Case Studies of 5 High-Performing, High-Poverty Charter Schools

1. Case Studies of 5 High-Performing, High-Poverty Charter Schools Presented by Katherine Merseth, Kristy Cooper, Mara Tieken, John Roberts, Jon Valant, & Chris Wynne Harvard Graduate School of Education

2. Presentation Overview • Research Purpose & Methodology • 5 Case Studies • Cross-Case Analysis • Questions & Answers

3. Research Study Purposes • To distinguish common and differing elements in high-performing charter schools serving students at educational risk • To inform policy-makers, charter school authorizers, and educators about best practices in five high-performing charter schools in Massachusetts

4. Selection of 5 Case Study Sites • Criteria set by the Massachusetts Charter School Dissemination & Replication Project: • Schools located in high poverty districts • Schools with renewed charters • Schools that made AYP in 2006 • Schools outperforming sending districts on MCAS

5. Research Questions • What particular organizational, pedagogical, human resource and leadership factors do teachers, administrators, parents, and charter-authorizing authorities identify at each school as instrumental to their success? How are these descriptions similar or different across schools? • What practices are observed at these schools that might contribute to success? How are these practices common or divergent across sites?

6. Research Methodology • Initial literature review to generate protocols for interviews, focus groups, and observations. • Over 70 interviews with teachers, administrators, and specialists at the 5 schools. • Parent focus group at each school. • Over 40 days of observation in the schools. • Analysis of school reports and documents.

7. Data Analysis • Interviews and Focus Groups • Sorted data into 10 categorical codes using NVivo • Further fractured data into sub-categories • Examined data for emergent themes and revisited literature on effective schooling • Observations • Used observation protocol data to determine daily operations • Again, revisited literature on effective schooling

8. The 5 Case Studies

9. THE MATCH CHARTER PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLBoston, Massachusetts An Independent Charter School Founded in 2000220 Students in Grades 9-12 62% African American 30% Hispanic 4% White 2% Asian 2% Multi-race non-Hispanic 11% Special Education 70% Low Income 4 Year Graduation Rate = 60% 2005-2006 Drop Out Rate = 3.2% Data as of October 1, 2007 at : http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/home.asp?mode=so&so=2026-13&ot=12&o=2025&view=all

10. Shaping School Culture • TUTOR: “So the culture of the school is to foster learning. And the Code of Conduct is a way to promote the school culture, but also the learning itself is a way to promote the culture, and they feed into each other and… we don’t…we don’t take it lightly.” • Code of conduct consistently understood • Code of conduct consistently implemented • A shaping force for decision-making • It sits at the heart of the school's culture, • and says that not every student will “fit”.

11. The MATCH Corps • ADMINISTRATOR: “First, they’re academic coaches… A lot of it is content, but a lot of it’s just making sure that our kids don’t give up. And they’re the ones who have the relationships with the parents and the kids. And, they build the feeling of the school…because they’re big in number; and they need to be trained well, interpreting the culture and the code of conduct.” • 45 MATCH Corps tutors • Serve same four to five students for an entire academic year • Live on the school’s third floor • Partially funded by an AmeriCorps grant

12. Increasing Time on Task ADMINISTRATOR: “Our philosophy is we have a greater school culture that allows each teacher the maximum opportunity for them to use that time well. Our culture allows 56 minutes of learning to really be 56 minutes… but it’s not like we have unique amazing ideas of how to teach math…. We don’t have an overarching philosophy of ‘How to actually teach,’ ‘How to actually instruct.’ It’s more of making sure that there is no time wasted. And how to use that time is up to you.” • Code of Conduct • MATCH Corps • Required lesson structure/sense of urgency • Good instruction is the degree to which students are on task • Leadership seen as protectors of culture, not as instructional leaders

