A Race Against Time: The Crisis in Urban Schooling (Contemporary Studies in Social and Policy Issues in Education: The David C. Anchin Center Series)

We are in a race against time to save urban children from educational failure and to reform urban school systems before people give up on them. The authors examine the effectiveness of three reform approaches: systems reform, mayoral influence, and external state or federal intervention, using case studies from seven large cities, as well as state and national trends.The social and economic transformation of large American cities after World War II laid the seeds for the crisis in urban education that has festered and grown since the 1950s. Decades of appalling test scores and failure rates, and of unsuccessful piecemeal efforts to improve urban education, have led the public and policymakers to embrace radical solutions to reform.Three approaches to the reform of urban school governance are discussed and analyzed, using data from seven large cities (Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York), national trends, and a statewide analysis of Maryland's school accountability system. The first approach, systems reform, focuses on improving the governance of urban education by overcoming policy fragmentation through standards for student performance, student assessments, and accountability, among other things. Strong mayoral roles offer a second reform approach that largely reverses the Progressive-era reforms of the last century separating schools from city politics. Its supporters believe urban mayors can restore accountability, stability, and political support for urban schools. The third reform approach assumes that external intervention by federal or state authorities is needed to restore accountability and improve system performance. This collection of papers presents three approaches to urban educational reform. After "Introduction--Urban Education Reform: Competing Approaches" (James G. Cibulka and William Lowe Byrd), Part 1, "Systems Reforms of Urban School Systems," includes (1) "Accountability at the Improv: Brief Sketches of School Reform in Los Angeles" (Charles Taylor Kerchner and David Menefee-Libey); (2) "Philadelphia's Children Achieving Initiative: The Promise and Challenge of Systemic Reform in an Urban School District" (Jolley Bruce Christman, Tim Corcoran, Ellen Foley, and Theresa Luhm); and (3) "Balancing Autonomy and Control in the New York City Public Schools: Using the Double-ACE Model" (Bruce S. Cooper and David C. Bloomfield). Part 2, "Increasing Mayoral Influence over Urban Schools," includes (4) "Mayoral Takeover: The Different Directions Taken in Different Cities" (Michael W. Kirst and Katrina E. Bulkley); (5) "From Court Street to City Hall: Governance Change in the Boston Public Schools" (Gary Yee); (6) "Regime Change: Mayoral Takeover of the Chicago Public Schools" (Dorothy Shipps); and (7) "Implementation of an Accountability Agenda in High Schools: Integrated Governance in the Chicago Public Schools" (Kenneth K. Wong, Dorothea Anagnostopoulos, Stacey Rutledge, Laurence Lynn, and Robert Dreeben). Part 3, "External Intervention to Improve Urban School Systems," includes (8) "State and Federal Intervention to Improve Baltimore and Washington, D.C.'s Public Schools" (James G. Cibulka) and (9) "The Role of Sanctions for Improving Persistently Low-Performing Urban Schools: Early Findings of Policy Effects on Teacher Motivation in the Maryland Accountability System" (Heinrich Mintrop). Part 4, "Conclusion," offers (10) "Urban Education-Reform Strategies: Comparative Analysis and Conclusions" (James G. Cibulka and William Lowe Boyd). (Contains approximately 350 references and an index.) (SM) Introduction : Urban Education Reform : Competing Approaches / James G. Cibulka And William Lowe Boyd -- Pt. 1. Systems Reforms Of Urban School Systems. Accountability At The Improv : Brief Sketches Of School Reform In Los Angeles / Charles Taylor Kerchner And David Menefee-libey -- Philadelphia's Children Achieving Initiative : The Promise And Challenge Of Systemic Reform In An Urban School District / Jolley Bruce Christman [and Others] -- Balancing Autonomy And Control In The New York City Public Schools : Using The Double-ace Model / Bruce S. Cooper And David C. Bloomfield -- Pt. 2. Increasing Mayoral Influence Over Urban Schools. Mayoral Takeover : The Different Directions Taken In Different Cities / Michael W. Kirst And Katrina E. Bulkley -- From Court Street To City Hall : Governance Change In The Boston Public Schools / Gary Yee -- Regime Change : Mayoral Takeover Of The Chicago Public Schools / Dorothy Shipps -- Implementation Of An Accountability Agenda In High Schools : Integrated Governance In The Chicago Public Schools / Kenneth Lynn [and Others]. Pt. 3. External Intervention To Improve Urban School Systems. State And Federal Intervention To Improve Baltimore And Washington, D.c.'s Public Schools / James G. Cibulka -- The Role Of Sanctions For Improving Persistently Low-performing Urban Schools : Early Findings Of Policy Effects On Teacher Motivation In The Maryland Accountability System / Heinrich Mintrop -- Pt. 4. Conclusion : Urban Education-reform Strategies : Comparative Analysis And Conclusions / James G. Cibulka And William Lowe Boyd. Edited By James G. Cibulka And William Lowe Boyd. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [225]-237) And Index. The social and economic transformation of large American cities after World War II laid the seeds for the crisis in urban education that has festered and grown since the 1950s. Decades of appalling test scores and failure rates, and of unsuccessful piecemeal efforts to improve urban education, have led the public and policymakers to embrace radical solutions to reform. Three approaches to the reform of urban school governance are discussed and analyzed, using data from seven large cities (Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and New York), national trends, a FROM THE JESTER IN THE COURT of Henry VIII to Robin Williams in a night-club, entertainers have turned situational spontaneity into an art form.