Winning the School Improvement Lottery? An Examination of the Selection of Schools for State Takeover

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Is State Takeover the Path to School Improvement? Examining the Politics of State Takeover

Abstract

School takeover policy is a popular school improvement strategy evidenced by the growing number of states that are using state-run school districts to take over and improve persistently underperforming schools. A key yet overlooked element of state takeover is the policy and process of the selection of schools to be a taken over from a larger list of eligible schools. This study examines the extent to which stated criteria for school takeover selection varies by state; the discrepancies between enabling takeover legislation and the observed selection processes; and the similarities and differences in the characteristics of schools and districts taken over from those eligible but not taken over.

We use a policy design and implementation framework to analyze the selection of schools for state takeover. Policy design sends important messages regarding the power, participation and benefits associated with a policy. Policy tools are the components of policy design that cause the agent or target to modify their behavior to attain the policy goals. They attempt to change the behavior of those implementing the policy (the agent, or the state-run turnaround districts in this case) as well as those presumably benefitting from the policy (the target, or the parents and children of persistently low-performing schools) through distinct mechanisms.

Using a mixed methods approach, this study examines the selection of schools for state takeover using a comparative analysis of school takeover policy in five states – Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. Our first research question relies on data collected from states’ legislation, codes, and constitutions. We use document and observation analysis of newspaper articles, reports, transcripts and videos of school board meetings to address the second research question. The third research question analyzes school-level data the National Center Education Statistics (NCES), the Stanford Education Data Archives (SEDA) and the states’ department of education. This data includes: eligibility for takeover, enrollment and demographic characteristics, along with district demographic and achievement characteristics. SEDA provides information on district-level racial/ethnic achievement gaps, average achievement and demographic and socioeconomic data (Reardon et al., 2016).

Our results indicate that no two criteria for selection of schools is the same, however, criteria are very similar across states. Although several factors are considered (for instance, feeder patterns), the primary factor determining inclusion on the list for state takeover is testing data. There seems to be a pattern of improvement – the criteria of states with most recent legislation seems to build on criteria of states with established turnaround districts. Decisions are largely left to the discretion of the superintendent of statewide turnaround districts. Overall, it is difficult to understand the exact criteria separating schools taken over from those eligible for takeover. Though the policy is clear, the process of how schools are chosen remain somewhat ambiguous and arbitrary. There is a lack of transparency in selection process across states.

Given the growing prominence of this school improvement strategy, it is important to gain a richer understanding of the state criteria and the observed process of selecting schools for state takeover.

Authors

• Richard Welsh, University of Georgia

• Erika N Cooper, University of Georgia - Athens