Product Description
One important aim of social science research is to provide unbiased information that can help guide public policies. However, social science is often construed as politics by other means. Nowhere is the polarized nature of social science research more visible than in the heated debate over charter schools. In Spin Cycle, noted political scientist and education expert Jeffrey Henig explores how controversies over the charter school movement illustrate the use and misuse of research in policy debates. Henig's compelling narrative reveals that, despite all of the political maneuvering on the public stage, research on school choice has gradually converged on a number of widely accepted findings. This quiet consensus shows how solid research can supersede partisan cleavages and sensationalized media headlines.

In Spin Cycle, Henig draws on extensive interviews with researchers, journalists, and funding agencies on both sides of the debate, as well as data on federal and foundation grants and a close analysis of media coverage, to explore how social science research is "spun" in the public sphere. Henig looks at the consequences of a highly controversial New York Times article that cited evidence of poor test performance among charter school students. The front-page story, based on research findings released by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), sparked an explosive debate over the effectiveness of charter schools. In the ensuing drama, reputable scholars from both ends of the political spectrum launched charges and counter-charges over the research methodology and the implications of the data. Henig uses this political tug-of-war to illustrate broader problems relating to social science: of what relevance is supposedly non-partisan research when findings are wielded as political weapons on both sides of the debate?

In the case of charter schools, Henig shows that despite the political posturing in public forums, many researchers have since revised their stances according to accumulating new evidence and have begun to find common ground. Over time, those who favored charter schools were willing to admit that in many instances charter schools are no better than traditional schools. And many who were initially alarmed by the potentially destructive consequences of school choice admitted that their fears were overblown. The core problem, Henig concludes, has less to do with research itself than with the way it is often sensationalized or misrepresented in public discourse.

Despite considerable frustration over the politicization of research, until now there has been no systematic analysis of the problem. Spin Cycle provides an engaging narrative and instructive guide with far-reaching implications for the way research is presented to the public. Ultimately, Henig argues, we can do a better job of bringing research to bear on the task of social betterment.

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Customer Reviews (1)

charter school research
This is an interesting treatise on the charter school movement in public education. Many of the performance issues in our school could be improved if the political nature of it was replaced with bipartisan efforts to correct them. Research results can be skewed to support any theory you wish to pursue. In the end, it's all about the students. ... Read more

Product Description
Is the virtual charter public school a viable alternative to traditional education? Virtual Charter Schools and Home Schooling is a rich and insightful study that undertakes a comprehensive investigation to answer this important question. It strongly makes the case for this idea with one of the first comprehensive investigations of the relationship between virtual charter schools and home schooling. Benefits as well as drawbacks or limitations to both parties are examined using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. "This book is exactly what we need to know about the potential and current results of one type of charter, virtual, home schooling network. Her research adds much to our current understanding and can serve as a model for more inquiry and reasoned dialogue. There is much to be learned by studying all aspects of alternative school efforts--Dr. Klein, a public school educator, with more than 20 years of experience, is to be congratulated for the clarity and insight she brings to the discussion." - Mary Poplin, Professor of Education, Claremont Graduate University ... Read more

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The purpose of this book was to describe the variables that contributed to the establishment of a charter school in an urban Arizona and rural California school district, noting the similarities and dissimilarities and disclosing the factors used to justify implementation of the Montessori theory of education. The secondary purpose of this book was to describe the guidelines for maintaining a charter school, the evaluation methods and factors used in the school’s unique experience with staff development.The two schools experienced many similarities when the same variables were applied to both schools.As a result, the stakeholders of both schools used the principles of the organizational theory area of empowerment to implement choices in curriculum.This book provides an insight for parents, teachers, and community leaders to develop strategies by utilizing the same principles to meet the educational needs of children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I didn't even want to give it one star!
Well, the good news is, I borrowed this book from a library so I didn't waste money on it. The bad news is, it was a complete waste of time to read.

First off, from what I can tell, this was Jefferson's dissertation for his PhD. I arrive at that conclusion because when looking at the publisher, [...]. I haven't looked into the issue further so I am not willing to bet any pertinent body parts on this, but it makes complete logical sense when reading the book. If I had known that going into the book, I would have expected something much different than what I got.

