of finding high quality teachers. Issues such as money and political governance are also discussed.

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