Green Dot Public Schools: A Model for Academic Excellence
The proposed research seeks to gain a better understanding of how the Green Dot Public Schools (GDPS) school model based on the Six Tenets of High Performing Schools, can affect high school graduation rates. To answer this question, a critical examination of existing scholarly work on high school discontinuation and the factors that foster student persistence in secondary education was conducted. Based on this knowledge a quantitative assessment was performed on five GDPS and five Los Angeles Unified School District high schools. The data collected examined the percentage of students who graduated, passed the California High School Exit Exam, and their respective school's Academic Performance Index score. Furthermore a subsequent examination was conducted on each school to determine campus demographics (i.e. the racial/ethnic make ups of each school population, parental/guardian educational background of enrolled students, and the number of students who come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds). The investigation concluded that the GDPS school model positively affected student's graduation rate because it provided students with (1) unique support mechanisms (i.e. personalized attention from instructors, smaller classroom settings and extended learning programs) to ensure their persistence in high school, and (2) utilizes a nontraditional form of governance and organization that puts the students academic success first. More importantly, the findings from this study provide a reputable school model that can be implemented in failing public school districts aimed at increasing high school completion rates.
School:
University of California at Los Angeles
Department:
History/Educational Studies
Research Advisor:
James D. Anderson
Department of Research Advisor:
Educational Policy Studies
Year of Publication:
2008