“Research”

As we continue to debate the current bond proposition, many people turn to the internet to research topics and look for evidence that helps support their position.  When conducting research it is imperative to ask specific questions before you conclude an article appropriately supports your position.  I have done a lot of research on the topic of grade span and reconfiguration and I have found that the research is inconclusive.  For every article that supports one claim there is another that refutes it.  Lately many people have submitted blog posts citing research.  I have taken the time to read each article that has been mentioned and my comments appear below.  Please remember to ask the following questions when reading articles:

• What is the purpose of the study? 
• Does the author have a bias that he/she is trying to assert?
• Is the size, demographics and purpose of the study similar to Mineola?
• Is it a case study? (specific examination of one district)
• Are the sources valid and reliable?
• Is the study qualitative or quantitative?
• What is the methodology for collecting and analyzing data?

 

Grade Configuration in K-12 Schools

http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/gradeconfig.html

This is a summary article that examines all of the recent research on grade configuration.  It cites pros and cons on the topic and concludes that there is not definitive answer to the question. It provides abstracts of each article cited at the end of the article.  The abstracts will provide some insight on the purpose of the study as well as the methodology of data collection.

 

 

Does Close Count? School Proximity, School Quality, and Residential Property Values http://econpapers.repec.org/article/agsjoaaec/6609.htm

 

I could not find the actual article only the abstract.  The abstract states:

“In general, there is positive value associated with closer proximity to schools of all levels, and negative value associated with a significantly longer than average distance to schools.”

On the surface this appears to support the bloggers claim.  But further examination unveils that the school district studied is Greenville South Carolina.  The Greenville school district is the 58^th largest school system in the country serviced over 60,000 students. It is not applicable to Mineola.
The interaction of School Size and Socio-Economic Statue in Student Performance  

www.soscanberra.com/file_download/2

This article is part of a movement in Canberra Australia entitled “Save our Schools”.  The article is specifically written to support a particular movement and therefore has a bias.  Nevertheless, the basic premise of the article is “The research findings on the interaction of school size and socio-economic status with school achievement clearly demonstrate that small school size facilitates higher academic achievement for students from low SES backgrounds. The more affluent the community, the larger the school can be without damaging achievement levels.”

 

Grade -Span Configurations: What should we do with the Children?

http://www.dallasindicators.com/Portals/8/Reports/Reports_Internal/Grade-SpanConfigurations.pdf

This article speaks to the advantages of a K-8 school model over a Middle School model.  The article concludes “Kindergarten through eight grade schools have been outperforming middle schools, with higher academic achievement, better attendance, and fewer behavioral problems.  Parents seem to favor them.  There is a value in the middle school concept, but school transitions contribute to a loss of academic achievement”

If the blogger is suggesting we create K-8 buildings we would have an issue with the middle school.  Just like Willis a large majority of the last bond(s) went to repairing the HVAC systems, window and doors.  It could only be rented to Non profit 501 (c) (3) entities.  In addition a bond would have to be passed to add rooms on at least three of the buildings.

 

Elementary School Grade Span Configuration: New Evidence on Student Achievement, Achievement Equity and Cost Efficiency

This is a case study (examining one school district) of an Illinois school district that is K-8.  The district has 4 buildings each with a different grade span.  Some students go to a K-5 building while others go to a PreK-2 then a 3-5 before MS. Like the previous article it is written to assert a specific position, thereby creating a bias.

 

“How much is a Neighborhood Worth?”

http://www-agecon.ag.ohio-state.edu/class/aede680/irwin/pdf/53.pdf

 

This study is a longitudinal case study of Shaker Heights school district in Ohio.  The study concludes that property value decreased after a school reconfiguration.  But, the reconfiguration that occurred in Shaker Heights was primarily for desegregation.  It bused children to different school to balance racial demographics. It also left several schools “as is” thereby radically altering some schools and not others which in turn changed some neighborhoods and not others.

 “The effect of the decrease in enrollment was that resources were strained as some schools remained near capacity and others were nearly empty. Further, the pattern of integration within the district was irregular, with some schools especially Moreland predominantly black and others such as (Fernway and Mercer) predominantly white.”

“In general, the redistricting disrupted many previously coherent neighborhood schools. Not all schools were disrupted, however. Students in Boulevard, Mercer, and most of Fernway remained in their original district.11 The plan also resulted in the desired racial balance in the elementary schools, as shown in Table 1