Nghiên cứu ảnh hưởng của cải cách dựa trên tiêu chuẩn đến giáo dục đặc biệt tại trường Westvale Elementary

Syracuse University SURFACE Teaching and Leadership - Dissertations School of Education 12-2012 The Impact of Standards-Based Reform on Special Education: An Exploration of Westvale Elementary School Jessica Kim Bacon Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.edu/tl_etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Bacon, Jessica Kim, "The Impact of Standards-Based Reform on Special Education: An Exploration of Westvale Elementary School" (2012). Teaching and Leadership - Dissertations.edu/tl_etd/244 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Teaching and Leadership - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact surface@syr.

Abstract A critical, interpretivist, qualitative study, this project examines how standards- based reform impacts special education at an urban school, called Westvale Elementary School. The school was labeled a Persistently Low Achieving school under the No Child Left Behind Act and was thus required to undergo a “transformation” process. The demographics of the school at the time of the study were: 97% free and reduced lunch, 40% Limited English Proficiency, 21% students with disabilities. The racial makeup of the school is: 50% Hispanic or Latino, 35% Black or African American, and 10% white.

My methodological approach drew primarily upon 19 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with teachers, administrators, and policy makers. All participants were either associated with, working at, or overseeing Westvale Elementary School. I also conducted observations at over 15 public events relevant to the study. Interview and observation data were contextualized through an examination of public documents, such as policy statements or media reports.

Findings indicate that the transformation process that Westvale was required to undertake was both a dramatic and sanction-laden one. For instance, prior to the transformation process, Westvale operated fully inclusive classrooms and afterwards the school shifted to a variety of self-contained, tracked, and pull-out programs. Thus, a key finding of this study was that standards-based reform impacted the physical inclusion of students with disabilities, even if they were accessing, at least to some degree, regular education content. Findings also showed how standards-based reform policies, including the implementation of the Common Core standards, testing, teacher and leader evaluations, and accountability systems significantly impacted special education, particularly in this “failing” school.

Financial incentives, the media, and research all played distinct roles in disseminating standards-based reform ideology, which forced failing urban schools to adopt standards-based reform policy, even if local educators and administrators believed that the policies negatively impacted students. Unfortunately, the study also documents how special education is often an after-thought during local, district, state, and national policy-making, which resulted in policies ill-suited for the needs of students with disabilities. Finally, I illustrate how standards-based reform relies on discourse that blames teachers for the failures of urban schools, essentially removing the need to remedy the inequities existent in our educational system. I conclude this study with a series of recommendations directed to teachers, administrators, and policy-makers.

The Impact of Standards-Based Reform on Special Education: An Exploration of Westvale Elementary School By Jessica K. The College of Wooster, 2003 M. Syracuse University, 2007 Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education in the Department of Teaching and Leadership in the School of Education in the Graduate School of Syracuse University December 2012 Copyright © 2012 Jessica K. Bacon All Rights Reserved For Angela Acknowledgements It is truly amazing to reflect upon the countless ways I have evolved over the past seven years.

I came to Syracuse University with an inkling that I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself and that I wanted to help mitigate the world’s injustices. I however, never could have predicted the opportunities and support I would receive from so many people in the Syracuse University community. As I approached the end of my studies, the dissertation felt frightening and unattainable, but I was encouraged and supported by so many people. For that, I am indebted to you all.

I would first like to acknowledge the participants in this study. Educators, administrators, and state employees have countless responsibilities. The fact that so many individuals were willing to volunteer their time and speak with me honestly and candidly about their perspectives is so greatly appreciated. I hope I was able to honor your words and stories.

Beginning and ending a doctoral program is a challenging and rewarding journey. I never would have made it through so successfully without the love and support of so many wonderful peers that I am lucky to call my friends. To Danielle Cowley and Kate McLaughlin, we have been through so much together and I am so excited for us to embark upon the next steps of our careers together. To my wonderful friends and colleagues Fernanda Orsati, Eun Young Jung, Heidi Pitzer, Melissa Smith, Lauren Shallish, Juliann Anesi, Kelly Szott, Kristin Goble, Deanna Adams, Liat Ben Moshe, and Ashley Taylor—you have all made this road so much more enjoyable and I have learned from you all.

vi There are so many others at Syracuse University that have challenged my understanding of the world and supported me to see things more deeply. I would like to thank Scott Floyd, Jane Deganais, Dan Smith, Cyndy Colavita, Rachel Zubal-Ruggieri, Pam Walker, and the members of the self-advocacy network. You have all taught me so much. I offer my gratitude to the many professors at Syracuse University who have supported and challenged me over the years.

I would like to thank Christy Ashby and Julie Causton- Theoharis for being great mentors and for supporting me in so many ways. To my dissertation committee members, Steve Taylor and Doug Biklen, I thank you so much for your contributions to this dissertation. I have learned a great deal from both of you and have been so honored to be a part of the rich history that you both carry. My biggest thanks go to my advisor Beth Ferri.

