High school teachers are substantially less positive than elementary school teachers about recent changes, reform impact, and local school leadership¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 1995 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2000: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The average response among high schools is roughly comparable to responses among the lowest quarter of elementary schools on recent changes and reform impact. → Sebring 1995 q2 i? Even the top quarter of high schools looks like the bottom quarter of elementary schools on SIP implementation; only 37 percent of top-rated high school teachers gave positive comments about the SIP. → Sebring 1995 (2)

Evidence¶

Sebring 1995¶

Sebring, P. B., Bryk, A. S., Easton, J. Q., Luppescu, S., Thum, Y. M., Lopez, W. A., & Smith, B. (1995). Charting Reform: Chicago Teachers Take Stock. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/charting-reform-chicago-teachers-take-stock

q2 · i? · associational · r2

School-level indicators were computed by averaging teacher responses within each school and displayed in box plots comparing elementary and high schools on recent changes and reform impact. The authors call these substantial elementary-high school differences a second major finding running throughout the report.

"The average response among high schools is, however, roughly com- parable to responses among the lowest quarter of elementary schools."

Sebring 1995 (2)¶

Sebring, P. B., Bryk, A. S., Easton, J. Q., Luppescu, S., Thum, Y. M., Lopez, W. A., & Smith, B. (1995). Charting Reform: Chicago Teachers Take Stock. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/charting-reform-chicago-teachers-take-stock

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Bar graphs compared SIP assessments in the most and least positive elementary and high schools. The pattern holds for principal leadership, teacher influence, and LSC effectiveness as well; the authors conclude reform was a weaker treatment for high schools.

"Only 37 percent of these high school teachers provide positive comments about the SIP and its role in local school improvement."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Chicago teachers are far more likely to report improvements in their own work than improvements in student academic performance — related
• About three-quarters of Chicago teachers rate their principals highly on facilitating school development and inclusive leadership — related
• Teachers in the lowest achieving schools are more likely to report that reform has changed and will change their classroom practices, though differences are modest — related
• In about a third of Chicago elementary schools, expanded local democratic participation served as a strong lever for systemic change focused on improved instruction — related
• The Chicago reform study joins the politics of local control to school change through intertwined narrative and quantitative analysis — related
• School turnaround is a gradual process rather than an immediate event triggered by replacing staff or leadership — related
• Over two decades, Chicago teachers reported increasing program coherence and higher trust in their principals — reports the opposite
• An estimated 46 percent of Chicago elementary principals display inclusive leadership — related
• School size is the characteristic most related to teachers' reform and school-quality ratings, with small schools (350 students or fewer) rated most positively — related