13. BOSTON COLLEGIATE CHARTER SCHOOLDorchester, Massachusetts Founded in 1998412 Students in Grades 5-12 64% White 27% African-American 6% Hispanic 2% Asian 1% Multi-race non-Hispanic 17% Special Education 42% Low Income 4-Year Graduation Rate (2007) = 93% 2005-2006 Dropout Rate = 0% Data as of October 3, 2007 at : http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/home.asp?mode=o&view=all&mcasyear=2007&ot=12&o=2003

14. A Clear, Strong Mission That Unites and Motivates • “to prepare each student for college” • TEACHER: “The mission? Whoever you talk to in the building, they all know what they’re here for. And they’re all quite passionate about it.” • College reminders, expectations, and requirements • Bringing college to students & taking students to college • College Readiness Committee

15. Hiring, Developing, and Retaining Outstanding Teachers • ADMINISTRATOR: “What makes us successful? It’s teachers, teachers, teachers.” • ADMINISTRATOR: “If we’re just turning people over who are young and leave as soon as they get married and have kids, then that’s not the school I want this to be… We don’t want to be cycling through teachers every three years. There is something lost in the school culture, in the quality of the curriculum, when you are constantly bringing in new teachers and losing old.” • Recruitment & hiring – “great people, not great teachers” • Development – constant feedback & personalized PD • Retention & dismissal – Teacher Retention Committee

16. Balancing High Expectations with a Warm, Supportive School Atmosphere TEACHER: “When I’m teaching, I’m teaching. But when I’m not, I’m a person you can interact with almost like you interact with a peer… I don’t feel like I need to maintain a distance all the time. I feel like I can negate the distance any time I want.” • A time for work & a time for play • Merits & demerits, incentives & disincentives • More time on task

17. COMMUNITY DAY CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLLawrence, Massachusetts An Independent Charter School Founded in 1995330 Students in Grades K-8 87% Hispanic 9% White 2% African-American 1% Asian 1% Multi-race 18% Special Education 64% Low Income 80% First Language not English Data as of October 3, 2007 at : http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/home.asp?mode=o&view=all&mcasyear=2007&ot=12&o=1989

18. Culture of Intimacy • PARENT: “I’m in the school, I know what’s going on. It’s so small that … when you’re around for a little while and you see the same faces, you tend to know people and say, ‘Hi.’ It’s just small. It’s intimate, it’s intimate.” • Relationships with Parents: • Consistent home/school communication • Parents welcome at school • Relationships among Staff: • Co-teaching model • Expectation of collaboration • Administrators in classrooms • Relationships with Students: • Low student-to-teacher ratio • Time to know students personally

19. Attention to the Individual Child • TEACHER: “My own philosophy, and the school’s, is it’s definitely about the individual child. Although … you want them to meet those standards, you have to figure out ‘How am I going to get his student to that place, understanding this concept…?’ Because my class is so unique, each student, I cannot do the same thing for ever student. I have to twist it, I have to turn it, I have to figure out ‘How am I going to reach this one?’ and ‘How am I going to reach that one?’ Because they’re just not going to all get there the same way.” • Opportunities for individual attention: morning routine, lunchtime, transitions • Co-teaching model and use of instructional groups • Focus on a student’s academic weaknesses • Attention to a student’s background

20. Intensive Use of Data ADMINISTRATOR: “One of the things that is integral to our entire operation … is goal setting and measuring whether we’re getting to those goals. … We look at the MCAS high stakes exam, gives us a wealth of data. … We have translated much of that assessment data and results into classroom practice. … We analyze how individual students are doing, how groups of students are doing, what the test is telling us about whether we’re being effective, where those skills need more support, or where we need to teach them in a different way.” • The Blue Binders • Individual MCAS Goals • Breakdown of MCAS Materials • Class-wide Action Plans • Data from Benchmark Assessments • Instructional groupings • Personal Education Goals (PEGs)

