The U.S. system of urban public schooling is undergoing the most significant and exciting structural transformation of the last 100 years. New models and a laser focus on results and human capital have created proof points around the country, showing us that closing the urban student achievement gap is not just a dream, but a reality. These exciting breakthroughs are being fueled by some of America's most talented, innovative, and civically minded men and women. This report finds that as demand for new, autonomous and innovative schools begins to snowball, there is a real threat of a leadership talent gap -- and talent is the scarce resource that could define the success or failure of this hope-inspiring movement.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States
This report takes a broad look at the overall makeup of public schools in Boston, combining results from the Boston Public Schools and the city's Commonwealth Charter schools to provide a snapshot of how school structures and student performance have been affected by reforms that have expanded autonomy to larger numbers of schools.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Northeastern)-Massachusetts-Suffolk County-Boston
Education and Literacy, Parenting and Families
Families in many portfolio districts can choose from a variety of charter and district schools for their children. But to make these choices, parents often must fill out multiple application forms and navigate schools that may have different requirements, deadlines, and selection preferences such as sibling attendance or proximity to the school. Once parents complete the applications and schools make offers, some families receive multiple offers and often hold on to them until the last minute, while other families receive few or no offers, remaining on waitlists well into the fall. Not only is this process difficult for families, it favors families with the time and knowledge to navigate its inherent complexities.
In order to make applying to a choice school less complicated, some cities are building common enrollment systems that streamline enrollment across all types of schools. These cities are adopting a transparent matching process that systematically assigns students to schools based on both school and student preferences. Families are asked to rank the schools they prefer for their child (regardless of whether the school is operated by the district or is a charter school) in a single application process. Families then receive a match that takes into account their preferences and the priorities and admission standards set by the schools in the city.
Proponents of common enrollment believe that it is more equitable for families and schools and can lead to a more predictable and less tumultuous matching process overall. Common enrollment systems can also benefit cities and districts by eliminating the need to authenticate results from multiple charter lotteries, and by providing data on school demand throughout the city that might inform strategic decisions about managing the school supply. Even so, some detractors worry that centralized enrollment systems will erode the autonomy of schools and require administrative capacity that is rarely found in existing oversight agencies (typically school districts). Common enrollment also doesn't directly address the fact that most cities don't have enough high-quality seats to serve all of their students.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Western)-Colorado-Denver County-Denver, North America-United States (Southern)-Louisiana-Orleans Parish-New Orleans
Education and Literacy;Race and Ethnicity
This paper reviews the status of historicallyblack colleges and universities (HBCUs) and assesses their mission in light of the changing nature of higher education and the new challenges that HBCUs and other higher education institutions must address. It is based on extensivediscussions with HBCU presidents and chancellors, campus visits, and reviews of documents and data.
HBCUs continue to play a critical role in "advancingm the race" and achieving President Obama's national goals for higher education and economic competitiveness, including a dramatic increase in college completion rates by 2020. To have the world's best-prepared workforce requires the United States to produce 10 million new college graduates and to make
sure every young person completes at least one year of postsecondary education.
Two generations ago, before desegregation, more than three-quarters of black college graduates attended HBCUs. Today, less than one-sixth of college-going black students attend these institutions, but this still representsa significant portion of a much bigger collegegoing population facing an increasingly large and complex array of educational opportunities.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
This report evaluates each state's charter school law against the 20 essential components of a strong public charter school law. These 20 components are drawn from National Alliance's A New Model Law For Supporting The Growth Of High-Quality Public Charter Schools.
Over the past few years, there has been significant activity in state capitals to improve public charter school laws, and 2013 was no exception. Governors and legislators from coast to coast worked to lift caps that are constraining growth, enhance quality controls to better encourage the opening of great schools, and provide additional funding to decrease the equity gap between public charter school students and their counterparts in traditional public schools. All of this work was done with one simple goal in mind: create more high-quality public charter schools to meet the surging parental demand.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States
Education and Literacy, Employment and Labor
According to this issue brief, to improve the feedback new teachers receive districts must rethink feedback as a complex system of many parts, rather than simply a series of isolated conversations between principals and teachers. This paper is designed to guide districts through this process, helping them recognize the interconnected factors at the district, school, and classroom level that shape the nature of feedback.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Midwestern)-Ohio, North America-United States (Northeastern)-Delaware, North America-United States (Southern)-Tennessee
Too many students in Chicago Public Schools are performing below -- often far below -- grade level. Ideally, all students should be increasing their subject matter knowledge and critical thinking skills over time. In September 2008 a three-year initiative, the Partnership for Instructional Leadership, was created to help a group of neighborhood elementary schools in Chicago Public Schools Area 4, on the city's Northwest Side, build the internal capacity to improve school achievement for all students at all grade levels, including Pre-K and English Language Learners.**Over the course of three years, the Partnership was implemented in 11 elementary schools�six for the full three years with five more schools joining in the third year. This report summarized significant outcomes and learnings from the Partnership experience.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Midwestern)-Illinois-Cook County-Chicago
Agencies responsible for public education in the District of Columbia released the first-ever District of Columbia School Equity Reports. This is part one of two.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Southern)-District of Columbia-Washington
