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Clearinghouse on Educational Policy and Management
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| College of Education · University of Oregon |
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Trends and Issues: School Choice
Equity Issues
Journal ArticlesEJ646581 UD523714Does Choice Lead to Racially Distinctive Schools? Charter Schools and Household Preferences. Author: Weiher, Gregory R.; Tedin, Kent L. Availability: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Journals, 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158-0012. Tel: 212-850-6000; Fax: 212-850-6088; Web site: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com. Journal Citation: Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, v21 n1 p79-92 2002 Publication Date: 2002 ISSN: 0276-8739 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: CIJSEP2002 Abstract: Analyzed the responses of Texas charter school households about school choice, comparing expressed preferences and actual behaviors. Results indicated that race was a good predictor of the choice that households made. Whites, Blacks, and Latinos transferred into charter schools where their groups comprised 11-14 percentage points more of the student body than the traditional public schools they were leaving. (SM) Descriptors: Blacks; *Charter Schools; Decision Making; Elementary Secondary Education; Hispanic Americans; *Racial Factors Identifiers: Texas EJ637912 RC515033 Telpochcalli Irma Guerra, La Escuela Preparatoria Progresiva. Author: Aleman, Narciso L. Availability: For full text: http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/2001w/index.html. Journal Citation: Mid-Western Educational Researcher, v14 n4 p22-27 Fall 2001 Publication Date: 2001 ISSN: 1056-3997 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2002 Abstract: Examines the educational foundations of a proposed two-way bilingual/bicultural charter school for adolescent Latino parents in Milwaukee (Wisconsin). Discusses teenage pregnancy in the two contexts of Hispanic cultural values and educational alternatives available to teen parents in Milwaukee; the school-community partnership; and arguments for culturally relevant, bilingual education. (Contains 19 references.) (SV) Descriptors: Bilingual Education; *Bilingual Schools; *Charter Schools; Cultural Context; *Culturally Relevant Education; *Early Parenthood; *Hispanic American Students; Nontraditional Education; School Community Relationship; Secondary Education Identifiers: *Two Way Bilingual Education; Wisconsin (Milwaukee) Descriptive Terms: Theme issue exploring political and pedagogical arguments in the field of bilingual education. EJ637894 RC515015 Left Behind: Are Public Schools Failing Indian Kids? Author: Tirado, Michelle Availability: American Indian Report; 3702 Pender Drive, Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030; Tel: 800-992-4489; email: circulation@americanindianreport.com (annual subscription $49.95, single copy $5.95). Journal Citation: American Indian Report, v17 n9 p12-15 Sep 2001 Publication Date: 2001 ISSN: 0894-4040 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJMAY2002 Abstract: American Indian children have the poorest academic performance among public school students. Reasons include poverty, racism, cultural incompatibility, low teacher expectations, high student mobility, lack of American Indian teachers, communication and learning differences, and cultural bias in standardized tests. New Mexico initiatives to improve the situation include family literacy programs, full-day kindergarten, charter schools, and Native teacher recruitment. (TD) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *American Indian Education; *Charter Schools; Culturally Relevant Education; *Educational Needs; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; *Public Schools; Racial Discrimination; Social Bias; Standardized Tests; Teacher Education; Test Bias; Underachievement Identifiers: American Indian Students EJ628852 UD523023 Consumerism and Gender in an Era of School Choice: A Look at US Charter Schools. Author: Stambach, Amy Availability: Journal Citation: Gender and Education, v13 n2 p199-216 Jun 2001 Publication Date: 2001 ISSN: 0954-0253 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJDEC2001 Abstract: Investigated gendered dimensions of parental involvement in charter schools, analyzing how parent-teacher interactions were reframed in the context of school choice. Overall, in a context where parents must both produce and consume new educational programs, parents involved in ongoing charter schools may be seen as stepping out of their roles as consumers and caregivers. (SM) Descriptors: *Charter Schools; Elementary Secondary Education; *Gender Issues; Mothers; Parent Participation; Parent Role; *School Choice Identifiers: *Consumerism EJ600593 UD522016 Equality by Design; Three Charter Schools Try New Approaches to Integration. Author: Bennett, Lisa Availability: Journal Citation: Teaching Tolerance, n17 p42-49 Spr 2000 Publication Date: 2000 ISSN: 1066-2847 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJJUL2000 Abstract: Describes the new approaches to integration taken by three urban charter schools. Although the models used by these schools differed, all were committed to high expectations for all students and a high level of support from the school, bolstered by community involvement. (SLD) Descriptors: *Charter Schools; Community Involvement; *Educational Change; *Equal Education; Minority Groups; *School Desegregation; Teacher Expectations of Students; *Urban Schools Identifiers: Reform Efforts EJ591933 RC513420 Education Innovation: Indian Alternative Schools on the Rise. Author: Capozza, Koren L. Availability: American Indian Report, 3702 Pender Dr., Suite 300, Fairfax, VA 22030; (800) 992-4489 (1-year subscription: U.S. $49.95, Canadian $64.95; single issues, $5.95 each). Journal Citation: American Indian