21. ROXBURY PREPARATORY CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLRoxbury, Massachusetts An Independent Charter School, Founded in 1999198 Students in Grades 6-8 61.1% African American 32.8% Hispanic 1.5% Native American 4.5% Multi-race non-Hispanic 11.6% Special Education 69.7% Low Income Data as of October 1, 2007 at : http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/home.asp?mode=so&so=2026-13&ot=12&o=2025&view=all

22. August Planning Time • TEACHER: “The whole idea behind the curriculum is that you plan it early, before the school year starts, and that you plan it all the way through so that when you come to planning a particular lesson for a particular day, you already have a sense as to what you are going to do.” • Teachers begins the year with long term curricular plans • Curriculum Alignment Templates help ensure full coverage of the Massachusetts Learning Standards. • Curricula “go beyond” what the Massachusetts Learning Standards explicitly prescribe (e.g. curricular themes pertaining to social justice)

23. Daily Lesson Plans • TEACHER: “It’s an event. Something is going to happen. How that happens depends on the teacher’s style, the material . . . but conceptually I think teachers think of their lessons as events, as opportunities, and I think that makes them prepare down to the smallest detail.” • Lesson plans are very detailed, often budgeted to the last minute • Basic lesson structure: Do Now, Mini-lesson, Guided practice, Independent work • Guided practice often involves pair or group work • Teaches distribute weekly syllabi that include each lesson’s “Aim” & assignment

24. Inquiry Groups During weekly teacher-facilitated Inquiry Group meetings, teachers analyze student work and reflect on best practices to promote dialogue about teacher efficacy, evidence of student learning, and achievement of goals. • ELA & social studies teachers comprise literacy group; Math & science teachers comprise numeracy group • Groups meet most Friday afternoons after students dismiss • Currently, groups follow “Results Meeting” format • One teacher presents a student skill for improvement • Group brainstorms ideas • Teacher select ideas to freely discuss in more detail

25. ACADEMY OF THE PACIFIC RIMHyde Park, Massachusetts Founded in 1997472 Students in Grades 5-12 57% African-American 23% White 16% Hispanic 3% Asian 1% Multi-race non-Hispanic 13% Special Education 51% Low Income 4-Year Graduation Rate (2007) = 90.3% 2005-2006 Dropout Rate = 0.7% Data as of October 1, 2007 at : http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/home.asp?mode=o&view=all&mcasyear=2007&ot=12&o=1969

26. Supporting Student Development Over Time ADMINISTRATOR: “I feel really intentional about what we require our younger students to do, and when we take some of that support away, we give freedom. So you’ll see the gradual building of structured independence in our program, and as we discuss it, it’s very purposeful.” • Vertical Scaffolding of Curriculum • Home-Grown Character Development Program: KG-PRIDE • Increased Student Independence • Decreased Rigidity in Discipline Policies • Student Leadership

27. Professional Responsibility Among Adults ADMINISTRATOR: “I think we’ve done a good job when a student is not performing, of looking at all angles of the problem - trying to have meetings, trying to give that student extra support, potentially referring them for testing. We’re never quite satisfied because we get to know the students so well and we care so much about them.” STRUCTURAL FACTORS • Advisories • Learning Specialists • Teacher-Designed Curriculum INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS • Personal Orientations Toward Work • Clear Expectations During Hiring

28. Internal Accountability TEACHER: “I’ve never been observed more by a principal at any other school that I’ve worked at. At other schools, it was maybe a few times a year. Here, it’s at least once a month, or more, that the principal is in there observing and giving you pointers and giving you feedback on what really went well, what can be improved.” ACCOUNTABILITY TO ADMINISTRATION • Weekly Lesson Plans • Informal & Formal Observations • Bi-Annual Evaluations ACCOUNTABILITY TO PEERS • Peer Observations • Grade-Level & Department-Level Planning • Faculty Work Rooms

