Sometimes the research gods shine down upon us. In this case, they gave us two NYC studies, each on a different strategy, within a few months of each other.
The studies tell us much about what’s happening in New York City. They also illuminate the rational for why I believe in relinquishment.
What to do with struggling schools?
Some people believe you should give struggling schools more support. Others believe you should either replace them with charter schools or close them.
Bill de Blasio is spending $582 million on 78 Renewal Schools, a model built upon the support strategy.
Charter school supporters tend to support the replacement strategy.
Early evidence on Renewal Schools
Marcus Winters of the Manhattan Institute authored a recent study that found that Renewal Schools have seen around a .1 standard deviation increase in math and ELA scores. This is a healthy bump and it’s great to see modestly positive effects.
Winters also notes, however, that Mike Bloomberg’s closure strategy achieved about the same results at little to no cost.
Recent CREDO study on NYC charter schools
CREDO’s research found that charters in NYC achieved about .1 standard deviation effects as well.
And while CREDO did not put a price tag on the charter reforms, most estimates I’ve seen have charters coming in at a lower per school cost than the ~$8 million per Renewal School.
Is it worth it?
It can be painful to close schools and grow charter schools. This process undoubtedly causes some disruption to families and educators.
If I believed the Renewal Schools would continue to improve, I’d be open to the idea that they were worth it. Perhaps spending a few hundred million more dollars is worth the cost to avoid significant disruption to communities.
The Renewal Schools will not keep improving
Sometimes these blog posts write themselves.
Elizabeth Harris ended her NY Times piece on Renewal Schools with the following quotation:
“The thing we’re nervous about is losing any of these resources,” said Mr. Bradley of Renaissance School of the Arts. “Renewal is the bomb. I want to be renewed forever.”
I’m sure receiving $5 to $10 million to improve your school is the bomb.
But of course these resources will not last.
Additionally, because these schools are subject to the whims of changes in district policies, the strategies they implemented will likely fall out of the favor of a future administration.
Charter schools, on the other hand, receive most of the philanthropic support for start-up costs, not continuing costs.
Additionally, charter schools are governed by non-profit boards which can maintain strategic consistency through self-perpetuating boards.
To renew or to relinquish? In the long-run, relinquishment will deliver sustained gains for students. Renewal will not.