Effects of comprehensive school reform on student achievement and school change: A longitudinal multi-site study

Abstract

The longitudinal impacts on school change and student achievement of implementing varied Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) models was investigated in 12 elementary schools in diverse geographic locations. Each school was individually matched and compared to a demographically similar control school on measures of school climate, teacher satisfaction, observed classroom teaching methods, and student achievement on a battery of 4 individually administered reading tests. Data were analyzed for all CSR-control school pairs combined and separately for pairs representing 4 different CSR models (Balanced Early Literacy Initiative, Core Knowledge, Direct Instruction, and Success for All). Although results varied across location (rural versus urban) and models on different measures, overall CSR advantages were evidenced for teacher attitudes, school climate, and student achievement. Observations of teaching strategies further revealed their general conformity to the CSR models' pedagogical emphases (e.g., direct instruction, ability grouping, higher order questioning). The implications of the findings are discussed relative to processes of enacting and sustaining educational change using whole-school reform approaches.

Acknowledgments

This publication is based on work sponsored wholly or in part by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, under contract number ED-O1-CO-0016. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of OERI, the Department of Education, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Thanks are extended to all the students, principals, teachers, and parents who willingly participated in this research study, without whom this study would not be possible. Special thanks are extended to the following people whose contributions provided valuable assistance during the data collection, analysis, and writing phases of this study: Lara Nichols, Steve Moats, Weiping Wang, and Katherine Workman at AEL, Inc., and the Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREP) at the University of Memphis.

Notes

1. In the present context, schools applied for state competitions to receive funding from 3-year CSR federal grants. Conditions and policies did not accommodate randomly assigning winning proposals to award versus control conditions or randomly assigning these whole-school programs at the teacher or student levels within schools.

2. For a full report, see Sterbinsky et al. (2002a, 2002b, 2002c).