29. Cross-Case Analysis

30. Our Common ThemesMost Track with Prior Research; A Few Don’t • Effective Schools Literature • Carter (2000); Edmonds, et al. (1979); Kayes & Maranto (2006); Lee & Ready (2007); Lightfoot (1983); Purkey & Smith (1986) • Charter School Literature • Filby (2005); Hill & Lake (2006); Lake (2007); National Charter School Research Center (2007); Toll (2007); Zimmer & Buddin (2007) • High-Performing Non-Profit Organization Literature • Applegate (2006); Drucket (1990); Grant & Crutchfield (2007); Kaplan & Leonard (2005); Porter (1985, 2007); Tushman & O’Reilley (2007); Wyman (2003)

31. All these schools are… • Small • Mature • Nimble • Filled with adults who believe in the purpose and mission of the school • Schools of choice and, thus, supported by parents

32. All of these schools have… • Narrow & clearly articulated missions • Extensive coherence about purpose and goals of the organization • Purposeful structures and systems designed to achieve the mission • Deeply committed staff • Waiting lists of students and families • Challenges

33. In varying ways, these schools work to balance tensions between… • Prescribing tight structures for learning and fostering independent learners • Compensating for what students don’t have and honoring what the students do have • Holding high non-negotiable expectations (uniformity) andaccommodating individual needs (diversity) • Demanding extraordinary effort from staff andbattlingteacher burn out

34. Instruction People & Relationships Systems & Structures Mission & Culture

35. Mission and Culture • Clarity: The missions are clear and consistent within each school • Resources: Human, financial, temporal tightly aligned to mission • Values and Assumptions are foundational • 1) High Expectations • 2) Continuous Improvement • 3) Personal Relationships

36. School-Wide Systems and Structures • All five schools operate using strategic school-wide systems and structures that have been purposefully developed to serve the mission • Organizations are nimble and sometimes re-adjust systems while keeping the mission the same

37. Attitude of Continuous Improvement…But Always in Service of Mission • How can we do this better? Mission doesn’t change but practices can • Heavy data use. Frequent, timely, targeted, aligned data analysis to make changes for improvement • Accepting of standards, exploring college demands

38. Human Resources • Enormous work loads are expected; need to get the right people • Churn and burn in some schools; others worry about retention • Leaders either home-grown or haven’t changed in over 13 years • Some leaders are protectors of culture and less instructional leaders • Parents feel like partners; constant communication at all levels

39. Hiring, Training and Retention: Variation Across Schools • All consider hiring important • Some look for “good people” to develop into “good teachers” • One school offers incentives and has a Teacher Retention Committee • New staff inculcated into culture through summer meetings • Some formal mentoring

40. Professional Development • Some PD is in-house - stressing collaboration, common lesson planning • Others encouraged to go outside • Most curricula locally written • Formal observations and evaluations vary across schools

41. The Power of Relationships • Staff responsibility - peer accountability • Teacher-student relationships • MATCH Corps student relationships • Parental buy-in and involvement

42. Leadership • Leadership tasks vary across schools • Varying involvement in classrooms • Mid-level school or building heads • Some schools split management and instructional roles • Some more shared than others • Not always the charismatic leader

43. Instruction: Performance and Attainment • All score exceptionally well (usually 100% proficiency) on state MCAS exams. Some have high proportion of students at Advanced or Proficient levels • Quality of Instruction varies within and across schools

44. Learning the Code • Taking college to students and students to college • Language - “cum laude” “Greek System” • Role models - MATCH Corps • College banners

45. Attainment • Attainment is best defined as the ability to achieve status within an established social hierarchy according to the codes and structures of that system. • The three high schools starting to push beyond goal of high stakes tests proficiency to college entrance and success

46. Average 2006 SAT Scores for the High Schools

47. Balancing Fundamental Tensions: Schools Vary • Degree of agency given to learner • High non-negotiable expectations • Hire or develop good teachers? • Value continuous improvement for students and for the organization: How can you/we do better? • What is a reasonable target? MCAS or something else?

48. Questions?

49. Thank you.