Using Public Accountability Data to Promote Equity in Michigan School Districts

Using Public Accountability Data to Promote Equity in Michigan School Districts PDF Author: Jennifer A. Gruber
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
School accountability is the primary method the United States public education system uses to monitor the quality of local and state education systems and promote positive educational outcomes. The current accountability system under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) grants states the autonomy to design their own policies and metrics for school and district performance. Researchers and educators have raised concerns about these accountability systems, including their approach to identifying schools and districts that need improvement, their potential harmful consequences, and their lack of attention to the structural causes of educational inequities. School is only one system-albeit an impactful, important one-within a student's social ecology. Schools with lower performance are often situated within contexts that perpetuate inequities and limit their ability to respond to the barriers their students face.Using two sources of publicly available education data that report various student-, school-, and district-level characteristics (MI School Data and Civil Rights Data Collection), I conducted an exploratory study of schools in 12 public school districts that-as of September 2021-had a partnership agreement with the Michigan Department of Education (i.e., were the focus of state-level intervention under the current Michigan school accountability system). Specifically, I used multilevel modeling to examine school- and district-level measured indicators of structural factors (e.g., school staff-to-student ratios; district finances) and student achievement (e.g., test scores) and disciplinary (e.g., suspensions) outcomes and their relations over time in schools in these 12 school districts relative to a matched comparison sample. I also incorporated an explicit focus on equity by examining the extent to which these relationships differed across student subgroups by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability status.My primary aims were to examine the extent to which: (1) partnership district schools differed from matched comparison district schools on student outcomes over time; (2) proxies for structural factors (e.g., enrollment, financial status) impacted student outcomes; and (3) partnership district schools differed from matched comparison district schools in terms of equity.℗ For my first aim, I found that partnership district schools had worse average academic outcomes than matched comparison district schools, but the differences between the schools were stable throughout the years of data included in my study. Given the stability of these differences, comprehensive school reform or community-level supports might be the best approach to address deeply rooted barriers faced by schools. For my second aim, I found that several structural factors (e.g., student mobility, the enrollment of historically marginalized students) accounted for academic outcomes over and above school accountability metrics. Given the potential consequences schools face if they do not meet the specific goals outlined in the agreements, it is important to consider how data on these structural factors could be leveraged to identify areas to best support schools or to account for factors outside of a school's control. Less clear patterns emerged for disciplinary outcomes, which might be an important area for future research and consideration. For my third aim, I was only able to examine differences across student subgroups for one outcome (math growth percentiles). I found that all student subgroups except Latine students had worse math growth percentiles in partnership district schools compared to matched comparison district schools, but few structural factors emerged as statistically significant to explain these differences. Overall, my findings suggest specific areas of promise for Michigan and other states to better align their school accountability systems with ESSA's goals of providing an equitable, holistic education.

Using Public Accountability Data to Promote Equity in Michigan School Districts

Using Public Accountability Data to Promote Equity in Michigan School Districts PDF Author: Jennifer A. Gruber
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
School accountability is the primary method the United States public education system uses to monitor the quality of local and state education systems and promote positive educational outcomes. The current accountability system under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) grants states the autonomy to design their own policies and metrics for school and district performance. Researchers and educators have raised concerns about these accountability systems, including their approach to identifying schools and districts that need improvement, their potential harmful consequences, and their lack of attention to the structural causes of educational inequities. School is only one system-albeit an impactful, important one-within a student's social ecology. Schools with lower performance are often situated within contexts that perpetuate inequities and limit their ability to respond to the barriers their students face.Using two sources of publicly available education data that report various student-, school-, and district-level characteristics (MI School Data and Civil Rights Data Collection), I conducted an exploratory study of schools in 12 public school districts that-as of September 2021-had a partnership agreement with the Michigan Department of Education (i.e., were the focus of state-level intervention under the current Michigan school accountability system). Specifically, I used multilevel modeling to examine school- and district-level measured indicators of structural factors (e.g., school staff-to-student ratios; district finances) and student achievement (e.g., test scores) and disciplinary (e.g., suspensions) outcomes and their relations over time in schools in these 12 school districts relative to a matched comparison sample. I also incorporated an explicit focus on equity by examining the extent to which these relationships differed across student subgroups by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and disability status.My primary aims were to examine the extent to which: (1) partnership district schools differed from matched comparison district schools on student outcomes over time; (2) proxies for structural factors (e.g., enrollment, financial status) impacted student outcomes; and (3) partnership district schools differed from matched comparison district schools in terms of equity.℗ For my first aim, I found that partnership district schools had worse average academic outcomes than matched comparison district schools, but the differences between the schools were stable throughout the years of data included in my study. Given the stability of these differences, comprehensive school reform or community-level supports might be the best approach to address deeply rooted barriers faced by schools. For my second aim, I found that several structural factors (e.g., student mobility, the enrollment of historically marginalized students) accounted for academic outcomes over and above school accountability metrics. Given the potential consequences schools face if they do not meet the specific goals outlined in the agreements, it is important to consider how data on these structural factors could be leveraged to identify areas to best support schools or to account for factors outside of a school's control. Less clear patterns emerged for disciplinary outcomes, which might be an important area for future research and consideration. For my third aim, I was only able to examine differences across student subgroups for one outcome (math growth percentiles). I found that all student subgroups except Latine students had worse math growth percentiles in partnership district schools compared to matched comparison district schools, but few structural factors emerged as statistically significant to explain these differences. Overall, my findings suggest specific areas of promise for Michigan and other states to better align their school accountability systems with ESSA's goals of providing an equitable, holistic education.

