Are there Differences in Accountability among Public School and Charter School Principles and do those Differences Influence Academic Outcomes?
Table of Contents
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Write My Essay For MeStatement of the Problem 3
Significance of the Study 3
Background of the Study 5
Framework 6
Research Question 6
Nature of Study 6
Possible Types and Sources of Information or Data 7
Comparison of Public Schools and Chartered Schools 7
References 12
Statement of the Problem
Existing knowledge base contends that the traditional public schools encounter various accountabilities issues instituted by both the federal and state policies. It is important to establish where the accountability issues are uniform or heterogeneous in structure so as to validate reasons for different results obtained in the schools. Accountabilities issue range from teacher leadership, student discipline, and balancing budgets. Even though there exists literature relating to accountability in charter public schools and traditional public schools, it is significant to note that still, within these entities, there is a gap in the literature that provides an in-depth comparison of the similarities and differences of the charter and public schools. The specific gap that exists in the literature in regard to charter public school can most likely be accredited to the reason that the legislation for charter schools within the country has only been circulating for approximately 20 years.
In order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the existing accountability differences within state and federal policies and how such impact on the performance of public and charter schools a comparison of the same is required. During the process of scrutinizing the accountability issues in schools, it is significant that the principals’ perceptions, professional backgrounds, decision making responsibilities, working conditions and demographics be explored so as to precisely unearth the parallels between the two scenarios.
Significance of the Study
The purpose of this qualitative case study will be to discover any existing accountability differences within federal and state policies and how the policies impact the general academic performance of both the charter and public school. This study is important for the reasons of fostering accountability within the United States and specifically in regard to public education. It is right to state that the enactment of the No Child Left Behind legislation in 2001 placed more pressure on the need for accountability that was to be ensured by the developing principals with equal capabilities. Before any critique is undertaken, it is significant to consider the respective platforms on which charter schools and traditional public schools operate. This comparison is crucial because some systems of schooling are perceived to be operating on more favorable grounds than others. Societies are always ready to illuminate public spotlight on the leadership of schools, especially pertaining to the roles played by the principals, when the test results of their schools are issued. For the majority of stakeholders, stiff penalties are normally prescribed in case their schools underperform or achieve grades below expectations. It is always wise to recall that current principals always have less time at their disposal when it comes to professional development and preparations to equip them for their roles.
This research involves the examination of variable sets in order to establish a comprehensive scrutiny of features found between charter public schools and traditional public schools. In order to attain this goal, an analysis of professional background, principal perceptions, working conditions, demographics and decision making data exhibits a superior comprehension of the two systems and thus contributes to the basic school leadership knowledge. The outcomes as well as the deductions of the research avail information that is critical to comprehend fundamentals of effectual leadership of the schools for the participants within different phases, as from K-12 system through higher education and even development of policy both at the federal, state and local levels as the educational leadership sector continues to renovate.
Background of the Study
What follows are a list of findings that support the main contentions of this proposed study.
1. Buckley & Schneider (2009) delivers the grounds for understanding charter schools in a comprehensive manner. They explain the hype and hope that surrounds this system of school.
2. Chavous (2004) examines both charter schools and the reform of American public education in an attempt to find out how best the children can be served.
3. Fabricant & Fine (2012) examined how the public education had been renovated and renewed through charter schools in action.
4. Finn, Manno, & Vanourek, (2000) examines the charter schools as well as the accountability within public education.
5. Hill, Lake, & Celio (2002) surveys the linkage that exists traditional public schools and the charter public schools in addition to the accountability issues that affect the academic performance of both.
6. Miron & Nelson (2002) examined what is public about charter schools and also critically analyses lessons learned in regards to choice and accountability.
7. Willey & University of Wyoming (2006) examined variables related to the innovation in the educational sector. Through this study the authors were able to critically look into the opinion leadership in the adoption of charter school.
8. Alexander & Alexander (2012) studied the accountabilities issues associated with the American public school law. The authors established that there exists diverse accountability issues and they in a way have impact on the academic performance. They lightly exhibit that charter schools and public schools operate on different policies provided by both the federal and state authorities thus reason for dissimilar performance in academics.
Framework
The study is a qualitative case study of the accountabilities differences within charter and public schools and how such have impacted the academic performance. The configuration of the conceptual framework will be constructed by identifying the general theories of traditional public schools and charter public schools. The outline of the general models of the respective system brings about a strong comprehension of the general operational and organizational settings, in which each of the principals operate in given systems. The general models of traditional public schools and charter schools will be indicated and backed throughout the literature review. A significant appraisal of the federal and state policies will makes it possible to compare the respective accountabilities each system of school operate in and subsequently the effects of such on the academic performance.
