Examining Public School Choice in LAUSD

Scott Petri CSUN ELPS 780 May 11, 2011

Requires the District to solicit new operational and instructional plans for new schools and schools that have been in Program Improvement for more than 3 years to create more schools of choice and educational options.

Research Questions: How do teachers describe their involvement on Public School Choice writing teams? What areas of difficulty do teacher-led teams navigate on their journey from writing proposals to plan implementation?

Happy Park High School

Three-track, year-round, comprehensive high school.• 4,274 Students

• 1, 312 ELLs

• 98.5% Hispanic

• 33.4% transiency rate

• 52% graduation rate

• 24% ELA Proficient

• 2009 API 568

• 2010 API 603

Research Plan

1. Observe PSC meeting

2. Document analysis

3. Qualitative Interview

Observation of Public School Choice

Plan Presentation/Advisory Vote Meeting

Teachers presented three competing plans to the school community. League of Women Voters presented Advisory Vote Procedures.

Document Analysis: Coding evaluator comments and Superintendent recommendations. Proposals and Rubrics containing 838 pages of information.

Qualitative Interview with one teacher. Ideally interview one from each writing

team.

Evaluator Comments of School Plan

HPCHS (Reform Coalition)Academy model proposed, yet no plans for each individual academy. No evidence team has thought out curriculum needs for comprehensive high school. Many elements are not well-defined. Unclear how well team understands the elements they propose. Little evidence that the plan will be successfully implemented.

Evaluator Comments of School Plan

HPCIP (Community in Partnership)Instructional plan lacks vision and depth. Includes practices and strategies already in place at the school, which are not working. Plan fails to clearly articulate a philosophy of education, instruction or assessment. Plan does not include HPHS data to justify instructional approach proposed. No evidence team engaged families in design of school. No evidence that team has capacity to improve instruction. Little evidence that the plan will be successfully implemented.

Evaluator Comments of School Plan

HPHS21 (Network of 21st Century Schools)Plan lacks specificity. Neglects how numerous programs and strategies will coalesce into one instructional program. Plan almost completely ignores students in grades 11 and 12. Assessment plan lacks rigor and is too vague. PD plan is not directly aligned to student assessment and achievement. Little evidence that the plan will be successfully implemented.

Highlights

Documents suggest that teacher-led writing teams have difficulty addressing numerous aspects of PSC plans. Evaluators provide evidence that applicant teams present incomplete plans that reinforce the status quo. •do not contain research-based reforms •do not use school site data sufficiently •do not demonstrate capacity with viable leadership models•do not engage family or community members•do not benefit all subgroups of students in the school

Superintendent Recommendations

• None of the proposals are approved.• HPHS will be placed in the 3rd Round of PSC.• HPHS will be restructured in 2012-2013.• All certificated staff will reapply for their jobs.

Positive Teacher Comments

The good things were, I think, it actually gives you an opportunity to address the instruction that’s going on in the classroom at school. And get in touch with it and start to implement some of the latest, greatest research-based methods, of which many of our instructors are out of touch with (Interview, April 29, 2011).

Negative Teacher Comments

It [PSC] tends to pit colleague against colleague and it creates division. I know this not only at our school but other schools. It creates factions, strife, tension, worry. It puts people on a rollercoaster of emotions that do not assist in keeping calm, cool attitudes with the students from day to day (Interview, April 29, 2011).

Implications

Findings indicate numerous areas of difficulty in completed PSC proposals due to inconsistency in the communication of Public School Choice policies and uneven support distributed to teacher-led writing teams. Further study should include:•Interviews with Public School Choice staff•Interviews with Principals overseeing multiple teacher-led teams•Interviews with proposal evaluators•Follow up interviews with a larger selection of teacher-led teams regarding the support they received during implementation.