What would it take to align a school district and outside partners in a citywide ?smart education system? that would reach the elusive goal of providing sustainable, high-quality education at scale? Drawing on lessons from four cities, the articles in this issue of VUE examine the challenges of achieving equity and scale; human capital development; cross-sector partnerships; community organizing strategies that combine collaboration and pressure; and data-informed decision-making.
Recent Publications
The quality of teachers and instruction has been the subject of an increasing volume of new studies, policy reports, government programs, and philanthropic initiatives in recent years. This attention to the heart of our public system education system is welcome. But most of the focus has been on the individual teacher. The authors of the latest issue of Voices in Urban Education, “...
“Leading indicators” in education — as in economics — can provide early signs of progress toward academic achievement and help education leaders make informed decisions to improve student learning — before the test results come in. The Leading Indicator Spotlight series of research briefs is designed to accompany the research report Beyond Test Scores: Leading Indicators for Education...
VUE has played a key role in developing the concept of “smart education systems” – high-functioning school districts linked to civic and community partners to provide a comprehensive web of supports for children and families. Through dialogue among divergent viewpoints, a picture has emerged of what this might look like.
Educators and community leaders recognize that districts must play a vital role to ensure results and equity for all students. But to play this role effectively, districts must be redesigned. The current structure and operations in most communities are inadequate. This issue of Voices in Urban Education examines district redesign from a range of perspectives.
This report shares findings from a six-year research study on the impact of the two organizations’ education organizing on increased educational opportunities for students in the Northwest Bronx. In 1996, a small group of public school parents in the Bronx, New York, launched what became a ten-year struggle to improve overcrowded schools and aging school facilities in their community. The Northwest Bronx Community and...
The Rhode Island Urban Education Task Force was created in January 2008 by Governor Donald L. Carcieri. He named Warren Simmons, executive director of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University as chair. The goal was to develop a statewide response to the challenges of raising student achievement in the state’s urban core public school districts. The final report of the Urban Education Task Force proposes recommendations and action steps in seven areas: pre-...
Postsecondary education is increasingly necessary to prepare young people to reach their full potentials as adults. Although New York City’s public schools are graduating more students and more of them are going on to college, high rates of remedial course-taking and low graduation rates indicate a need to improve academic preparation, enhance college access services, promote more effective transitions into college and provide more supportive environments in postsecondary institutions....
This report shares findings from a six-year research study on the impact of EPOP’s and YUC’s education organizing on district policy, increased school capacity, and improved student outcomes. EPOP’s and YUC’s education campaigns succeeded in keeping the voices of parents and students at the forefront of reform. School campaigns pushed district officials to respond to concrete and immediate needs: old facilities, violence...
Educational leadership is second only to teacher quality in its impact on student achievement. But research suggests that a new concept of leadership – one that sees leadership as distributed across a school system and community partners, rather than limited to individual, formal leaders – is better suited to today’s educational context. To develop this approach, leaders – all of them – need a new set of skills. This issue of Voices in Urban Education...