Research Question
RQ: Are there any existing accountability differences within federal and state policies and how do the policies impact the general academic performance of both the charter and public school?
Nature of Study
The proposed research is intending to utilize a qualitative case study approach as the main research methodology. This is a technique that will attempt to illuminate light on the research question in a sufficient way. It will enable the participant understand the various differences in accountability in relation to public and charter schools and how that affects the performance of the same. This approach has the quality and the capacity to unearth unanswered questions in regard to the research question. The use of qualitative research strategy will be implemented for this study due to its characteristic of using words, stories, interpretations and observations to explain a condition (Kahlenberg & Potter, 2014). This proposed research intends to apply qualitative research because of its flexibility of use and also its ability to allow the researcher to express his ideas and thoughts in the context of the research.
Possible Types and Sources of Information or Data
It will be possible to collect data from different sources for different reasons. Based on the content of information, the data collected will be used for a number of purposes; it will be necessary to have the knowledge of where to derive the data that will be important for the proposed study.
Some of the significant sources of information that will be beneficial for the proposed study will include:
1. Interviews
2. Archival Records
3. Department of Education School Report Card
4. Documents
5. Federal and State Databases
6. Questionnaires
Comparison of Public Schools and Chartered Schools
At this point it is only wise to compare and contrast distinguishing principles between charter schools and the public school. This can only be made a reality through analysis of the existing accountability differences within federal and state policies and how academic performance is impacted by the same. However before that is done, it is equally significant to define them first (Nehring, 2002). Based on clear definitions, it will be possible to make verdict on the influence of operating on such different principles.
A charter school refers to a public school which has been provided with a charter which exempts it from the rules and regulations used at both the local level as well as the state level (Chavous, 2004). Such provision expands both to the newly established school or otherwise may have initially been assumed for a private or a regular school.
Public school refers to educational institution that, while having an assigned principal, obtains its primary support through public financing. Therefore, public school delivers free secondary and public elementary schooling, and its operation is carried out through a contracted program of education or even a local education agency (Buckley & Schneider, 2009).
New studies have precisely indicated the distinguishing features between the charter schools and the traditional public schools. Analysis of the philosophy of the free market in addition to literature review in regard to the outlined arguments by opponents and supporters of the charter school movement clearly defines the differentiating principles between the two systems (Willey & University of Wyoming, 2006).
A theme, which is found to recur in the literature of differences of the two systems, is found in the market system which is established as a result of an introduction of competition. One school of thought states that the system applied by the charter school builds structural change and generates a market for school choice which is something that the public school sector lacks.
In the USA, the operation of the traditional public schools is considered to be in a market which is relatively monopolistic. To heighten the efficiency of the resource utilization, they possess some little incentive that is used to enhance the education quality delivered to their students (Weinberg, 2007). In accordance with this perception, the introduced school choice challenges the monopoly of education, generating incentives of the market that persuade traditional public schools to gain increased superiority in terms of efficiency and effectiveness.
Additionally, this school of thought quantified that the ‘campaigners’ of the system of ‘school choice’ have been dependent on a theory of Milton Friedman. The theory implies that an education market, which is competitive, will be more efficient, innovative and responsive than education monopolies that are run by government. Studies conducted by Murphy and Shiffman (2002) show that over the years the educational sector was resistant to this competition as a result of the traditional school system structures. With the establishment of the charter schools, citizens got the chance to experience different varieties of educational alternatives and eventually decide on the school system that suits the needs of the family and students in the best way possible.
In addition, literature in the recent time by Alexander and Alexander (2012), defines distinguishing principles of the two systems that are drawn in the study that backs the charter public school movement. The studies quantified the promises of the charter schools as a model for a wider public transformation, simply based on their capacity to operate with autonomy, independently of restrictions of bureaucratic hierarchy, which have cramped school districts of America for the past century (Miron & Nelson, 2002). To back this argument, campaigners for the choice propose that delivering this liberty not only diversifies opportunities of education, but also subsequently generates incentives for the enhancement of traditional public education, by means of heightened service competition within the market. A report by the Northwest Regional Educational laboratory, which was published in the 1988, further outlines the diversification of educational opportunities in finer detail. It states that charter schools are not merely some form of ‘school choice’. First of all, systems in charter schools make pledges, yet unrealized, of permitting both children and parents the chance to select the school to attend. On a similar note, they also subsequently provide the teachers and parents with the chance to develop and establish new inventive curricula at schools in an active manner. Second, teachers and parents possess the capacity to renovate a school that already exists into school of their dream.
