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Evaluating Comprehensive School Reform Models at Scale

Focus on Implementation

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By: Georges Vernez, Rita Karam, Louis T. Mariano, Christine DeMartini

Despite increasing pressure for improving student achievement, most studies of comprehensive school reforms show only a modest effect — or sometimes no effect at all. But if reform has not been implemented, or has been implemented only in part, changes in student achievement cannot be expected. To fill the “implementation measurement” gap, the authors developed a unique methodology to quantitatively measure the level of school reform implementation. They applied this methodology to measure actual implementation of four different models in a large number of schools, along with a corresponding set of non-model schools. They found that very few schools have fully implemented their reform model. Practices in model and non-model schools are similar, although some practices are implemented more thoroughly or frequently when prescribed by a model. At the current level of implementation, comprehensive school reform is likely to have little effect on student achievement.

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Contents

Chapter One:
Introduction

Chapter Two:
Measuring CSR Model Implementation

Chapter Three:
Sources of Data

Chapter Four:
Conformance to Model Design

Chapter Five:
Practices of Model and Nonmodel Schools

Chapter Six:
Supporting CSR Models: Factors That Impact Model Implementation

Chapter Seven:
Conclusions

Appendix A:
Protocol for Interviews with Model Developers

Appendix B:
“Should Have or Do” CSR Model Requirements

Appendix C:
Number of Schools with Longitudinal Data, by Years of Implementation

Appendix D:
Principal and Teacher Questionnaires

Appendix E:
Imputation for Missing Data

Appendix F:
Implementation Standardized Scores, by Years of Implementation

Appendix G:
Implementation Standardized Scores Specific to Each Model

Appendix H:
Implementation Standardized Scores, by Model and Nonmodel Schools

Appendix I:
Model Support and School Background Variables

Appendix J:
Support of Implementation of Individual Models

The research described in this report was conducted within RAND Education under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

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