The Michigan Accountability Model

The Michigan Accountability Model PDF Author: Michigan. Department of Education
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational accountability
Languages : en
Pages : 16

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Book Description


The Impact of Proposal A on Two Michigan School Districts

The Impact of Proposal A on Two Michigan School Districts PDF Author: James D. Cooper
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 119

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Book Description
In 1994 the state of Michigan changed its school finance system. Over a nine-month period between July, 1993, and March, 1994, state legislators and the voters of Michigan acted to change the tax structure and address funding equity for public schools. In the fall of 1994, Michigan's public schools began operating under an entirely new set of school finance reforms. The primary focus of this research is the articulation of the effects of the 1994 Michigan school funding reform (Proposal A). The purpose of this research was to conduct a policy analysis and impact analysis of Proposal A on two Michigan school districts. The research, which is drawn from Thompson (1967) and Pfeffer & Salancik (2003), traced the relationship between environment and governance actions as it pertained to fund allocation in the K-12 Michigan school system. A case study design with a qualitative emphasis was chosen as the structure of this research. The research centered upon the formulation and instrumentation of organizational changes for two northern lower Michigan school districts, as they occurred, as well as the results of those changes. Research focused around data which consisted of interviews, observational notes, state and local documents, and other artifacts. The initial focus was upon the events leading to Proposal A and why these factors necessitated change. Those data are followed by a review of the relationship between fiscal federalism, governance, and resource dependency theory and application of those findings to data relevant to the two districts in northern Michigan. This study is unique in its narrowed focus and structural specificity.

A Michigan School Money Primer for Policymakers, School Officials, Media and Residents

A Michigan School Money Primer for Policymakers, School Officials, Media and Residents PDF Author: Ryan S. Olson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
The system that finances Michigan's schools from kindergarten through 12th grade is a perennial topic of conversation among policymakers, parents, taxpayers and voters. A constructive discussion of this issue, however, requires a sound knowledge of the financial workings of Michigan's elementary and secondary school system. This knowledge is precisely what the authors have attempted to provide. While the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has developed numerous policy recommendations over the years, this primer is exclusively informational. This primer addresses the following: (1) how revenues are raised for Michigan's elementary and secondary public school system; (2) how money is distributed to education programs and school districts once it is collected by various taxing authorities; and (3) how districts budget monies to be spent on the various activities involved in operating schools and other educational programming. This book is arranged in four sections. The first--and the shortest--is "A Brief Overview of the Structure of Michigan's Public School System," which defines a few basic terms and sketches the main local, state and federal agencies involved in financing Michigan's public school system. This overview should help readers unfamiliar with Michigan's public school structure navigate the remainder of the book. The second, third and fourth sections are considerably longer than the first and cover the three areas: tax revenues, distribution of revenues and financial management of those revenues by school districts. Appended are: (1) U.S. Department of Education Spending in Michigan; (2) Summary of "Durant" Court Decisions; and (3) Guide to a New School Finance Electronic Module. An index is included. (Contains 29 graphs, 238 footnotes, and 410 endnotes, footnotes.) [This paper was written with the assistance of Glenda Rader, Darcy Marusich, Alison Taylor, Steve Zakem, John Schwartz, Thomas Moline, Charles Pisoni, Gary Start, Paul Soma, Tim Yeadon, Mary Ann Cleary, Douglas Newcombe, Vicki Duso, Clark Volz, Howard Heideman, Paul Brown, Phil Boone, Patrick Dillon, Jayne Klein, and Dianne Easterling.].