Report, v15 n7 p24-25 Jul 1999 Publication Date: 1999 ISSN: 0894-4040 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Descriptive (141) Journal Announcement: CIJMAR2000 Abstract: Across the country, tribal people are addressing the failure of mainstream educational methods by creating independent schools run by and for American Indians. Native-American charter schools, tribally controlled reservation schools, and magnet schools serving urban Indian youth use culturally relevant materials and curriculum to engage Indian students in the learning process. (SV) Descriptors: *American Indian Education; American Indians; *Charter Schools; Cultural Maintenance; *Culturally Relevant Education; Elementary Secondary Education; *Magnet Schools; *Nontraditional Education; Tribally Controlled Education EJ585200 CE534574 Charter Schools as Postmodern Paradox: Rethinking Social Stratification in an Age of Deregulated School Choice. Author: Wells, Amy Stuart; Lopez, Alejandra; Scott, Janelle; Holme, Jennifer Jellison Availability: Journal Citation: Harvard Educational Review, v69 n2 p172-204 Sum 1999 Publication Date: 1999 ISSN: 0017-8055 Language: English Document Type: Journal articles (080); Reports--Research (143) Journal Announcement: CIJDEC1999 Abstract: This study of the rise of charter schools focuses on understanding how modern identities and postmodern ideologies converge and whom charter school reform benefits. It identifies the potential for greater inequality when people in different social locations define localized social movements. (SK) Descriptors: *Charter Schools; Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; Equal Education; *School Choice; *Social Stratification Identifiers: Postmodernism DocumentsED452606 EA030997How Equal Is Access to Charter Schools? Author: Ausbrooks, Carrie Y. Barron Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. Publication Date: April 12, 2001 Language: English Pages: 59 Document Type: Information Analysis (070); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEOCT2001 Abstract: Although charter schools are rapidly becoming an integral part of the public-school landscape, much remains unknown about them. This paper reports on the findings of a descriptive-research study that comprised an analysis of U.S. charter-school statutes. The focus of the investigation was on equity in the areas of student recruitment, admission and enrollment, transportation, and information dissemination. Research was guided by seven questions that addressed the extent to which charter-school statutes foster equality of student access to their schools. Each state's charter-school statute was examined to determine the extent to which it included specific provisions with regard to: (1) providing access to underrepresented student groups; (2) admission policy guidelines or requirements; (3) geographic boundary requirements; (4) denial of student requests for admission; (5) provisions for when enrollment exceeds capacity; (6) student transportation policy guidelines or requirements; and (7) policy guidelines or requirements for dissemination of charter-school information. The findings suggest that states' statutes do an adequate job of ensuring that underrepresented groups have access to charter schools and that students' civil rights are not violated by charter schools. Virtually all, save 2, of the 36 statutes reviewed contained some provision with regard to ensuring that underrepresented groups (the economically disadvantaged, minority, and special-need students) have the same access as other students to charter schools. (Contains 11 references.) (DFR) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Admission Criteria; *Charter Schools; *Curriculum Development; Educational Change; Educational Legislation; Elementary Secondary Education; *Enrollment; *Equal Education; Family Involvement; Family School Relationship; Financial Support; Governance; Public Schools; *Student Recruitment Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001). Geographic Source: U.S.; Texas ED451267 UD034038 Charter School Equity Issues: Focus on Minority and At-Risk Students. Policy Brief. Author: Peebles, Lucretia Institutional Author: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, Aurora, CO.(BBB35978) Availability: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, 2550 South Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014-1678. Tel: 303-337-0990; Fax: 303-337-3005; Web site: http://www.mcrel.org. Sponsoring Agency: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. (EDD00036) Publication Date: November 2000 Language: English Pages: 10 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEAUG2001 Abstract: This report examines equity issues at charter schools serving predominantly minority or at-risk students. Increasing charter school enrollments of such students indicates the popularity of this choice for disadvantaged populations. Overall, charter schools enroll larger percentages of minority students than public schools. Advocates note that charter schools can revitalize deteriorating public schools and provide choice to disadvantaged families. Charter schools are generally smaller, are newly created, have a distinct curricular focus, and offer personalized learning environments. They value teacher empowerment, professional fulfillment, and innovation. Critics claim, however, that students most at risk of academic failure are being placed in untested, unregulated schools and that choice has created more deeply segregated schools than the schools from which students exited. Policymakers must create safeguards regarding charter school curriculum, recruitment, and admissions. Some states hesitate to implement charter school reform because of concerns for the lack of definitive research demonstrating effectiveness, possibilities of racial segregation, academic quality of specialized schools, and syphoning academically stronger students and students from higher socioeconomic levels. Though