Implementation and Performance in New American Schools: Three Years into Scale Up

by Mark Berends, Sheila Nataraj Kirby, Scott Naftel, Christopher McKelvey

Overview

New American Schools (NAS) was established in July 1991, as a private, non-profit corporation funding school reform at the elementary and secondary levels. RAND, in its ongoing role as evaluator of the NAS initiative, has conducted a wide range of studies in an effort to better understand the effects of NAS reform efforts on student outcomes. This book provides a detailed analysis of school and district progress toward adopting NAS designs, including demographic descriptors, survey results and performance outcomes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780833029027
Publisher:	RAND Corporation
Publication date:	03/20/2001
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.42(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	iii
	Figures	xi
	Tables	xv
	Summary	xvii
	Acknowledgments	xxiii
Chapter 1	A Brief History of New American Schools and Rand's Role in Monitoring the Effort	1
	History of NAS and RAND's Role	3
	Research Questions Underlying RAND'S Overall Evaluation	7
	Significant Features of RAND Research	8
	Purpose of Current Report	9
	Organization of the Report	10
Chapter 2	Analyzing Implementation and Performance in Nas Schools: A Conceptual Framework	11
	Core Elements of Designs	11
	Factors Affecting Implementation	15
	External Assistance by Design Teams	16
	Teacher Background	18
	School Characteristics	19
	District Factors	20
	Other Factors	22
	Implementation and Performance	23
Chapter 3	Rand's Sample of New American Schools	25
	A Sample of New American Schools	25
	Historical Context of Sample	26
	Toward the Final Analysis Sample	27
	Teacher Sample	32
	Overview of NAS Schools in Analysis Sample	33
Chapter 4	Status of Implementation	37
	Research Questions	37
	Measuring Implementation Within and Across Designs	38
	Implementation Indices	41
	Core Implementation Index	42
	Change in Implementation over Time and by Number of Years of Implementation	45
	Design Team-Specific Implementation Index	49
	Changes in Implementation Between 1997 and 1998	52
	Summary	54
	Differences Across Jurisdictions	54
	Differences Across Design Teams	55
	Differences by Years Implementing	58
Chapter 5	Factors Affecting Implementation	59
	Operationalizing the Variables Affecting Implementation	60
	Teacher Background Characteristics	60
	School Characteristics	61
	Designs and Design Team Assistance	62
	District Support	64
	Variation in Implementation: MultiLevel Analysis	64
	The Analysis Sample	66
	Variance Components of the Dependent Variable	69
	Multivariate Results	70
	Teacher-Level Effects	71
	School-Level Effects	74
	Goodness of Fit	76
	Summary	77
Chapter 6	Performance Trends in Nas Schools	79
	Monitoring Academic Progress with School-Level Test Scores	80
	Comparing NAS Schools to District Averages: Setting Expectations	83
	Sample of NAS Schools for Performance Trend Analyses	83
	Performance Trends in Cincinnati	83
	Grades 3-5 Combined	85
	Grade 7	87
	Summary for Cincinnati	88
	Performance Trends in Dade	90
	Grade 5	91
	Grade 8	92
	Grade 9	92
	Summary for Dade	95
	Performance Trends in Kentucky	96
	Grades 4-5	97
	Grades 7-8	100
	Grade 11	101
	Summary for Kentucky	103
	Performance Trends in Memphis	104
	Grades 3-5	105
	Grades 7-8	106
	Summary for Memphis	109
	Performance Trends in Philadelphia	110
	Grade 4	110
	Grade 8	111
	Grade 11	111
	Summary for Philadelphia	113
	Performance Trends in San Antonio	113
	Grades 4-5	115
	Grade 8	117
	Grade 10	117
	Summary for San Antonio	120
	Performance Trends in Washington	120
	Grade 4	121
	Grade 8	123
	Grade 11	125
	Summary for Washington	125
	The Link Between Implementation and Performance	127
	Summary	129
	Differences in School Performance by Jurisdiction	129
	Differences in School Performance by Design Team	131
Chapter 7	Qualitative Outcome Indicators	133
	Teacher-Reported Effects on Professional Development, Teaching, and Student Achievement	134
	Modeling Teacher-Reported Effects of Designs on Student Achievement	138
	Teacher Level Effects	138
	Design-Related Variables	140
	School-Level Variables	140
	Goodness of Fit	140
	Summary	141
Chapter 8	Conclusions and Policy Implications	143
	Implementation of NAS Designs Varies for Several Reasons	143
	Teachers' Perceptions Matter	144
	School Characteristics: Importance of Size, Level, and Leadership	144
	Design Teams: Importance of Clear Communication and Teacher Support	145
	District Support Is Critical	146
	Appropriate Allocation of Critical Resources	148
	"Schoolwide" Reform?	149
	Early Performance Trends	150
	Setting Expectations for Comprehensive School Reform	151
	Appendix
A.	Key Studies in Rand's Evaluation of Nas School Reform	155
B.	Description of Additional Implementation Indicators of the Designs, By Jurisdiction and Design Team, 1997 and 1998	161
C.	Models of Performance Expectations, Instructional Strategies, and Professional Development and Implementation Indices	185
D.	Description of Standardized Tests Used By Various Jurisdictions	189
E.	Graphs for Reading Scores for Nas Schools in Everett, Northshore, and Shoreline Districts in Washington	197
F.	Rand Principal and Teacher Questionnaires	203
	References	245

Editorial Reviews

...good resource for policy discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of whole school reform and timely for current political discussions.

Choice

RAND associates overview the first three years of a whole-school reform project launched in 1991 by the New American Schools.

Reference & Research Book News

RAND associates overview the first three years of a whole-school reform project launched in 1991 by the nonprofit New American Schools. Includes studies used in RAND's evaluation of the project and methodological notes. Lacks an index. The CiP lists the last ISBN digit as "X," while the back cover reads "9." Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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