Denver education reformers tout positive impact of school closures
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If you close low-performing schools and open new ones, student test scores improve, particularly for learners with the most needs, a new study finds.
Why it matters: The results validate a controversial strategy embraced by so-called education reformers to close poor-performing schools — one that fell out of favor in Colorado and nationwide.
What they did: University of Colorado Denver researchers looked at test score data and other benchmarks from 40,000 students in Denver Public Schools and 11 nearby districts over seven years, comparing those who embraced a school-choice model against those who did not and tracking individual students.
What they found: Students who left low-performing schools saw test scores improve in math and English, while those who stayed generally did worse, our education reporting partners at Chalkbeat write.
- The largest gains came from students with disabilities and those learning English.
What they're saying: "It is really this idea that if you embrace the idea that choice is not a threat but an opportunity, if you don't assume you have all the answers, and you hold schools accountable for results, you will see system-wide improvement," said Parker Baxter, the study's lead author and director of the Center for Education Policy Analysis at CU Denver.
The intrigue: Denver superintendent Alex Marrero tried to prevent the researchers from obtaining the data used in the study, arguing they would ignore the downsides of reform policies.
What we're watching: Denver is once again facing school closures — this time because of declining enrollment.
- The school board, which is aligned against the reform policies, at first rejected the consideration of academic performance from the criteria for closures, but now will allow it.