Let me summarize the book in a nutshell: There was a person who did a study of an inner-city school in Arizona - a school that used Montessori methods, was started by community members (in particular political leaders), and had a problem in the beginning with cronyism. Jefferson wanted to complete the same study, but do it on a rural school in California, and see what sort of a difference that made in how the schools turned out. The school in California was sponsored and started by the school district itself, it also used Montessori methods, and there were no problems with cronyism.

That's pretty much it. Jefferson spent a whole lot of time talking about how the first study asked this question, so he asked a question similar to it, but changed it just a bit so it read this way. It was that sort of mentality, where he was almost more focused on what the other study did and how he compared to that study, that unless you were the author of the original study, you were bored to death reading it. I kept thinking that the only person who'd want to read the book would be the original study's author. No one else would care.

He also repeated a lot. A lot. Like, a whole lot. See how annoying that is? Now imagine reading something, and then reading that same idea two pages later, with almost the same wording. And again a chapter later, again with extraordinarily close wording. It's as if he had a word count to meet, and he wasn't going to stop copying and pasting phrases until he met it. He also followed the idea of saying what you're going to say, saying it, and then saying what you just said. Complete waste of time to read.

I cannot figure out how this book garnered otherwise high ratings. Perhaps I just went into with the wrong idea in mind. If I had known it was a dissertation that was going to focus primarily on reporting results and comparing those results to another researcher's results (a research project I hadn't even heard of before picking up this book) then I would have been happy to read it, because I would have been expecting what it gave me. Instead, I went into it thinking that I was going to be reading a book that compared and contrasted the Montessori method to other methods, with lots of scientific research on why Montessori is a good program to use, and I thought I was going to be reading a lot on how the schools themselves were set up - what they did in the classrooms, what the teachers said, what the administrators said...A book more along the lines of "Making Schools Work : A Revolutionary Plan to Get Your Children the Education They Need" where the researcher goes in and finds things out, and then presents an interesting and well-written account of many different schools, weaving them all together and helping me learn with every turn of the page. Since absolutely none of that happened in this case...well, I stand by my original statement: At least I didn't pay for it.

Not recommended to anyone, expect perhaps the author of the original study.

Thinking of Going "Charter School?"
As a teacher currently working in the field, I have been contemplating going the Charter School route. I found this book to be quite useful in helping identify issues faced by Charter Schools and the people that work in them. I would highly recommend this book.

Charter Schools and Community Empowerment
Steve Jefferson's book, Charter Schools- A Descriptive Study
of Empowerment within the Operation of Charter Schools is magnificent view of the need for charter schools in the U.S. today. As a Special Education Teacher in Los Angeles, the strategies outlined are beneficial to my students who are working below grade level. In addition, I strongly feel that today's schools must be centered around community empowerment and high expectations which were evident from the research in this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Public education is failing America’s children—especially those in poor urban areas. Former Washington, D.C. Council member Kevin Chavous has long been an outspoken advocate for educational reform through the charter school movement. In his book "Serving Our Children," Chavous explores what his city has learned from the charter school experience and what it means to American public education as a whole. Chavous shows how charter schools can serve as models for national public education reform across the country.He describes how greater flexibility and autonomy allow these schools to better serve the needs of students and their families. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Parting Words for Councilman Chavous
Two things anyone should take in to account before cracking this book.

1. Charter schools were not the product of a mass demand by the residents of DC. It was essentially forced on the DC by the Republican dominated Congress. DC public schools have major problems, but that is hardly an excuse to force conservative social experiments on an unwilling population.

2. Councilman Chavous was voted out of office soon after thsi book was published. It seems his constituents were not too hot on his advocacy of charter schools.

