Getting the Maximum From the Minimum: An Adaptive System for Scaling School Reform

ABSTRACT

This article presents findings from a study of the minimum conditions needed to scale a previously successful model of high school reform in New York City. Most studies of scale work backward to identify conditions that were in place when scale was successful, rather than identifying those that were minimally required, and thus more likely to be achievable across settings. Findings from this study suggest that only three minimum conditions are needed for scale – adequate knowledge of the model; an appropriate environment; and a working feedback loop – when these conditions interact in a functioning, self-adjusting ecosystem.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The Renewal School Program was a signature initiative of New York City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, who was elected in part on his promise to support rather than close struggling schools, as his predecessor had done. Although SI support for High Schools was found to be effective (Wohlstetter et al., 2018), research of the initiative overall indicates mixed results. The almost 800 million dollar initiative ran from September 2014 until February 2019. Work relevant to SI began in 2014 with one cohort of 14 high schools. A second cohort of 19 additional schools joined in 2015. The number of high schools involved in the initiative shifted over time as new schools were added, and, in some cases, schools were merged or closed. See https://www.chalkbeat.org/tag/renewal-schools/ for an archive of articles about NYC’s renewal initiative and https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/initiatives/renewal-and-rise-schools for the latest information about the program published by the NYC Department of Education (DOE).