Does School Improvement Policy Compromise Higher-Order Thinking Skills?

• In Event: Research in Progress Roundtable Session 3
  In Invited Roundtable: International Perspectives on Education Reform: Organizational Change, Teacher Resilience, and Gender Disparities in Student Outcomes (Table 10)

Abstract

This study examines whether school turnaround policies promote or compromise higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), a critical competency for labor market success, civics, and effective AI usage. Scholars worry that turnaround may compromise HOTS through teaching to the test practices. Alternatively, it could promote HOTS through the school improvement process. Using Massachusetts data (2005–2019) and a novel coding of ELA test items on HOTS and lower-order thinking skills (LOTS), I assess the short- and long-term impacts of turnaround on HOTS, (LOTS), and Overall ELA. Employing an event study design, I find initial evidence suggesting positive impacts across all outcomes. This research highlights the potential of school turnaround policies to promote HOTS without the compromise that some scholars fear.

Author

• John Wang, University of Virginia