In a critical analysis of recent explorations, researchers discovered evidence of diversification through encountering principles that mostly differed from those of traditional public systems. They included study programs that were specialized, school sizes that were small, as well as the uncomplicated institutional structure of charter schools delivering self-sufficiency (Walberg, 2007). Charter schools have traditionally been perceived as a solution to the ailments of the traditional public schools due to an array of respective enactments that have been adopted over the time. Some schools of thought suggest that they can be created by almost everybody ranging from community groups and parents to educators and other stakeholders. Charter schools are self-governing in their operations as they are exempted from most local and state regulations thus being claimed to be essentially independent. Attendance is by educators who are there at their own free will, as well as youngsters whose families select the educational facility. These are institutions that exist depending on the results produced as they always have been to the exposed to risk of being closed in case they produce unsatisfactory results (Hill, Lake, & Celio, 2002). Nevertheless, recent revisions have indicated that charter schools are a hazard to the public schooling system in the US. The point of concern is that, due to eventually taking finances from the traditional systems of education, they are blamed for generating of inequality in K-12 system of education. The larger part of the literature opposed to charter public schools argues that public resources consumed in financing of the charter schools are fraudulently snatched from traditional public schools while triggering adversity. With the multiplication of charter schools, there is a need for public school administrators and teachers to comprehend the policy landscape. The point of concern is that charter schools draw finance from the communities, thus making contributing towards scarcity in the resources that are already insufficient.
When analyzing the principles, on which the charter public and traditional public schools operate, the issue of financing appears as the focal point: it draws the line between the opponents or supporters of the charter schools movement (Fabricant & Fine, 2012). The challengers of charter public schools steadily believe the charter public school movement is not eligible for the public finances like their counterparts in the traditional public system while the supporters of the charter school feel the opposite.
When looking into the differences between charter public schools and traditional public schools principals, it is important to note that, unlike charter principals, traditional public principals are typically supported by infrastructure of the district. A director of the charter school has the day to day responsibility within the school, in addition to being the primary authority in the school board (Finn, Manno, & Vanourek, 2000). In contrast, traditional public school principals are just responsible for the day to day operations while it is the role of a superintended to act as the link with the school board. Principals of charter schools function as instructional leaders within their schools, in addition to developing and monitoring strategic plans and budgets, hiring and training staff, finding school facilities, orienting and recruiting families, as well as working with authorizing board, local community and the governing board. Principals in charter schools subsequently face amplified responsibility when dealing with accountability and compliance, which are normally larger than that in the traditional public schools. Such situation comes as a result of the financing that is provided for them.
With different policies and accountability that each of the systems operates on, principals are certainly expected to produce different results, with charter schools expectations to perform better. Such differences imply that the accountability witnessed in charter schools is far much higher than accountability in the traditional public school, which puts pressure on charter school to perform increasingly better (Kahlenberg & Potter, 2014). However, charter schools operate with the realization that poor results can lead to closure, thus they want to prevent it by producing exemplary results. On the other hand, traditional public school can be perceived as a demoralized segment since the attention they are given is little as compared to that of the charter groups. Their financing is not superior versus the charter schools while the level of accountability witnessed on the other end is not same here either. This makes the traditional public school lack some bit of inspiration that charter schools get thus provoking inferior results as compared to those of charter schools.
References
Alexander, K., & Alexander, M. D. (2012). American public school law. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Buckley, J., & Schneider, M. (2009). Charter schools: Hope or hype? Princeton, N.J: Princeton
University Press.
Chavous, K. P. (2004). Serving our children: Charter schools and the reform of American public
education. Sterling, VA: Capital Books.
Fabricant, M., & Fine, M. (2012). Charter schools and the corporate makeover of public
education: What’s at stake?. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Finn, C. E., Manno, B. V., &Vanourek, G. (2000). Charter schools in action: Renewing public
education. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.
Hill, P. T., Lake, R. J., &Celio, M. B. (2002). Charter schools and accountability in public
education. Washington, D.C: Brookings Institution Press.
Kahlenberg, R. D., & Potter, H. (2014, August 7). A smarter charter: Finding what works for charter schools and public education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Miron, G., & Nelson, C. D. (2002). What’s public about charter schools?: Lessons learned about
choice and accountability. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Murphy, J., &Shiffman, C. D. (2002). Understanding and assessing the charter school
movement. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Nehring, J. (2002). Upstart startup: Creating and sustaining a public charter school. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Walberg, H. J. (2007). School choice: The findings. Washington, D.C: Cato Institute.
Weinberg, L. D. (2007). Religious charter schools: Legalities and practicalities. Charlotte, NC:
IAP, Information Age Pub.
Willey, B. J., & University of Wyoming. (2006). An examination of an educational innovation:
Opinion leadership in charter school adoption. Laramie, WY: University of Wyoming.
The post Are there Differences in Accountability among Public School and Charter School Principles and do those Differences Influence Academic Outcomes? appeared first on EssayBishop.
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