Interesting Arguement for Educational Reform
Kevin Chavous, a council member in Washington, D.C., thinks that charter schools are the answer to America's failing education system.With his eloquent writing style and genuine passion for the topic, "Serving Our Children" offers a unique analysis of one of America's biggest problems.I wonder what the Presidential canidates would think of this book. ... Read more

Product Description
While educators, parents, and policy-makers are still debating the pros and cons of school choice, it is now possible to learn from choice experiments in public, private, and charter schools across the country. This book both examines the evidence from these early school choice programs and looks at the larger implications of choice and competition in education. ... Read more

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Charter schools are a vibrant and widely discussed school reform issue, but how much do we really know about how they measure up in terms of student achievement, choice, innovation, and accountability? Esteemed charter school researchers, Miron and Nelson, have boiled down the results of their in-depth study of charter schools and present answers to some of these central questions:

• How do students in charter schools perform compared to students in non-charter schools?
• Have charter schools succeeded as labs of educational innovations?
• What types of professional development enhancements and teaching environments do charter schools provide for their teachers?
• How do the costs of charter schools compare with non-charter schools?
• What effect have for-profit charter school operators had on charter school students and operations?

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Practicing educators are surprisingly ill informed about the practical problems charter schools and voucher policies face in implementation. ... Read more

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The report analyzes an array of issues pertaining to accessibility, student achievement, governance, and operation of charter schools in California.Four specific research questions were investigated:(1) What population of students attend charter schools?(2) Is student achievement higher in charter schools than in conventional public schools?(3) What oversight and support do the chartering authorities provide?(4) How do charter schools differ from their conventional public school counterparts in terms of their operation, including finances, academic achievement, and staffing? ... Read more

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This book presents the first published accounts and evaluations of the first free market in education in the U.S., Arizona charter schools.The charter school is fast becoming one of the most significant attempts at public education reform in this country. Over 1100 charter schools operate in twenty-seven states, with several hundred more to be added in the next two years. School Choice in the Real World looks at the charter school movement through a highly focused lens: it examines charter schools in Arizona, which currently account for nearly one-quarter of all charter schools. Using this state as a case study, the editors examine the experiences of actual charter school operators, social scientific analysis, policy discussions, and criticism and forecasting for the future.School choice is the most talked about reform of American public education, yet writings about choice remain highly speculative because no state has adopted a free market approach to education--until now. The charter school is fast becoming one of the most significant attempts at public education reform in this country. Over 1100 charter schools operate in twenty-seven states, with several hundred more to be added in the next two years. School Choice in the Real World looks at the charter school movement through a highly focused lens: it examines charter schools in Arizona, which currently account for nearly one-quarter of all charter schools.Since 1994, Arizona has implemented a charter school law with the lowest barriers to entry in the nation. As a result, Arizona has more than 200 charter school campuses. Some districts have even lost more than 10% of their students to charter schools. Using the state of Arizona as a case study, the editors examine the experiences of actual charter school operators, social scientific analysis, policy discussions, and criticism and forecasting for the future. The editors bring together academics, policy-makers, and practicioners, and they explain and evaluate how school choice works in the real world. ... Read more

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The first book to analyze and compare the charter schoolreform across a broad range of jurisdictions. ... Read more

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Provides information about all of the dimensions a director needs to understand in order to operate a school. ... Read more

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Education is a perennially vexing issue in American life. What, exactly, is the best system for teaching? Proponents of charter schools believe that competition is the key; public schools will improve if they have to compete for students. Charters themselves are public schools, but ones run by any group accepting the challenge of improving student performance in return for fewer regulations and tight budget restrictions. In short, charter schools have defined focus and clear accountability. Those opposing the charter movement though, claim that charter schools are divisive and distract attention from public school needs. Some politicians have shown approval of charter schools, as evidenced by President George W Bush's bill for funding charter programs. This book aims to clear up some of the questions around charter schools and can help answer the questions surrounding the future of the American education system. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Phi Delta Kappan, published by Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. on June 1, 2000. The length of the article is 8410 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Beyond the Schoolhouse Door - How Charter Schools Are Transforming U.S. Public Education.
Author: Bruno V. Manno
Publication: Phi Delta Kappan (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2000
Publisher: Phi Delta Kappa, Inc.
Volume: 81Issue: 10Page: 736

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more