charter schools often enroll large numbers of underserved students, they have become more segregated than traditional schools. Some states have laws about diversity in charter school enrollment. Policymakers must be aware of culturally biased recruitment strategies. They must review the quality of charter school curricula, monitor student enrollment, and ensure that all students understand their range of options. (Contains 26 references.) (SM) Descriptors: Accountability; Admission (School); *Charter Schools; Elementary Secondary Education; Enrollment Trends; *Equal Education; *High Risk Students; *Minority Group Children; Racial Segregation; *School Choice; Student Recruitment Target Audience: Policymakers Contract Number: RJ96006101 Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado ED445414 EA030637 The U.S. Charter School Movement and Ethnic Segregation. Author: Cobb, Casey D.; Glass, Gene V.; Crockett, Carol Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: April 2000 Language: English Pages: 28 Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEMAR2001 Abstract: Among the major concerns surrounding school-choice programs is their potential to stratify students along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class. The latest among four U.S. Department of Education national evaluations of charter schools reports no evidence that charter schools are predominantly white or that they segregate students. Such statements may serve to misrepresent charter schools and their potential to ethnically and racially stratify students. There is an overreliance on aggregate data to answer the question whether ethnic separation occurs between schools; and in addition, such statements overgeneralize the circumstances of charter schools, which operate under varying conditions often as a result of differing state laws and regulations. This paper presents evidence of ethnic/racial stratification among charter schools in Arizona, California, and Michigan. These three states currently enroll over half of all charter school students in the United States and contain nearly half of the nation's charter schools. The conclusions drawn rest primarily upon findings from three statewide studies. Comparisons among proximal charter and traditional public schools in Arizona, Michigan, and California suggest that a significant number of charter schools are disproportionately more white by about 15 to 20 percent on average. Moreover, certain state charter policies appear to permit such sorting. The evidence presented runs counter to some of the claims intimated by highly regarded national evaluations of charter schools. (Contains 29 references, 3 figures, and 2 tables.) (Author/MLF) Descriptors: Access to Education; Black Students; *Charter Schools; Elementary Secondary Education; Enrollment Trends; *Ethnic Bias; Minority Groups; Public Schools; *Racial Bias; Research Problems; *School Choice; School Demography; *Socioeconomic Status; State Standards; White Students Identifiers: Arizona; California; Michigan; *Stratification Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, Louisiana, April 24-28, 2000). Geographic Source: U.S.; Arizona ED444254 EA030574 Texas: Charter Schools and the Struggle for Equity. Author: Fusarelli, Lance D. Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Publication Date: April 25, 2000 Language: English Pages: 35 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEFEB2001 Abstract: This paper examines how the Texas charter-school law is being implemented, with particular attention paid to issues of equity and social justice. It focuses on the demographic composition of students and staff in Texas' charter schools, provisions for oversight and accountability, early indices of student performance, ongoing controversies, analyses of trends, and recommendations for ensuring equity in charter schools. Compared with their overall enrollment in public schools, African-American and Hispanic students are over-represented in charter schools, while their Anglo counterparts are underrepresented. In addition, charter schools serve fewer numbers of special-education and limited-English-proficient (LEP) students than public schools statewide. This raises serious questions of equity and social justice, particularly insofar as children labeled as "special ed" or LEP are considered by many educators to be the children most difficult to educate. Another equity area concerns the subject of staffing and governance. Tables present student demographics and percentage passing the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills for charter schools and public schools. An appendix contains a summary of key provisions of Texas' Charter School Law. (Contains 38 references.) (DFR) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *Accountability; *Charter Schools; *Demography; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; *Justice; Public Schools; State Boards of Education; Teacher Characteristics Identifiers: *Texas Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (New Orleans, Louisiana, April 24-28, 2000). Supported by a Faculty Research Grant, Fordham University. Geographic Source: U.S.; New York ED443896 UD033620 An Examination of Charter School Equity. Author: Ascher, Carol; Wamba, Nathalis Institutional Author: New York Univ., NY. Inst. for Education and Social Policy.