Identifying Differences between Two Groups of High-Needs High Schools

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL). 4601 DTC Parkway Suite 500, Denver, CO 80237-2596. Tel: 303-337-0990; Fax: 303-337-3005; Web site: http://www.mcrel.org

N

41

Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

High Schools; Teacher Attitudes; Institutional Mission; Goal Orientation; Teacher Collaboration; Evaluation Methods; Quality Control; Parent Participation; Educational Environment; School Safety; Teacher Influence; Disadvantaged Youth; Poverty; Institutional Characteristics; High Achievement; Low Achievement; Effect Size; Classroom Environment; Student Behavior; School Policy; Discipline; Professional Autonomy; Student Evaluation; Academic Achievement; Minority Group Students; Limited English Speaking; Urban Schools; Rural Schools; Leadership Responsibility; Teacher Participation; Participative Decision Making; Principals; Achievement Tests; Performance Factors; Scores

Colorado; Kansas; Missouri; Nebraska; North Dakota; South Dakota; Wyoming

National Assessment of Educational Progress; Schools and Staffing Survey (NCES)

This study examined differences in nine factors between a group of the highest-performing needs high schools (HPHN) and a group of the lowest performing high-needs (LPHN) high schools using teacher responses from a national dataset. The factors are: (1) shared mission and goals; (2) professional development; (3) collaboration among teachers (4) assessment and monitoring; (5) parent involvement; (6) safe climate; (7) orderly climate; (8) support for teacher influence at the school level; and (9) support for teacher influence at the classroom level. High needs high schools were schools with greater than 50% of their students eligible for free or reduced price lunch. Meaningful and statistically significant differences in seven of the nine factors suggest that teachers' perceptions of these factors in highest-performing high schools differ from teachers' perceptions in lowest performing high schools. These differences were identified through a descriptive analysis. The factors with significant differences, however, do suggest areas for further research. Appended are: (1) Identification of School Level Factors for the Study; (2) Item Map of SASS Questions to Constructs; (3) Descriptive Comparisons of HPHN vs. LPHN; (4) Analyses; and (5) Sampling Methodology. (Contains 19 tables, 2 boxes, and 14 footnotes.)

ERIC

34

2014

ED544621