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Chicago’s School Improvement Reforms: Impact on Student Outcomes

Mon, April 16, 10:35am to 12:05pm, Vancouver Convention Centre, Floor: Second Level, West Room 204

Abstract

Objectives:
The topic of “turning around” schools has become increasingly prominent in the national educational discourse over the last few years (Meyers & Murphy, 2008; U.S. Department of Education, 2009; Wolk, 1998). Yet there is little rigorous evidence on the impact of such interventions. In this study we examine changes in student outcomes that occurred in 31 Chicago public schools (CPS) after being targeted for five different district-led school improvement interventions between 1997 and 2009. We focus on changes over time in student achievement in grades 3–8 in schools selected by CPS for reform and how they compare with similar schools not selected. We also look at changes over time in attendance rates in grades 9–12 and on-track-to-graduate rates in grade 9 in schools selected by CPS for reform and how they compare with similar schools.

Perspectives:
The U.S. Department of Education is advocating for four different models of school improvement reserved for the lowest-performing schools in the nation. These models call for dramatic changes in leadership, teaching force and governance with the ultimate goal being the improvement of students’ learning.

Methods/Data:
We examine the impact of school improvement reforms in CPS using student administrative records and student achievement data. We use a difference-in-difference approach to estimate an overall effect of school improvement reforms on student outcomes, across all reform initiatives. For each school that underwent reform, we selected comparison schools that had similar outcomes and trends in outcomes before intervention, and a similar likelihood of being selected for intervention (using characteristics of the schools prior to reform). We used latent class analysis and propensity score matching techniques to identify comparison schools based on these criteria. Analysis of differences between turnaround and comparison schools were conducted using Hierarchical Linear Models with students nested within years within schools with appropriate controls for changes in the student body population.

Results:
When comparing trends in reading and mathematics scores in grades 3 to 8 of the intervention schools and comparison schools, we find that scores went up in the first year although they were not different from improvements seen in comparison schools. In the subsequent 3 years, turnaround elementary schools showed significantly better growth in reading and math than comparison schools. However, high schools did not show significant improvements in absences and on-track-to-graduate rates over their comparison schools.

Significance:
According to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, there are approximately 5,000 chronically underperforming schools in the United States. With guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education, districts across the nation are starting to implement these reforms. It is critical to understand the effects of these reforms on students’ outcomes. This study will provide rigorous evidence of the impact of school improvement initiatives in Chicago, based on the first few years of implementation. This will be very relevant information for districts that will have to grapple with improving their lowest-performing schools in the next few years.

Authors