Achieving the Goals of Sheff

Background

Given the existence of significant racial and ethnic isolation within the State’s public school districts, the Supreme Court called upon the legislature to implement pro-active strategies to assure the State’s affirmative constitutional obligation to provide a substantially equal educational opportunity.

Educational Improvement Panel that made nine major recommendations to remedy the situation, which included: 1) Interdistrict magnet schools; 2) charter schools; 3) interdistrict after school, Saturday and summer programs, and sister-school programs; 4) interdistrict public school choice program [Project Choice, formerly known as Project Concern]; 5) interdistrict school building projects; 6) interdistrict collaborative for students and staff; 7) minority staff recruitment; 8) distance learning through technology; and 9) other efforts to increase awareness of the diversity of individuals and cultures.[1]

• True integrated learning: balance across racial, economic, cultural, social, and interdistrict lines.
• Each magnet school has a substantial educational theme or proven educational pedagogy: engaging curriculum, using the latest research in cognitive development needs and multi-intelligences. Examples including technology, science, math, classics, music, arts, and the performing arts, Montessori, multiple-intelligences, languages, medical sciences and more.
• Due to the undeniable causal connection between poverty and low educational achievement, the mission of interdistrict magnet schools and programs is to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation, and to offer high-quality and special programs designed to improve student academic performance.[2]
• Commitment to the principles of diversity, as demonstrated in the make-up of the student population, administrative staff, and teachers.
• Parental engagement is required for matriculation of students, enabling development of additional family and community assets.
• Extended day and year learning environment, focused on multi-pronged student-centered learning and development Instructors receive incentives to work non-traditional, extended day/year hours.
• Professional development focus for instructors. Team teaching is the prevalent practice.
• Small classes and small learning community model. Students engaged by teachers who build relationships and practice youth engagement effectively.
• World class, modern school facilities and resources (technological modern).
• Frequently “flat bureaucracy:” where administrators, instructors, paraprofessional and support staff work as a team and input seen as universally accepted.
• Community partnerships are a highly held practice.
• High academic standards. In Middle and High Schools there is an expectation that all children will attend college.
• Focus on literacy and exposure to classic works of literature. High-level summer reading lists are prevalent.
• Civic responsibility values built into curriculum, including appreciation and recognition of cultural diversity.
• Voluntary integration has the potential to create new school communities of people who support integration and understand the value it brings to life and education of their children.[3]

Data Demonstrates Best Practices

• While the state Department of Education has reported positive looking numbers in their report Interdistrict Magnet Schools and Magnet Program in Connecticut: An Evaluation Report. The Report shows that interdistrict magnet schools had more racially balanced and more economically diverse student populations than comparable non-interdistrict schools found statewide. They also reported significant improvements in test scores (Connecticut Mastery Test), and the report stated that the longer the students attended the magnet schools, the larger the performance increase. Further student achievement data shows that fewer proportions of magnet high school students drop out than students statewide and a larger percentage of magnet high school graduates enroll in college than graduates statewide.[4]
• Parent surveys and the long waiting lists demonstrate that there is strong demand for magnet schools, especially among parents in urban districts. The Montessori Magnet School data also demonstrates a strong demand for the schools from suburban families.[5]