Amanda Datnow

Working Together for Reliable School Reform

In this article we summarize major findings from diverse, multiyear studies conducted by the Systemic and Policy Research team of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk. This article is based on findings from 16 projects and more than 300 case studies, the majority of which have been multiyear and multimethod. We conclude that efforts to implement diverse reforms are more likely to be effective when educators at various levels (e.g., state, district, reform design team, school) share goals and work in concert to co-construct highly reliable reforms. Findings from our studies are discussed, as are implications for future research.

Introduction to the Memphis Restructuring Initiative

*Much of the research reported in this series was supported by a grant from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, to the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (Grant No. R‐117D‐40005). However, any opinions expressed by the authors are our own and do not represent the policies or positions of the U.S. Department of Education.

Evaluating the Restructuring Process: Study Design.

*Much of the research reported in this series was supported by a grant from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, to the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (Grant No. R‐117D‐40005). However, any opinions expressed by the authors are our own and do not represent the policies or positions of the U.S. Department of Education.

Diverse Populations and School Effectiveness and Improvement in the USA

We begin this chapter by setting the stage with a brief review of the literature on effective school practices, primarily focusing on racially and linguistically diverse districts and schools. We then discuss the background of this project, describing how we conducted a review of research on linkages between policy domains in an educational reform context. We next analyze, across the education system, those linkages that enhance the likelihood that these practices can be institutionalized, and close with directions for future research. The research base on school-level reform practices that lead to measurable improvements in student learning in high-poverty, culturally diverse urban settings is quite large (e.g., Teddlie & Reynolds, 2000; Teddlie, Stringfield, & Reynolds, 2000), yet few studies isolate the effects for language minority students (Goldenberg, 1996). We agree with the perspective that findings from the more “generic” effective schools research are probably applicable to English Language Learners (ELLs), even if ELL issues are neither specifically highlighted nor directly addressed. However, “other factors related to language, culture, or immigration experience are also likely to come into play for [Limited English Proficient] students” (Goldenberg, 1996, p. 1). School effects and school improvement research have consistently identified several core elements that result in improved student achievement. These include a pervasive focus on learning; attention to producing a positive school climate; initiatives to involve parents in productive ways; support systems to help students achieve success; specific efforts to achieve equity in learning opportunities and outcomes; multicultural education strategies; challenging academic content; and opportunities for students to use dialogue and ideally develop both their native language and English language skills (e.g., Brophy, 1982; Chrispeels, 1992; Cotton, 1995; Levine, Levine, & Eubanks, 1985; Tharp, Estrada, Dalton, & Yamauchi, 2000).

Integrating Educational Systems for Successful Reform in Diverse Contexts: Community-Level Reform Efforts

Acknowledgments 1. Introduction 2. School level improvement efforts 3. District level reform efforts 4. Community level reform efforts 5. State level reform efforts 6. The role of reform design teams 7. The role of the Federal Government in reform efforts 8. Methodological issues in the study of systemic integration for effective reform 9. Discussion and conclusion Bibliography.