(BBB33307) Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. Sponsoring Agency: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD. (BBB32721)@; Carnegie Corp. of New York, NY. (QPX12280)@; Rockefeller Foundation, New York, NY. (BBB00165) Publication Date: May 22, 2000 Language: English Pages: 55 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142); Speeches/meeting papers (150) Journal Announcement: RIEJAN2001 Abstract: Issues related to educational equity and charter schools are discussed, and evidence is presented from a national study of equity in charter schools. Three standards of equity are discussed, and the equity provisions of state charter legislation are reviewed. To supplement existing studies of charter school demography, researchers at New York University's Institute for Education and Social Policy began to collect demographic data on charter schools. The database for this study included 801 charter schools. Data from these schools indicate that 70% of all charter schools are not distinct from their surrounding districts in the percentage of white students. In 31% of all charter schools, more than two-thirds of students are students of color, and only 47% of these schools are indistinct from their district averages. Overall, data suggest that charter schools may be proliferating at both the low and high ends of the race/ethnicity and affluence/poverty continuums. Data from this study cannot show that charter schools are exacerbating racial isolation or creating more isolation by social class, but some state-level case studies suggest that this is the case. Fieldwork suggests that some charter schools may well have developed educational programs that draw a range of students, and some may be providing high quality educational opportunities to low income students of color. However, state studies suggest that charter schools serving low-income children of color are less likely to provide an academic curriculum and are generally not as rich in resources as charter schools serving white, middle-class students. Some equity issues, particularly those associated with outcomes of education, remain unresolved for charter schools. (Contains 4 figures, 1 table, and 52 references.) (SLD) Descriptors: Academic Standards; *Charter Schools; Demography; *Disadvantaged Youth; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; *Racial Composition; *School Choice; Student Characteristics; Urban Schools Descriptive Terms: Paper presented at a conference on "School Choice and Racial Diversity" (New York, NY, May 22, 2000). Geographic Source: U.S.; New York ED437459 UD033248 Charter Schools and the Compromise of Equity: An Evaluation of Colorado's Charter School Legislation. Author: Berv, Jason Availability: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Publication Date: May 1998 Language: English Pages: 16 Document Type: Reports--Evaluative (142) Journal Announcement: RIEJUN2000 Abstract: The charter school legislation in Colorado and its implementation are reviewed and analyzed. As of September 1997, there were 50 charter schools in Colorado, enrolling more than 11,000 students. Evaluation of these schools shows some strengths and weaknesses of the charter school system as it is operating in Colorado. The state's Charter School Act is strong in its theoretical provisions for adequacy, accountability, and autonomy, but as implemented, the program's emphasis has been on accountability. Colorado consistently fails to attend to concerns of equity in the implementation of its charter school laws. Political self-interest in the charter schools debate has yielded legislative compromise at the expense of low-income neighborhoods. The financial hurdles in opening a charter school have the potential to act as insurmountable obstacles for charter-seeking groups from low-income communities. Funding solutions for start-up activities are necessary to begin to address equity issues in the Colorado charter schools. (Contains 12 references.) (SLD) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Charter Schools; Educational Change; *Educational Finance; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; School Choice; *State Legislation Identifiers: *Colorado; Reform Efforts Geographic Source: U.S.; Colorado ED426501 EA029607 Meeting the Equity Challenge in Public Charter Schools. Revised Edition. Author: O'Rourke, Michael; Briggs, Marnie; Warren-Sams, Barbara Institutional Author: Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR. Equity Center.(BBB35364) Availability: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Document Reproduction Service, 101 SW Main Street, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97204-3297; Tel: 800-547-6339 (Toll Free); e-mail: products@nwrel.org ($8.80 includes 4th-class shipping; $1.50 per item for 1st-class postage; one free copy to school districts within the Center's service area). Sponsoring Agency: Department of Education, Washington, DC. (EDD00001) Publication Date: October 1998 Language: English Pages: 46 Document Type: Guides--Non-classroom (055) Journal Announcement: RIEJUN1999 Abstract: This text describes ways to increase awareness of the equity issues embedded in operating a charter school. The guide discusses seven specific equity challenges facing charter schools, examines key equity issues confronting all schools and the strategies to address them, provides a summary of relevant equity legislation, and includes a selection of basic resources. The seven key challenges for equity are the impact on public school districts, selection of students, family involvement, funding, accountability, teacher certification, and special education. Equitable practices are highlighted, and some of the components and strategies of equality are addressed: access, instructional materials, attitudes, language, interactions, learning and teaching styles, confronting bias and stereotypes in the classroom, tracking and ability grouping, family involvement, respect for diversity, and professional development, are addressed. Ways to assess progress in each of these practices are outlined. Since equity is embedded in many federal civil-rights laws affecting education, some of these laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Goals 2000, are covered. (Contains organizational resources and 57 references.) (RJM) Descriptors: Access to Education; *Charter Schools; Civil Rights Legislation; Educational Change; Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal Education; Nondiscriminatory Education; Public Education Contract Number: SOO4D60006 Geographic Source: U.S.; Oregon |