The Improvement of Public Education in Michigan

The Improvement of Public Education in Michigan PDF Author: Michigan. Public education study commission
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 24

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Book Description


The Infrastructure of Accountability

The Infrastructure of Accountability PDF Author: Dorothea Anagnostopoulos
Publisher: Harvard Education Press
ISBN: 1612505333
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
The Infrastructure of Accountability brings together leading and emerging scholars who set forth an ambitious conceptual framework for understanding the full impact of large-scale, performance-based accountability systems on education. Over the past 20 years, schools and school systems have been utterly reshaped by the demands of test-based accountability. Interest in large-scale performance data has reached an unprecedented high point. Yet most education researchers focus primarily on questions of data quality and the effectiveness of data use. In this bold and thought-provoking volume, the contributors look beneath the surface of all this activity to uncover the hidden infrastructure that supports the production, flow, and use of data in education, and explore the impact of these large-scale information systems on American schooling. These systems, the editors note, “sit at the juncture of technical networks, work practices, knowledge production, and moral order.

Toward Equality of Educational Opportunity in Michigan Public Schools

Toward Equality of Educational Opportunity in Michigan Public Schools PDF Author: Michigan. State Board of Education
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Discrimination in education
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
Updates existing policy and establishs new guidelines for integrated education in Michigan.

Equity Warriors

Equity Warriors PDF Author: George S. Perry, Jr.
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1071851403
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description
Advance equity by learning to crack the system’s codes We must act now, using what we already know, to advance equity and raise the achievement of every student. With three decades of leading equity work across the country, George S. Perry Jr. issues a call to action for educational leaders who are willing to fight the fight for equity for all students. School and district leaders will encounter roadblocks as they enact systemic change, but Equity Warriors introduces practical, realistic, and strategic approaches for navigating those barriers. Equity Warriors equips education leaders with the moves they can make today to achieve the vision that every student becomes a high achiever by Providing real school and district examples of systemic equity efforts Demonstrating the parallel work that school and district teams must do to achieve and sustain systemic change Cracking the codes in the domains of politics, diplomacy, and warfare to achieve the equity agenda. Equity Warriors is a must read for leaders at all levels of the system who have chosen to be in this fight and are ready to do what it takes to make the system work for all students.

Assessing the Educational Data Movement

Assessing the Educational Data Movement PDF Author: Philip J. Piety
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 0807771899
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
For better or worse, many educational decisions that were once a private matter of teachers or administrators are now based on information technology. To be successful in this era, educators need to know how to use data successfully for their purposes and to understand the social forces at work. In this book, the author draws on his unique background in education policy and information systems to provide valuable insights into the education data movement. Using narratives of practice, the text discusses many current topics including value added modeling for teacher evaluation, big data and analytics, longitudinal data systems, open educational resources, and new designs for teaching.

The Myth of Accountability

The Myth of Accountability PDF Author: Claire Fontaine
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
There is an ongoing tension in the American public education system between the values of excellence, equity, and a sustained commitment to efficiency. Accountability has emerged as a framework in education reform that promises to promote and balance all three values. Yet, this frame is often contested due to disagreements over the role of incentives and penalties in achieving desirable change, and concerns that the proposed mechanisms will have significant unintended consequences that outweigh potential benefits. More fundamentally, there is widespread disagreement over how to quantify excellence and equity, if it is even possible to do so. Accountability rhetoric echoes a broader turn toward data-driven decision-making and resource allocation across sectors. As a tool of power, accountability processes shift authority and control away from professional educators and toward policymakers, bureaucrats, and test makers. The construct of accountability is predicated on several assumptions. First, it privileges quantification and statistical analysis as ways of knowing and is built on a long history of standardized testing and data collection. Second, it takes learning to be both measurable and the product of instruction, an empiricist perspective descended from John Locke and the doctrine that knowledge is derived primarily from experience. Third, it holds that schools, rather than families, neighborhoods, communities, or society at large, are fundamentally responsible for student performance. This premise lacks a solid evidentiary basis and is closely related to the ideology of meritocracy. Finally, efforts to achieve accountability presume that market-based solutions can effectively protect the interests of society's most vulnerable, another controversial assumption. The accountability movement reflects the application of free market economics to public education, a legacy of the Chicago School of Economics in the post-World War II era. As a set of policies it was instantiated in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, and reinforced by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. Teaching and learning are increasingly measured and quantified to enable analysis of the relationship between inputs (e.g., funding) and outputs (e.g., student performance). As has been true in other sectors when data-driven surveillance and assessment practices are introduced, outcomes are not always as expected. It is unclear whether this data push will promote equality of opportunity, merely document inequality, or perhaps even increase racial and socioeconomic segregation. Furthermore, little is understood about the costs of increased assessment on the health and success of students and teachers, externalities that are rarely measured or considered in the march to accountability. States will need to generate stakeholder buy-in and think carefully about the metrics they include in their accountability formulas in order to balance mandates for accountability, the benefits that accrue to students from preserving teacher autonomy and professionalism, the social good of equal opportunity, and public calls for transparency and innovation.