Words cannot convey how appreciative I am of your unwavering support and your dedication to getting me through this dissertation. You have not only challenged me and helped me to become a better writer and thinker, but you have also been my biggest advocate when I needed it. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for you. I would also like to thank my family.

Mom and Dad, you have always been so supportive of my endeavors, and you have helped provide me with so many opportunities over the course of my life. I feel so grateful that my life’s path brought me to your hometown and close to my grandmother, cousins, aunt, and uncle, all who have made my years at Syracuse so wonderful. Finally, I would like to thank Angela, who has been my rock over the past four years. I could never have accomplished this without your love and support.

vii Table of Contents Abstract. vi List of tables. ix Chapter 1: Introduction. 1 National History of Standards-Based Reform.

3 No Child Left Behind Act. 5 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. 7 The Blue Print for Reform. 9 Race to the Top.

11 Chapter 2: Literature Review. 14 Studies and Literature. 14 Proponents of standards-based reform. 14 Failures of standards-based reform.

20 Students with disabilities and standards-based reform. 22 Synopsis of the literature. 29 Disability studies in education. 45 The contributions of Bakhtin.

69 Observations of public forums. 82 Chapter 4: The story of Westvale Elementary School. 83 Becoming Proficiently Low Achieving. 83 Stigma and School Culture.

94 From Inclusion to Segregation. 119 Chapter 5: The Impact of Standards-Based Reform on Inclusive Education. 120 The Role of Leadership. 121 Pull-Out Instruction and Ability Grouping.

128 Response to intervention. 131 State-mandated ESL services. 144 Modification and Prioritized Curriculum Courses. 169 ix Skills and achievement commencement credential.

190 Chapter 6: Priorities and Implementation Strategies of Standards-Based Reform192 Policy Priorities of Standards-Based Reform. 192 Raising standards for all students. 201 Effective teachers and principals. 217 Rigorous and fair accountability for all levels.

228 Processes of Implementing Standards-Based Reform. 238 Media and local press. 248 The role of “research. 253 Disconnections and connections.

260 Special education and policy-making. 267 Who is to blame for school failure?. 286 The story of Westvale. 286 The impact of standards-based reform on inclusive education.

289 Priorities and implementation strategies of standards-based reform. 297 Recommendations for teachers. 297 Recommendations for administrators. 299 Recommendations for policy-makers.

300 Limitations, Contributions, and Future Directions. 342 xi List of Tables and Appendices Table 3.1 Interview participant details.2 Observations of public event details.73 Appendix A Interview guides.348 Appendix B Consent form.351 xii Chapter 1 1 Chapter 1 Introduction To set a backdrop for this study, Allan, a participant in this study and a school level administrator, painted a picture of how classrooms have evolved in recent years. When my daughter was in kindergarten she went to my former school--in the same classroom with the same teacher.My kindergarten room was full of toys and there were tables. I still have my report card; my mom saved everything.

I was greeted with help tying my shoes. I couldn’t write my name. But, when I went to open house for my daughter, there wasn't a toy in the kindergarten room. They were sitting at desks and she had a report card that I probably would've received in third-grade, you know, how many words? How many sounds? So we have really changed things.

For all students, with and without disabilities, education looks different today than it did several decades ago. In large part, changes in how students experience education are connected to the emergence of the standards-based reform movement. The current standards-based reform movement emphasizes a national set of standards linked to standardized tests, accountability systems, and teacher and leader evaluations. The standards-based reform movement also currently promotes school choice and the labeling and restructuring underperforming schools.

The definition of standards-based reform movement has been evolving for decades, but generally focuses on raising standards for achievement and increasing accountability of schools to demonstrate those gains. The goal of this study was to understand how current standards-based reform movement was impacting special education. In recent years, standards-based reforms 1 Introduction 2 have gained striking momentum, influenced by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and more recent (beginning in 2010) Race to the Top competition grants. These reforms affect the education for all students across the United States, but have specific ramifications for students with disabilities.

Particularly, this study looks at how students with disabilities who attend an urban elementary school labeled as “failing” are disproportionally affected by standards-based reforms. President Obama (2011), in his State of the Union Address, laid out his agenda for educational reform, stating that: If we raise expectations for every child, and give them the best possible chance at an education, from the day they are born until the last job they take — we will reach the goal that I set two years ago: By the end of the decade, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. 45) In this statement, the President includes a set of lofty goals; the specifics of which policies will allow our country to reach these objectives are not simple, neutral, or obvious. The standards-based reform movement assumes that to reach such goals, it is necessary to use accountability systems, standardized curriculum, state examinations, teacher and leader evaluations, as well as to identify failing schools.

As the implementation of these policies is increasingly shaping urban education, it is important to understand how they affect all students, including those with disabilities. Special education plays a key role in the United States educational system, and presents unique challenges for educational policy makers.