Research Methodology and Results High School Study
High Schools: 2017-2019
Three-year study of high-poverty non-selective New York State public high schools where students in poverty (ED) do well
Summary:· 28 high schools were identified according to Criteria A and B below· Principals of 21 of these schools were interviewed to learn what they attribute their success to (75% response rate).
Results have implications for:
- interventions for schools where students in poverty struggle
- development of principals for high-poverty schools
Study Criteria:
Criteria A: Demographics –
To be eligible, high schools must:
- have 40%+ Economically Disadvantaged (ED) students·
- be non-selective - not be magnet, charter, or school-choice schools
- have 30+ ED students
Criteria B: Performance – Eligible schools (above) must meet or exceed performance criteria for at least 2 years of the 3-year study
IDENTIFIED schools NON-identified schools
ED graduation rate (Aug.) 85%+ 77% ED graduation rate with
Regents Advanced Designation (Aug.) 23%+ 17%
Dropout rate <9% 11%
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The bar graph on top shows what % of principals attributed their success to the named factors -
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Research Methods & Results Elementary/Middle School Study
Elementary and Middle Schools: 2016-2018
Three-year study of high-poverty non-selective New York State public Elementary and Middle schools where students in poverty (ED) do well
Summary:· Elementary and Middle schools were identified according to criteria below. Principals of 143 of these schools were interviewed to learn what they attribute their success to (39% response rate)
Results have implications for
- interventions for schools where students in poverty struggle
- development of principals for high-poverty schools
Criteria A: Demographics – To be eligible, elementary and middle schools must:
- have 40%+ Economically Disadvantaged (ED) students·
- be non-selective - not be magnet, charter, or school-choice schools
- have 30+ ED student test-takers
Criteria B: Performance – Eligible schools (above) must meet or exceed performance criteria
- 25% or more ED students scoring 3 or 4 on NY ELA
- 65% or more ED students scoring 2, 3, or 4 on NY ELA
*When the NYSED ELA exam changed, criteria B. changed to
- 32% or more ED students scoring 3 or 4 on NY ELA
- 72% or more ED students scoring 2, 3, or 4 on NY ELA
Using 2016 data, these 177 schools met criteria A and B.
Using 2017 data, these 248 schools met criteria A and B.
Using 2018 data, these 191 schools met criteria A and B