The Pursuit of College for All: Ends and Means in "No Excuses" Charter Schools

Autor/inn/en	Lamboy, Lily; Lu, Amanda
Titel	The Pursuit of College for All: Ends and Means in "No Excuses" Charter Schools
Quelle	In: Theory and Research in Education, 15 (2017) 2, S.202-229 (28 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1477-8785
DOI	10.1177/1477878517716443
Schlagwörter	Charter Schools; Achievement Gap; At Risk Students; Low Income Groups; Minority Group Students; Socioeconomic Influences; Access to Education; College Attendance; Graduation; Intervention; Program Effectiveness; Standardized Tests; Urban Schools; Program Evaluation; Teaching Methods; Success; Discipline; Teacher Behavior; College Readiness; Educational Quality + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Charter school; Charter-Schule; Sozioökonomischer Faktor; Education; Access; Bildung; Zugang; Bildungszugang; College; Colleges; Attendance; Hochschule; Fachhochschule; Anwesenheit; Abschluss; Graduierung; Standadised tests; Standardisierter Test; Urban area; Urban areas; School; Schools; Stadtregion; Stadt; Schule; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Erfolg; Disziplin; Teacher behaviour; Lehrerverhalten; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität
Abstract	In recent years, "No Excuses" charter schools have been hailed as a promising solution to closing the "achievement gap" between low-income students of color and their high-income White peers. These schools, which have the explicit goal of college completion for all, measure success in terms of standardized test performance and college acceptance rates. Schools use rigid instructional and disciplinary practices to achieve success along these dimensions. And they are broadly successful, boasting test scores and college acceptance rates that are higher than average for the students they serve. For this reason, No Excuses schools are proliferating rapidly, dominating the educational landscape in low-income minority-serving urban districts. In this article, we argue that a focus on these standardized test performance and college acceptance drives schools to participate in practices that may impede other essential aspects of student learning and development. We outline a research agenda for social scientists, philosophers, and policymakers interested in evaluating the holistic success of these schools. We focus on four key components: the goal of college-for-all itself and its effects on student outcomes, instructional practices geared toward success on standardized exams, disciplinary practices that demand rigid physical and psychological conformity and punish minor infractions, and teacher practices that traumatize students and/or fail to meet the needs of students who encounter significant trauma in their homes and neighborhoods. We conclude that more information is needed before reformers can embrace No Excuses schools as a mechanism for eradicating inequality and promoting educational and psychosocial growth for students in poor communities of color. This research agenda is urgent as No Excuses charter networks are growing rapidly, and we urge policymakers and social scientists to take this task seriously before continuing to charter these schools wholesale. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01